Tuesday, December 06, 2016

UEFA Champions League, Group A: Gunners Top Basel On Road, Win Group; Ludogorets To Europa League

The final week of UEFA Champions League group-stage play commenced on Tuesday with eight games, two of them in Group A.

At Paris:

Virgil Misidjan (15') and Wanderson Cristaldo Farias (69') each scored once as Ludogorets Razgrad gained a 2-2 road draw with Paris Saint-Germain, enabling them to lock up a berth in the Europa League's group stage.  Edinson Cavani (61') and Angel Di Maria (90'+2) each scored once for the French club, who finished second in Group A and who had already clinched a berth in the Champions League's Round of 16. Here's we see PSG's Hatem Ben Arfa (right) overrunning the Bulgarian club's Svetoslav Dyakov  and Anicet Abel.

Associated Press photo by Michel Euler

At Basel, Switzerland:

Lucas Perez delivered a hat trick (8', 16', 47') as Arsenal dominated FC Basel on the road and clinched top spot in Group A.  The loss ended the Swiss club's European campaign.  In the above photograph, here's the Gunners' Granit Xhaka in action.

Keystone photo (via Associated Press) by Walter Bieri

Final Group A Standings:

1. Arsenal (GP: 6; GD: +12; PTS: 14)
2. Paris Saint-Germain (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 12)
3. Ludogorets Razgrad (GP: 6; GD: -9; PTS: 3)
4. FC Basel (GP: 6; GD: -9; PTS: 2)

Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain advanced to the knockout stage of the Champions League. Ludogorets Razgrad qualified for the Europa League's knockout stage.

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