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Champions League wrap: PSG denied as Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon stands firm

PSG's Bradley Barcola has his attempt on goal blocked by Bilbao netminder Unai Simon
PSG's Bradley Barcola has his attempt on goal blocked by Bilbao netminder Unai Simon

Paris St-Germain played out their first goalless draw of the season at Athletic Bilbao but stayed in the driving seat for direct qualification for the last-16 after a string of fine saves by home goalkeeper Unai Simon denied the holders.

Luis Enrique's side had the clearest chances after being under pressure in the first half, but Simon produced several superb saves and Ousmane Dembele’s absence was once again felt up front by the visitors.

The result left PSG in third place in the 36-team league with 13 points from six games while Athletic are 28th on five points, two points from the playoff places.

Juventus registered their first home win of this season's Champions League but were made to battle before overcoming Pafos 2-0 at home thanks to second-half goals from Weston McKennie and Jonathan David.

The sides were level on points going into the game and Pafos proved more than a match for their more illustrious Italian opponents for long periods, but Juventus earned a second successive win to boost their European hopes.

Juve are 17th in the standings on nine points while Pafos are 26th on six points.

Pafos created an early chance with Anderson Silva's backheeled shot going just wide and minutes later Juventus keeper Michele Di Gregorio needed to be alert to keep out an own goal when the ball ricocheted off Andrea Cambiaso.

The visitors' keeper Neofytos Michael parried away Kenan Yildiz's curling shot and Teun Koopmeiners headed wide from a Juventus corner but Pafos proved dangerous with quick counter-attacks.

Joao Correia got on the end of a long ball, shrugging off the attentions of McKennie before firing over and Vlad Dragomir reached Correia's cross into the box but Di Gregorio had little trouble gathering his tame effort.

Weston Mckennie of Juventus
Weston McKennie was on the scoresheet for the Turin outfit

Pafos continued to cause problems. Silva struck the outside of the upright with another effort, Derrick Luckassen headed narrowly wide from a corner and Di Gregorio tipped over a powerful strike from Dragomir.

Juventus spurned a chance when David missed the target from inside the six-yard area and the half-time whistle was greeted with boos from the home fans after watching their side come under extreme pressure from the Cypriots.

The hosts had the first opportunity after the break when Koopmeiners's shot was parried away and Yildiz blasted the rebound high and wide.

Francisco Conceicao, a halftime replacement, forced the Pafos keeper into a save at his near post as Juventus began to look more in control and Luciano Spalletti made another offensive change, replacing Manuel Locatelli with Lois Openda.

Openda had a shot deflected away and from the resulting corner Juventus found the opener in the 67th minute.

Pafos cleared the initial danger but Andrea Cambiaso played the ball back into the box and McKennie blasted past Michael at his near post from a tight angle.

Juventus doubled their lead six minutes later when Yildiz played a pin-point pass across to the unmarked David in the area and this time the striker made no mistake, taking a touch to control before steering his low shot past Michael.

The goals took the sting out of the Pafos fight and Juventus never looked like letting their lead slip.

 Julian Brandt of Borussia Dortmund scoring against Bodo Glimt - Champions League, December 2025

Julian Brandt (above) scored two goals for Borussia Dortmund but they had to settle for a point as visitors Bodo/Glimt twice came from behind to secure a 2-2 draw.

The draw leaves Dortmund 10th the table with 11 points from their six games, while Bodo/Glimt remain winless and in 32nd place with three draws from their six fixtures.

Brandt gave Dortmund the lead following a poor pass from Haitam Aleesami, but the latter made amends when he equalised just before the break.

The home side applied plenty of pressure after the break and were rewarded early as Brandt netted his second with a tap-in from a rebound, before Jens Petter Hauge restored parity again for the visitors 15 minutes from the end

Ajax claimed their first points of this season's Champions League when they netted three late goals in a 4-2 win at Qarabag.

The hosts went in front in the 10th minute when Camilo Duran chased down a long pass and got to the ball ahead of his marker before lobbing the advancing Ajax keeper Vitezslav Jaros who had come to the edge of his area.

Ajax equalised six minutes before the break with Kasper Dolberg cutting inside and rifling a shot from distance into the bottom corner, but the hosts retook the lead two minutes after halftime when Matheus Silva's shot took a deflection off defender Lucas Rosa.

Oscar Gloukh drew Ajax level again 11 minutes from time with a drilled low shot into the bottom corner and four minutes later the visitors were ahead through Anton Gaaei and Gloukh made sure of the win with another goal in the final minute.

Villarreal fell to a 3-2 loss at home to FC Copenhagen.

The Danish side took a second-minute lead after Marcos Lopez floated a cross into the box and Mohamed Elyounoussi timed his run to perfection to finish with a volley from inside the six-yard area.

Villarreal equalised two minutes after halftime when Santi Comesana bundled the ball into the net sliding in at the back post but Copenhagen were back in front one minute later through Elias Achouri's first-time finish from Yoram Zague's cross.

The hosts drew level again in the 56th minute with Tani Oluwaseyi taking the ball into the area and poking his shot through the legs of defender Junnosuke Suzuki and past Copenhagen keeper Dominik Kotarski.

Copenhagen silenced the home crowd in the 90th minute when Andreas Cornelius reacted quickest to a blocked effort from Elyounoussi and pounced to net the winner to leave Villarreal, who are third in LaLiga, on the brink of elimination.

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