Champions League: Feyenoord’s Giménez strikes double to shock Bayern | Champions League

Santiago Giménez scored twice in the first half as Feyenoord stunned Bayern Munich 3-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday to boost their chances of a top-eight finish.

Giménez fired them into the lead in the 21st minute with a deft shot before the Mexico international added another with a penalty in the ninth minute of first-half stoppage time. Substitute Ayase Ueda killed off the game in the 89th minute after Feyenoord keeper Justin Bijlow had denied Bayern with a series of strong saves.

Feyenoord climbed above Bayern, who had 32 efforts on target and also hit the woodwork, into 11th place on 13 points. The Bavarian club drop to 15th place on 12 points with their third defeat in seven games.

A first-half goal from Rafael Leão helped Milan to secure a 1-0 home win against Gironawhich left the Italian club well placed to book a place in the round of 16. Leão broke the deadlock in the 37th minute with a superb shot into the roof from a low cross from Ismaël Bennacer, who won the ball around the halfway line and dribbled past Girona’s midfield to set up the Portuguese winger. Girona’s Spanish striker Bryan Gil thought he had equalized before the hour mark with a lovely curling shot inside the far post, but his effort was ruled out for offside.

Milan is in sixth place on 15 points. Girona, who have a single win in the league, are in 31st place with three points and have no chance of securing a place in the play-offs.

Lautaro Martinez scored a superb first-half volley as Inter claimed a 1-0 win at Sparta Prague to match their city rivals and all but secure an automatic place in the last 16.

Shakhtar Donetsk kept their hopes alive as they secured a 2-0 home win against the Champions League surprise package Brest thanks to a brilliant strike from Kevin and a penalty from Georgiy Sudakov. The Ukrainian champions broke the deadlock in the 18th minute when Brazilian winger Kevin pounced on a costly slip by Brest captain Brendan Chardonnet before driving into the area and slotting home.

Brest keeper Marco Bizot conceded a penalty for a poor challenge on Irakli Azarov and Sudakov scored with a chip in the middle of the goal. Brest are 13th in the standings with 13 points, while Shakhtar are 27th on seven points and outside the playoff places with one game remaining.

RB Leipzig fought past the visitors Sporting 2-1 to secure their first win in seven Champions League games and dent their opponents’ hopes of going through. Leipzig, who had lost their previous six games in the newly formed league stage and are already eliminated, took a deserved lead when Benjamin Sesko slid in to connect with a perfectly timed David Raum cutback in the 19th minute.

The Portuguese, with Rui Borges – the second manager at Sporting since Ruben Amorim’s departure to Manchester United – making his Champions League debut, equalized through Viktor Gyökeres, who beat defender Willi Orbán in a one-on-one before teasing in with 15 minutes. left. But the visitors’ joy lasted only three minutes before Yussuf Poulsen crashed the ball over the line for the winner. Sporting is back in 23rd place on 10 points.

The top eight finishers qualify for the last 16, while the next 16 teams, in places nine to 24, qualify for the play-offs.