UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Man United, Chelsea Cruise into Last 16

Defending champions, Chelsea and fellow English side, Manchester United, cruise into the last 16 of the UEFA Champions league with style after crucial wins over Juventus and Villarreal respectively.

United, led by interim manager, Michael Carrick, after the sack of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer over the weekend, produced a superlative second half performance to defeat Samuel Chukwueze’s Villarreal 0-2.

The introduction of Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford energized a hitherto defensive United to take the game to their opponents. Cristiano Ronaldo and Jordan Sancho scored as United reach the last 16.

In a similar vein, Chelsea thrashed Juventus 4-0, their heaviest defeat in the Champions League, to take over the leadership of group H and will win the group if they can produce the same result between Juventus and Malmo against Zenit St Petersburg in Russia on match day six.

Trevor Chalobah opened scoring on his European debut for Chelsea to give the defending champions a 1-0 lead into the break.

The home side added three more goals in the second half through Reece James, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Timo Werner.

In other results, Dynamo Kyiv lost 1-2 to Bayern Munich as Xavi’s first European game as Barcelona coach against Benfica ended goalless.

Young Boys and Atalanta played out a 3-3 draw as Liile piped RB Salzburg 1-0.

Sevilla were 2-0 better than Wolfsburg while Malmo and Zenit St Petersburg settled their encounter 1-1.