Liverpool ease to victory while Bayern clinch Champions League knockout spot
Liverpool secured a comfortable 3-0 triumph over Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Harry Kane's brace helped Bayern Munich to a 2-0 success against Union Saint-Gilloise, booking the German outfit's ticket to the last 16.
Under Arne Slot, Liverpool stretched their unbeaten streak to 13 games across all competitions following a heavy 4-1 home loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League back in November.
Mohamed Salah returned to action for his team after the Africa Cup of Nations, yet he did not feature on the scoresheet.
Dominik Szoboszlai broke the deadlock shortly before the interval with a smart free-kick that dipped beneath the wall.
"I prepared well and learned that if nobody is on the ground, I could aim underneath the wall. I gave it a go and it paid off," the Hungarian explained.
Hugo Ekitike struck the crossbar prior to the second goal on 72 minutes, when Jeremie Frimpong's cross into the box deflected off goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli into the net.
Replacement Cody Gakpo finished off the scoring in the closing stages, positioning Liverpool fourth in the 36-team table and well set to confirm their last-16 berth against Qarabag next week.
In the meantime, Bayern matched league leaders Arsenal by locking in a top-eight position with one match remaining, thus ensuring direct progression to the last 16, after overcoming the Belgian title holders at the Allianz Arena.
Kane nodded home the opener soon after the restart, then earned and dispatched a penalty on 55 minutes.
Kim Min-jae received a red card for the hosts before Kane missed a hat-trick opportunity by hitting another penalty against the frame of the goal, though he boasts seven strikes in seven Champions League outings this term and 34 across all tournaments.
"We netted at crucial moments, had some misfortune with the dismissal but even playing with 10 men we managed the match effectively and picked up the three points," Kane shared with DAZN.
Newcastle, Chelsea, Barca triumph
Newcastle United proved superior to PSV at St James' Park, claiming a 3-0 victory with Yoane Wissa opening the account early and Anthony Gordon doubling the lead midway through the first half.
Harvey Barnes slotted in the third on 65 minutes, placing Newcastle inside the top eight ahead of their final league phase clash away to defending champions Paris Saint-Germain next week.
Chelsea sit eighth following a narrow 1-0 defeat of Cypriot underdogs Pafos at Stamford Bridge, courtesy of Moises Caicedo's headed goal in the 78th minute, marking a winning start in the Champions League for new manager Liam Rosenior.
Barcelona remain in contention for straight last-16 qualification after rallying to beat Slavia Prague 4-2.
The Czech team, goalless in their prior five European fixtures, took the lead via Vasil Kusej's opener.
Fermin Lopez netted a brace to flip the script, but Robert Lewandowski unluckily deflected into his own goal to level at 2-2 by half-time.
That said, a stunning Dani Olmo finish put Barca back in front shortly after the hour mark, and Lewandowski added his season's first Champions League goal to confirm the result.
Atletico Madrid shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Galatasaray in Istanbul, with Giuliano Simeone giving the away side the edge early before a Marcos Llorente own goal evened things up.
Atalanta's aspirations for a top-eight finish suffered a blow in a 3-2 home defeat to Athletic Bilbao, as the Basque team boosted their play-off prospects.
Gianluca Scamacca put Atalanta ahead with a header, but Gorka Guruzeta levelled before the break, followed by goals from Nico Serrano and Robert Navarro in the second period. Nikola Krstovic grabbed a late consolation.
Juventus extended their Champions League resurgence with a third consecutive continental victory, edging Benfica 2-0 on second-half strikes from Khephren Thuram and Weston McKennie.
Vangelis Pavlidis blazed a penalty wide in emphatic style for Benfica, leaving Jose Mourinho's team on the brink of exit.
Nevertheless, unexpected contenders Qarabag are poised for the play-offs after edging Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 in Baku.
Colombian Camilo Duran tallied twice for the hosts around a Can Uzun strike and a Fares Chaibi spot-kick. Bahlul Mustafazade snatched the winner for the Azeri side in added time.
All 18 fixtures in the concluding round will kick off at the same time next Wednesday, January 28.