BARCELONA: Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix scored in each half to earn Barcelona a 2-1 comeback win at home against Porto that booked their spot in the Champions League knockout rounds for the first time in three seasons.

After crashing out of the competition in the group stage two years in a row, five-times champions Barca are back in the last-16 after securing a top-two finish with one game remaining.

Barcelona are top of Group H on 12 points, three ahead of Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk who will play each other on the final matchday to decide who will join the Spaniards in the knockout stage.

Barca need at least a draw against bottom side Antwerp in two weeks’ time to guarantee top spot in the group.

They had to dig deep against a valiant Porto who were the better side in the first half but were frustrated by an inspired performance from Barca goalkeeper Inaki Pena, who replaced injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen and made several excellent saves to keep the hosts in the game.

Pena made a reflex save to deny a point-blank strike from Galeno in the 28th minute and blocked another effort by the Porto winger two minutes later, but this time Pepe was well placed inside the box to strike home the rebound and put them in front.

However, Barca hit back two minutes later, with a fine curling shot into the top corner by Cancelo after he dribbled past Joao Mario.

Porto didn’t give up and almost got back in front in the 43rd minute, when Pena made a superb one-handed save to palm another Galeno shot from range round the post right before the break.

But Cancelo and Felix came out firing in the second half and Barcelona were transformed with the Portuguese duo causing all kinds of trouble for the visitors’ defence.

Felix unleashed a thunderous strike from range in the 47th minute that crashed against the crossbar and he linked up well with Cancelo, both of whom started their career at the Benfica academy, Porto’s rivals in Portugal.

Cancelo was excellent running down the left channel and teed up Felix for a tidy first-time finish just beyond the goalkeeper’s reach in the 57th minute to secure the win.

. . . and Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund booked their spot in the last 16 by beating AC Milan 3-1 at the San Siro in a lively Group F clash.

Marco Reus, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Karim Adeyemi were all on target to help Dortmund top the group on 10 points, with Paris St Germain, who drew 1-1 against Newcastle United, second on seven.

Milan, bottom on five points from five games, can still secure a top-two finish if they win at Newcastle and Dortmund beat PSG in the final round of games next month.

“If we avoid looking at our attacks in the first half, we did well,” said Dortmund defender and player of the match Mats Hummels.

“With our possession, we managed to keep the atmosphere in check. It is great to play Champions League in such a stadium. We want to deliver again at home in two weeks and secure first place in front of our fans.”

Dortmund will be confirmed as group winners if they avoid a home defeat by PSG.

Milan could have taken an early lead when they were awarded a penalty for a handball but Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel pulled off a superb save to deny Olivier Giroud from the spot in the sixth minute.

The tables turned four minutes later when Dortmund midfielder Reus put the visitors in front with a penalty kick after the referee pointed to the spot following Davide Calabria’s foul on Bynoe-Gittens.

Samuel Chukwueze levelled for Milan from inside the box eight minutes before halftime, scoring his first goal for the seven-time European champions since he joined from LaLiga side Villarreal in July.

Chukwueze filled in admirably for the absent Rafael Leao in the opening 45 minutes, after the Portuguese suffered a thigh injury in a Serie A match two weeks ago.

However, the hosts lost their spark after the break and the 19-year-old Bynoe-Gittens restored the lead for Dortmund just before the hour mark with a low shot from the edge of the box from an excellent Marcel Sabitzer pass.

Substitute Adeyemi made it 3-1 in the 69th minute after Milan keeper Mike Maignan twice tried to claw his powerful shot away but the ball made it past the goal line anyway.

. . . plus Atletico

Two own goals plus a brilliant Mario Hermoso hooked volley gave Atletico Madrid a 3-1 win at Feyenoord and a place in the Champions League last 16 while eliminating the hosts.

Feyenoord’s Lutsharel Geertruida put the ball into his own net after 14 minutes before Hermoso added a stunning second goal in the 57th, although Feyenoord pulled one back with 13 minutes left as Mats Wieffer headed home from a corner.

However, a second own goal four minutes later, this time from Santiago Gimenez, wrapped up the points for Atletico who moved top in Group E and claimed a knockout-stage berth.

They have 11 points, one more than Lazio, who also reached the last 16 on Tuesday by beating Celtic 2-0 in Rome, with their spot guaranteed by Feyenoord’s defeat.

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