Champions League round-up: Bayern impress but Xavi’s Barca held by Benfica

Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski scores in spectacular style in the win over Dinamo Kiev last night. Picture: Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images

Bayern Munich, missing half a dozen players to Covid-19 quarantine, edged past Dynamo Kyiv 2-1 to secure top spot in Champions League Group E with a game to spare.

Robert Lewandowski struck with a spectacular 14th-minute overhead kick to put the Bundesliga champions in front amid heavy snowfall in Kyiv. Kingsley Coman then doubled the lead three minutes from half-time.

Dynamo, who are now eliminated from the competition, cut the deficit with their maiden group-stage goal through Denys Garmash with 20 minutes to go to set up a dramatic finish. The Ukrainian side forced Manuel Neuer to make a fine save five minutes later before they were denied by a post in stoppage time as they looked for an equaliser.

Bayern, desperate to bounce back from Friday’s shock 2-1 loss to Augsburg in the Bundesliga, top the group on 15 points with five wins from five games. Julian Nagelsmann named just four outfield players on the bench, all youngsters or fringe players, but with Lewandowski up front Bayern are almost unstoppable. His wonderful early goal means he Robert has now scored in nine successive Champions League games.

Meanwhile Xavi’s first European match as manager of Barcelona ended in a disappointing 0-0 draw with Benfica.

In Manchester United’s Group F, Atalanta’s Luis Muriel came off the bench to equalise two minutes from time and snatch a 3-3 draw at Young Boys Berne in a frenetic finish to their Champions League clash.

The Italians had been 2-1 up with 10 minutes remaining and looking to move into second place in Group F before the Swiss rallied with two goals in a four-minute spell to go ahead.

But Muriel’s 88th-minute strike kept Atalanta in the race for a top two finish and a knockout stage berth — effectively needing to beat Villarreal in their last group game on December 8.

In Group G, Sevilla kept alive their chance of advancing in the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Wolfsburg.

Joan Jordán scored early in the first half and Rafa Mir late in the second to give the Spanish club its first win in five matches in the tight Group G.

Salzburg lost 1-0 at Lille in the other group match.

Wolfsburg stay on five points and is still in contention ahead of the final round, when they host Lille while Sevilla visit Salzburg.