Reigning champions PSG held to first goalless draw of season as Juventus and Benfica win | OneFootball

Paris St Germain played out their first goalless draw of the season at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday but stayed in the driving seat for direct qualification for the Champions League last-16.

Luis Enrique’s side had the clearest chances after being under pressure in the first half, but home keeper Unai Simon produced several superb saves and Ousmane Dembele’s absence was once again felt up front by the visitors.

The result left PSG in third place in the league with 13 points from six games, while Bilbao are 28th on five, two points from the playoff places.

Bilbao threatened first when Alex Berenguer curled a right-footed free kick towards the far post in the 31st minute, forcing PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov to fingertip the ball behind for a corner.

PSG, who had to deal with the absence of Dembele after the France forward fell ill, had their best opening earlier on a swift counterattack in the 19th minute when Fabian Ruiz, after controlling well on his chest, fired his effort over the crossbar.

The Ligue 1 side emerged with renewed intensity after the break and went close in the 49th minute when Simon denied them twice in quick succession.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia burst down the right on a rapid counter and delivered a low cross that evaded Joao Neves before Senny Mayulu pounced, only for Simon to react brilliantly and push the close-range effort away.

The clearest chance came in the 65th minute when Bradley Barcola raced into the area for a one-on-one with Simon and saw his powerful attempt rattle the crossbar.

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Julian Brandt scored two goals for Borussia Dortmund but they had to settle for a point as visitors Bodo/Glimt twice came from behind to secure a 2-2 draw in their Champions League clash on Wednesday.

The draw leaves Dortmund 10th in the table with 11 points from their six games, while Bodo/Glimt remain winless and in 32nd place with three draws from their six fixtures.

Brandt gave Dortmund the lead following a poor pass from Haitam Aleesami, but the latter made amends when he equalised just before halftime.

The home side applied plenty of pressure after the break and were rewarded early as Brandt netted his second with a tap-in from a rebound, before Jens Petter Hauge restored parity again for the visitors 15 minutes �from the end.

“We started to play erratically," Dortmund captain Nico Schlotterbeck told DAZN. “The players who came in lost every ball. Some �were not aware of how important this game was.”

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Juventus registered their first home win of this season's Champions League but were made to battle before overcoming Pafos 2-0 at home on Wednesday thanks to second-half goals from Weston McKennie and Jonathan David.

The sides were level on points going into the game and Pafos proved more than a match for their more illustrious Italian opponents for long periods, leading to boos from the home fans at the half-time whistle, but Juventus earned a second successive win to boost their European hopes.

Juventus are 17th in the standings on nine points while Pafos are 26th on six points.

“It was essential to win and with victories you put things right,” Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti told Sky. “I'm not happy and neither are the boys, we could and should have done more.”

Benfica’s Richard Rios scored one goal and set up another to seal a vital 2-0 victory over Napoli, boosting the Portuguese side’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage.

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A second consecutive win moved them up to 25th place, just one point outside the playoff spots, while Napoli slipped to 23rd on seven points.

The breakthrough arrived 20 minutes in when a floated cross dropped into a crowded area, with Franjo Ivanovic’s knockdown triggering a scramble that Rios reacted to fastest, steering in from close range to give the hosts the lead.

Benfica doubled their lead five minutes into the second half when Rios rolled an inch-perfect ball across the box for Leandro Barreiro, who darted in front of his marker and flicked a smart finish inside the near post.

Napoli looked for a way back through David Neres and Scott McTominay but their attacks rarely troubled the Benfica backline as the visitors slumped to a third defeat in the competition.