The Champions League schedule this week saw teams clinch spots in the next knockout round of 16 and teams did it in a number of different ways, as Real Madrid moved on after their win at home at the Bernabeu over Galatasaray, while Chelsea made it through to the elimination stage despite losing when Schalke pulled a draw and now the Blues are through and those two teams will be getting ready in their next games for the next stage.
Gareth Bale had a solid game for Real Madrid and they won easily 4-1 and other teams that won on Wednesday included Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea made it through to the next round despite losing and now the team will try to rebound in their next matchup and they also have Premier League games to play this month. Bayern Munich and Manchester City also won on Wednesday and Wayne Rooney was very solid for Manchester United.
Manu U is atop their group and Real Madrid has a lead over Juventus, while PSG and Chelsea are tops in their groups and so is Bayern Munich and many of the races are close and Arsenal sits atop their group but their spot is not certain yet and Barcelona suffered a tough loss in their game as well this week.
Real Madrid made light of the first-half dismissal of Sergio Ramos to secure a thumping 4-1 win at home to Galatasaray on Wednesday that put them through to the last 16 of the Champions League as Group B winners.
Real dominated the early stages on a chilly and blustery night at the Bernabeu before center back Ramos was shown a straight red card in the 26th minute for impeding forward Umut Bulut when he was through on goal.
Gareth Bale put the nine-times European champions, who were missing injured top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, ahead with a superb free kick 11 minutes later, but Galatasaray leveled within a minute when Didier Drogba sent Bulut clear and he slid the ball past Iker Casillas.
The Turkish champions were unable to make their numerical advantage count and Alvaro Arbeloa netted only his second Champions League goal in 56 appearances six minutes after halftime.
Angel Di Maria struck in the 63rd minute and Isco struck from close range nine minutes from time to seal a comfortable victory. Champions League outsiders Basel completed a remarkable double over Chelsea on Tuesday, winning 1-0 with a late Mohamed Salah goal although the stunned visitors still qualified for the last 16.
Chelsea, beaten 2-1 at home by the Swiss club in September when Salah was also on target, reached the knockout stage with a game to spare after Schalke 04 drew 0-0 at Steaua Bucharest but there was nothing else for coach Jose Mourinho to smile about.
Thoroughly outplayed, the 2012 champions only stayed in the match for so long thanks to some splendid goalkeeping from Petr Cech while his opposite number Yann Sommer did not have a single shot to warm him up on a freezing night.
The 87th-minute goal, which Mourinho called "ridiculous", came when Fabian Schaer found Salah with a long pass out of defense and the tricky Egyptian, who pestered Chelsea all night, broke clear down the left before lifting the ball over Cech.
Basel, beaten by eventual title winners Chelsea in last season's Europe League semi-finals, continued an unlikely run of upsets that had also produced home wins over Manchester United and Bayern Munich in the last two seasons.
"From the first minute I was getting signs my team was tired," Mourinho told reporters.
"We made mistakes defensively, we made mistakes with the ball, we lost easy passes, we lost every second ball, people were thinking late and we finished with a ridiculous goal, absolutely ridiculous.
"Maybe I should have made more changes from Saturday but when you play so well it's a big temptation to keep the same team."
Asked who was at fault for the goal, Mourinho replied "everybody.
"When you are tired you sleep, you think slow, you react late, even in attacking situations in the Basel box we were late," the Portuguese added.
Chelsea, who have won their other three games in the group, have nine points. Basel, who failed to win any of their other three matches, have eight points and need a draw at third-placed Schalke on December 11 to qualify.
STEPPING STONE
Basel are a blend of experienced Swiss players, young home-grown talent and a handful of foreigners including 21-year-old Salah, who are using the club as a hopeful stepping stone before moving on to bigger and better things.
"I could see from the first minute the team wanted to fight. We created many chances, we played the way we wanted to play, fantastic football," said coach Murat Yakin.
"To win a match where the other coach is called Mourinho is very special."
Cech made four outstanding saves in the first half to prevent the Londoners going behind.
He did well to keep the ball out in the third minute when Marco Streller got a touch to Valentin Stocker's inswinging free kick and he was tested again by a low, deflected Fabian Frei effort in the 13th.
Cech then tipped over a powerful effort from Salah before producing a superb stop to deny the lively Egyptian.
The Czech keeper was going the wrong way and his sight was blocked by defenders but he still managed to raise his arm to turn the ball away at the last minute.
Chelsea had another escape when John Obi Mikel cleared off the line from an inswinging corner and they also survived a penalty appeal when the ball struck Frank Lampard's outstretched arm.
Lampard threatened with a free kick in the second half and Chelsea had a few dangerous counter-attacks but Basel came to life again when Ivorian forward Giovanni Sio made one of his customary late, galvanising appearances as a substitute.
Fabian Schaer went close to giving the home side the lead and the crowd were already sensing victory when Salah raced away down the left before finishing clinically.
"I want to praise Basel," said Mourinho. "They won because we were sleeping in the last minute but also because they were the best team and deserved to win."
(Reuters)
