Grimsby manager Paul Hurst believes his side had the better of their 0-0 draw with AFC Wimbledon despite the visitors having a second-half penalty saved.
Town started the second half brightly but the visitors were gifted a golden opportunity to go ahead in the 59th minute as Harry Clifton brought down Ali Al-Hamadi in the box.
The latter took the penalty, which was saved well by Jake Eastwood down to his left, with a double save made in the end by the Grimsby stopper to deny Al-Hamadi on the follow-up.
Wimbledon’s best chances aside from the penalty came in quick succession around the 34th minute as Ryan Johnson won two headers from back-to-back corners.
In the second period, buoyed by the penalty save, the hosts went down the other end a few minutes later with Abo Eisa having his long-range effort tipped onto a post by Alex Bass. Before that Grimsby defender Harvey Rodgers also had a shot from outside the area saved by the Wimbledon keeper.
Town boss Hurst was honest in his recollection of the game, taking into account the big moment in the second half which could have seen his side walk away with nothing, but still believing Grimsby had the better of the general play.
“I thought in the main we were the team most likely to win it in all honesty,” said Hurst. “Obviously they had the major opportunity with the penalty so they’ll be disappointed not to take that.
“We hit the post and I think we were the team that was pushing towards the end but they did certainly carry a threat on the break with the pace in particular of Al-Hamadi. I thought our two centre-backs dealt well with him in the main though.
“Overall, the attempts we had were more from distance and the ‘keeper made some great saves, one from Abo Eisa to turn his shot onto the post. From our point of view, we want to try and do a bit more, but it was nice to get the first clean sheet and point on the board.”
For AFC Wimbledon, there would have been a tinge of disappointment with the penalty miss but similarly to the Mariners’ perspective, it was an encouraging way to start the campaign for Johnnie Jackson and his men.
“We’re obviously disappointed having the penalty miss,” Jackson said.
“In the end it’s a point on the board, we would’ve liked it to be three considering the circumstances but you only need to look at some other results to see that other managers might have more concerns at this stage.”
Alonso full of praise for Wirtz after man-of-the-match performance against Salzburg
Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso was particularly pleased with the performance of Florian Wirtz during his side's 5-0 victory over RB Salzburg.
The Germany international scored two goals in the match and was named player of the match for the fourth time in five games in the Champions League this season.
The result and performance came at an opportune time for Leverkusen, who were off the back of a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool and 1-1 draw at Brest.
Following the win, they currently occupy fifth in the 36-team league, while Wirtz is equal-second in the top goalscorers with five goals.
"We want to help Florian Wirtz, we know how different he is for us. We have to find him at the right moments. We need to have a good structure to help him. This competition is for him, he is a Champions League player," Alonso told reporters.
"Hopefully we can go through to the next round. For Florian, he wants to have a big game. A big game is the best thing for him."
Alonso is hoping that his side can use the performance on Tuesday to pick up in the Bundesliga, where they are fourth despite having won just one of their last four matches.
Having won the domestic double last term though, he is aware there is still room for improvement in their performance.
"We did very well against Salzburg today. We want to build on that against Union [Berlin] on Saturday and maintain the level we have set ourselves," said Alonso.
"There are still ups and downs. We weren't great, but we weren't very bad. But I think there's still room for improvement. We can do better," he said.
Bayern's Kompany bewildered by Champions League format after PSG win
Vincent Kompany admitted he did not fully understand the new Champions League format after Bayern Munich's 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain boosted their hopes of progression.
Kim Min-jae's first-half strike was enough to guide Bayern past PSG, who had winger Ousmane Dembele sent off for two bookable offences early in the second half.
It was the Bundesliga leaders' third victory in five matches under the Champions League's new format, lifting them to 11th in the 36-team table with nine points.
They are one point away from the top eight, which brings automatic qualification for the last 16. Teams nine through 24 will take part in play-offs to join them in the new year.
"I don't look at the table because, honestly. I don't yet understand it," Kompany told a press conference. "It will look good if we win a few more matches.
"What's important is to reach our goal. If we win our remaining games we have a chance to make the top eight.
"I'm obviously happy. Our pressing in the first half was very good. The discipline was there. We could have scored perhaps one or two more goals, but the result is good.
"We are on the right track but working to become even better."
Bayern have now beaten PSG eight times in the Champions League, with only Real Madrid (11 versus Bayern) and the Bavarians themselves (10 against Barcelona) winning more games against a single opponent in the tournament's history.
They are also unbeaten in each of their last 33 home games in the Champions League's group stage (31 wins, two draws).
That is the joint-longest such run in the competition's history, with Barcelona also going 33 without defeat at home between November 2009 and November 2020.
They will have a chance to break that record when they host Slovan Bratislava on matchday eight, following trips to Shakhtar Donetsk and Feyenoord.
Guardiola refuses to criticise Man City players but admits draw 'difficult to swallow'
Pep Guardiola refused to single out any of his Manchester City players for criticism but admitted their 3-3 Champions League draw with Feyenoord was "difficult to swallow."
Though City ended the longest losing streak of Guardiola's managerial career on Tuesday, they are now six without a win after squandering a three-goal lead at the Etihad Stadium.
It was the first time a team coached by Guardiola had failed to win a game when leading by three goals in his career, in what was his 942nd match in the dugout.
City are also the first team in Champions League history to be leading by three goals as late as the 75th minute and fail to win.
The result comes on the back of a humiliating 4-0 Premier League defeat to Tottenham on Saturday, and Guardiola said his players were well aware of their shortcomings.
"It was not necessary to say anything to the players, they know it perfectly," Guardiola said.
"It is what it is, difficult to swallow now. We give away especially the first one and after we are not stable enough."
A brace from Erling Haaland and a goal from Ilkay Gundogan had City cruising before Anis Hadj Moussa pulled one back for Feyenoord in the 75th minute when he pounced on a terrible back pass from Josko Gvardiol.
Another sloppy pass by the 22-year-old led to Santiago Gimenez making it 3-2 seven minutes later, before David Hancko equalised for the Dutch side in the 89th minute.
"He is so young, he'll learn," Guardiola said of Gvardiol, who looked distraught after Feyenoord's second goal.
"I'll be so wrong if I point specific things at him. He's a fantastic player, a fantastic boy and more than ever must be helped."
At the end of the game the crowd booed City, who dropped to 15th in the 36-team standings on eight points, two points adrift of the top eight, who qualify automatically for the last 16.
"They come here not to remember the success in the past, but to see the team win," Guardiola said of City's supporters.
"Of course they are completely right to express what they feel. Of course (they are) disappointed."
Guardiola's side next face one of their toughest tests of the season when they visit Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday. A loss would leave City 11 points adrift of the Reds.
Asked if he could lift his players for a mammoth challenge, Guardiola said: "We have to, we have to. It's my job."
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