Former ballboy Micah Hamilton and fellow youngster Oscar Bobb struck as a much-changed Manchester City ended the Champions League group stage with a 3-2 win at Red Star Belgrade.
Kalvin Phillips also joined the two 20-year-olds on the scoresheet with a late penalty after manager Pep Guardiola rotated his squad for the Group G dead rubber at the Rajko Mitic Stadium.
Manchester-born academy product Hamilton marked his debut with a superb strike in the 19th minute before Norwegian Bobb, filling in for compatriot Erling Haaland up front, added the second after 62 minutes.
Hwang In-beom pulled one back but Phillips gave City breathing space with his first goal for the club after a foul on Hamilton before Aleksandar Katai headed a late home consolation.
The result meant holders City, who had already secured top spot, finished the group phase with a maximum haul of 18 points while winless Red Star ended bottom.
With City facing Crystal Palace before travelling to Saudi Arabia for the Club World Cup next week, Guardiola not only gave chances to Hamilton and Bobb but brought in fringe players such as Stefan Ortega and Phillips.
In all he made nine changes and, initially, intensity was lacking as Red Star carved out the first opportunity with Osman Bukari’s shot being blocked by John Stones.
Yet City still controlled most of the possession and Hamilton took full advantage of their first serious attack.
Jack Grealish picked out Matheus Nunes and the Portuguese prodded on for Hamilton, cutting inside from the right, to take up the attack.
Hamilton raced into the area and beat Red Star captain Aleksandar Dragovic on the outside before lashing a shot into the top corner from a tight angle.
The hosts responded with Kosta Nedeljkovic turning inside the box and curling narrowly over but City threatened again as Bobb had an effort blocked.
Hamilton almost created another goal for Bobb when he fired in a dangerous low ball from the right but the latter could not make contact at the far post. Phillips, making a rare start, then shot wide.
Hamilton went close again early in the second half when he curled a low effort just wide but City needed Ortega to keep them level.
The German first produced a good reaction save to keep out a Cherif Ndiaye volley at close range and then pushed away a firm strike from distance from Guelor Kanga.
Bobb then took centre stage as he doubled City’s lead just after the hour. He picked up possession from Rico Lewis and opted against the return pass, instead wrong-footing the defenders with a weaving run and sliding a low finish inside the far post.
Red Star rallied and, after Jovan Mijatovic hit the post, Hwang beat Ortega with a low strike to reduce the deficit after linking up with Bukari.
Yet Phillips made no mistake from the spot five minutes from time after Hamilton was brought down by Nasser Djiga and that proved decisive as Katai headed a second Red Star goal in stoppage time.
Milan 3-3 Genoa: Thiaw own goal denies Rossoneri in six-goal thriller
Milan were pegged back to a thrilling 3-3 draw by Genoa in Serie A on Sunday.
Second-half goals from Matteo Gabbia and Olivier Giroud put Milan on course for victory, but a late own goal from Malick Thiaw rescued a point for the visitors.
Genoa's Mateo Retegui converted a penalty five minutes in, but Milan equalised just before half-time through an Alessandro Florenzi header.
The visitors regained the lead three minutes into the second half, however, when Caleb Ekuban sent a towering header home.
Milan turned the game around in three minutes, as Gabbia headed home in the 72nd and Giroud scored the hosts' third of the match with a volley from an acute angle.
Yet Genoa continued to push and a cross into the Milan box was inadvertently turned into his own net by defender Thiaw.
Second-placed Milan have 71 points, six ahead of Juventus who play later on Sunday. Genoa are 12th with 43 points.
Data Debrief: Like a fine wine
Age really is just a number for Milan's veteran campaigner Giroud, who has scored 14 goals in Serie A this season.
It is his highest tally in a single league campaign since netting 16 for Arsenal in the Premier League in 2015-16.
Reggae Girlz forward Jody Brown graduates from Florida State University
Reggae Girl and Florida State University soccer star Jody Brown celebrated a significant milestone this past weekend as she graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Humanities. At just 22 years old, Brown has achieved remarkable success both on the soccer field and in her academic pursuits.
Brown was among 101 student-athletes who graduated from FSU between last Friday and Saturday.
During her time at Florida State, Brown played a pivotal role in securing two National Division 1 Soccer titles in 2021 and 2023, adding to her impressive list of accolades. She was also part of four ACC Division One championship-winning teams in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, highlighting her exceptional talent and contribution to collegiate soccer.
Brown's impact extended beyond the field, as she excelled academically, culminating in her graduation this year. Reflecting on her university experience, Brown took to Instagram to express her gratitude and nostalgia: "Four years of unforgettable memories, lessons, and lifelong friendships. Thank you Florida State University."
Her Instagram post garnered warm congratulations from fellow Reggae Girlz teammates, including Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw, Kiki van Zanten, and Tiffany Cameron. Jamaican track and field icon Veronica Campbell Brown, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 200m, also joined in celebrating Brown's achievement.
Brown's journey from representing Jamaica at the age of 16 to competing in the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2019 and 2023 underscores her dedication and talent both on and off the field. As she embarks on the next chapter of her career, Brown's achievements serve as an inspiration to aspiring athletes and scholars alike, demonstrating the power of determination, resilience, and academic excellence in pursuit of one's goals.
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-5 Bayer Leverkusen: Alonso's champions roll on
Bayer Leverkusen extended their unbeaten streak as they secured a 5-1 away victory at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
The result leaves champions Leverkusen at the summit with 84 points, while Frankfurt sit sixth with 45.
Leverkusen's record unbeaten run, meanwhile, has now extended to 48 matches across all competitions.
Xabi Alonso's team opened the scoring through Granit Xhaka's bending strike from outside the box after 12 minutes.
Hugo Ekitike's perfectly timed header restored parity just after the half-hour mark, however.
Leverkusen retook the lead just before half-time through Patrik Schick's towering header.
It was 3-1 in the 58th minute, Exequiel Palacios converting a penalty after Niels Nkounkou pulled Nathan Tella by the shirt.
Jeremie Frimpong added a fourth for the visitors with 13 minutes remaining, tapping in from short distance, before the wing-back played a key role in Leverkusen's fifth, winning a penalty which was put away by Victor Boniface.
Data Debrief: Club history for free-scoring Leverkusen
Leverkusen have now scored 82 goals in this Bundesliga season, a new season record for the Werkself in the top flight.
They also lead the Bundesliga for the most goals from long-distance (11), most goals from set-pieces (23) and most goals in the final 15 minutes of matches (19).
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