DPA
Berlin
Ten-man Manchester City missed a penalty as they were held 0-0 by Copenhagen in the absence of Erling Haaland - and Tuesday’s other early Champions League kick-off also saw a surprise result in Maccabi Haifa beating Juventus 2-0.
Norwegian star striker Haaland was not a starter for the first time after netting 20 times in his opening 13 games for City as manager Pep Guardiola rested him and others ahead of a weekend Premier League showdown with Liverpool.
But it was not to be City’s night six days after they had hammered Copenhagen 5-0 with a Haaland brace.
Rodri had a stunning strike into the top corner disallowed after a video review because Riyad Mahrez was deemed to have handled the ball in the build-up. Mahrez then failed to convert a penalty against home goalkeeper Kamil Grabara, given for handball upon review.
And a third video review led to City defender Sergio Gomez red-carded for a last-man foul on Hakan Arnar Haraldsson at the half-hour mark.
Haaland warmed up after the break but never came on as City dropped their first points in the fourth match.
They could clinch a place in the last 16 later in the day if Borussia Dortmund don’t lose against Sevilla in the other Group G game.
Juventus’s bid to close in on Group H leaders PSG and Benfica never happened in Haifa where they fell behind when Omer Atzili didn’t manage a header but the ball went in off his back in the seventh minute. Atzili fired the second high into the near right corner.
PSG and Benfica are four points ahead of Juve and Haifa and the winner of their game in Paris would be assured of a place in the knock-out rounds.
Other games later Tuesday include AC Milan v Chelsea and Shakhtar Donetsk v title holders Real Madrid.
