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The parade of European powers advancing to the Champions League knockout stage on Wednesday was disrupted by Sporting Lisbon completing a stunning turnaround to join them.

Manchester City and Real Madrid are back in the round of 16 after beating teams they lost to in September. Paris Saint-Germain also went through despite its 2-1 loss at City after leading when Kylian Mbappé scored early in the second half.

Madrid’s 3-0 win at Sheriff — avenging a 2-1 home defeat to the champion of Moldova two months ago — included a goal from Karim Benzema on a day of legal trouble for the forward and ensured Inter Milan also advanced from Group D by beating Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0.

Three-time European champion Inter returned to the round of 16 after a 10-year absence, though Sporting ended a 13-year wait by beating Borussia Dortmund 3-1. Pedro Gonçalves scored twice.

Sporting seemed overmatched in September when routed at home by Ajax then beaten in Dortmund, but three straight wins lifted the surprise Portuguese title-winner to advance with a game to spare.

“Teams grow,” Sporting coach Rúben Amorim said. “It’s great, good for the project, but we still have a lot to do.”

Ajax and Liverpool extended their dominating group-stage campaigns with fifth straight wins.

Ajax’s 2-1 win at Besiktas came thanks to two goals from record-setting forward Sébastien Haller, who came on as a substitute. Haller has now scored in his first five career Champions League games and is the fastest player to get to nine goals in the competition.

Liverpool cruised to a 2-0 win over Porto and moved an astonishing 10 points clear of the Portuguese team in second place in Group B that promises a tense final round on Dec. 7.

AC Milan is still in contention after finding an 87th-minute goal from a 30-year-old Champions League debutant to win 1-0 at Atlético Madrid. Junior Messias’s goal left both teams on four points, with Milan next hosting Liverpool and last-place Atlético going to Porto.

Leipzig was missing American coach Jesse Marsch, who tested positive for COVID-19, yet overwhelmed Club Brugge 5-0 in Belgium in their battle to finish third in Group A behind Man City and PSG.

Third-place teams in the Champions League groups earn a ticket to the second-tier Europa League knockout playoffs in February. Dortmund and Sheriff will be among them.

UEFA makes knockout draws in all three European club competitions on Dec. 13.

CITY AT SUMMIT

Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Neymar. PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino was able to pick his superstar forward line to face Pep Guardiola’s Man City without a typical center forward or Kevin De Bruyne because of a COVID-19 infection.

City still had enough despite failing to turn first-half dominance into goals and falling behind to Mbappé’s goal in the 50th.

Raheem Sterling struck with a classic City tap-in goal in the 63rd and, after Neymar wasted a clear chance, Gabriel Jesus won it in the 77th with a scuffed shot that beat PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas.

Pochettino eliminated City from the Champions League in the same stadium as the Tottenham coach three seasons ago, and there is speculation he could be back in Manchester soon as United coach. Both Manchester teams have won their groups and will be seeded in the Round of 16 draws.

INTER IN, MILAN SURVIVES

Inter Milan is heading to the Champions League knockout stage for the first time in 10 years.

AC Milan can still join its city rival by extending its first Champions League campaign in eight years.

Milan went to Atlético with only one point from four Group B games and would have been eliminated with a loss. The late goal from on-loan Brazilian journeyman Junior Messias was “the biggest success of my life,” he said.

Inter had an easier time at San Siro against Shakhtar, with veteran forward Edin Dzeko scoring twice in a six-minute spell midway through the second half.

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India today

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