English teams in Champions League wednesday results

Wednesday, January 22, 2025, brought contrasting fortunes for English teams in the Champions League. Arsenal secured a dominant victory over Dinamo Zagreb to solidify their place among Europe’s elite, while Manchester City faced a significant setback against Paris Saint-Germain, leaving their knockout stage hopes hanging by a thread. Here’s a breakdown of the matches:

Arsenal 3-0 Dinamo Zagreb: a comfortable victory

Arsenal eased past Dinamo Zagreb with a clinical 3-0 win at the Emirates. Goals from Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Martin Ødegaard ensured that the Gunners remain in control of their Champions League destiny, now sitting on 16 points from three games. Mikel Arteta fielded a rotated side, including Jurriën Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jorginho, and Raheem Sterling. The changes didn’t hinder Arsenal, as they opened the scoring just 102 seconds into the match. Gabriel Martinelli’s pinpoint cross found Havertz, who set up Rice for a thunderous strike past goalkeeper Ivan Nevistic.

Despite their dominant start, Arsenal’s intensity dropped, with Sterling and Martinelli creating but failing to convert opportunities. Early in the second half, Havertz had a chance to double the lead but was denied by a defender on the line. Midway through the second half, Martinelli delivered another perfect cross, this time for Havertz to head home powerfully, making it 2-0. In the dying moments, Ødegaard sealed the victory with a composed finish from a Leandro Trossard assist.

Implications

Arsenal is now almost guaranteed a place among the top eight in the Champions League standings, while Dinamo Zagreb must defeat AC Milan next week to keep their European hopes alive.

PSG 4-2 Manchester City: Guardiola’s men on the brink

In a thrilling encounter, Paris Saint-Germain delivered a crushing blow to Manchester City’s Champions League aspirations with a 4-2 victory at Parc des Princes. The result leaves Pep Guardiola’s side in a precarious position, needing a win in their final group match to avoid elimination. The opening half saw both teams adopt a cautious approach, with few clear-cut chances. Achraf Hakimi thought he had given PSG the lead just before halftime, but the VAR ruled out the goal due to offside in the buildup.

Second half: goals galore

The second half exploded into life, with City initially taking control. Jack Grealish capitalized on a fortuitous bounce to score, and Erling Haaland doubled the lead minutes later, tapping in a deflected cross. PSG responded swiftly. Ousmane Dembélé reduced the deficit with a fine finish after a sharp move by Bradley Barcola. Barcola then equalized, slotting home a rebound after his initial shot hit the crossbar.

With ten minutes left, PSG completed the turnaround. João Neves headed in a Vitinha free kick at the far post to give the hosts the lead. In the closing moments, Gonçalo Ramos added a fourth goal after a lengthy VAR review confirmed it was not offside.

Implications

PSG now sits on ten points, likely securing a place in the knockout stages. Manchester City, on eight points, faces a must-win match against Club Brugge next week to keep their Champions League hopes alive.