Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson made his Ajax debut as the Amsterdam outfit held Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven to a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

The England international, who moved to the Netherlands last month after cutting short his controversial stint in Saudi Arabia, played the full 90 minutes for John van ‘t Schip’s side.

Ajax, who trail the runaway leaders by 21 points, struck first through Steven Berghuis but were pegged back by a Luuk de Jong equaliser.

Girona missed the chance to reclaim top spot in LaLiga as they were held to a goalless draw by Real Sociedad.

Victory over sixth-placed Sociedad would have taken the Catalan surprise package back above Real Madrid at the summit but they were unable to break down their visitors in a stalemate at the Estadi Montilivi.

The result gives Madrid the chance to move four points clear when they take on city rivals Atletico at the Bernabeu on Sunday.

Third-placed Barcelona gained ground as they won 3-1 at Alaves despite the sending off of Vitor Roque.

Goals from Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan put Barca in control. Samu Omorodion pulled one back but Roque settled the contest just after the hour before he was later dismissed for two bookable offences.

Bottom side Almeria remain 11 points adrift of safety after losing 2-1 at Valencia but fellow strugglers Granada claimed a point with a 1-1 draw against Las Palmas.

Bayer Leverkusen maintained top spot in the Bundesliga with a 2-0 win at bottom side Darmstadt but Bayern Munich, with Harry Kane again on the scoresheet, came from behind to keep up the pressure.

Nigeria international Nathan Tella scored in each half for Xabi Alonso’s unbeaten leaders Leverkusen but Bayern stayed within two points as they recovered from a slow start to beat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1.

Nico Elvedi put Monchengladbach ahead at the Allianz Arena but Aleksandar Pavlovic levelled and Kane headed Bayern in front with his 24th league goal of the season before Matthijs de Ligt wrapped up the points.

Third-placed Stuttgart scored twice in the first seven minutes, through Deniz Undav and Chris Fuhrich, on their way to a 3-1 win at 10-man Freiburg. Maximilian Mittelstadt claimed their third after the sending off of Merlin Rohl.

AC Milan scored twice in the final 18 minutes to cut the gap to second-placed Juventus in Serie A to four points with a 3-2 win at Frosinone.

Luca Mazzitelli had given the home side a 2-1 lead after the hour but Matteo Gabbia levelled and Luka Jovic won it for Milan nine minutes from time.

Olivier Giroud opened the scoring for Milan in the first half but Matias Soule replied from the penalty spot.

Struggling Empoli claimed a point with a 0-0 draw at home to Genoa while the clash between Udinese and Monza also ended in a goalless stalemate. Bologna beat Sassuolo 4-2 in the day’s late game.

In Ligue 1, Rennes won 2-1 at Montpellier and Lens claimed a 1-0 win at Nantes.

Mikel Arteta believes his Arsenal side have shown enough in the group stage to prove they can compete back in the Champions League.

The Gunners drew 1-1 at PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday night in the final game of Group B – with both sides already assured of their place in the last 16 before kick-off in the Netherlands.

Arteta made eight changes for the game and Eddie Nketiah’s first Champions League goal put them ahead only for Yorbe Vertessen’s smart finish to seal a share of the spoils.

Arsenal had already secured safe passage as group winners on their return to the elite level of European football following a seven-year absence – and Arteta feels his team have proven they belong at the top table.

“Overall, I think, very positive,” he said in his press conference when asked how Arsenal’s return to the Champions League had gone.

“Having not been in the competition for six or seven years and having a team that hasn’t got that much experience, I think we’ve competed really well.

“I really liked the approach of the team in every single game, the way we’ve tried to play. We had some big results and big experiences, like the one we had in Seville or Lens, or even today looking at how the team can act and how fair it is to give certain players that exposure when you make so many changes.

“Overall finishing first with a game to play we have to be really happy. Now we have to now close that chapter until February and make sure that when that chapter opens up again that we’re in the best place to compete against another top side.”

Arteta had taken three young players to the Netherlands but none of them made it onto the pitch, instead Declan Rice was a second-half substitute into the defensive line.

Normally operating in midfield, Arteta admitted he wanted to see how Rice fared at centre-back, adding: “He has played there before.

“We have to try as if we have an emergency, we have to understand and to be sure that we can fill that gap in the right way. He has a lot of composure on the ball, he wins a lot of duels for a player of his size and he has done it in the past. He is a good option.”

Arsenal’s much-changed side were lucky to leave the Netherlands with a 1-1 draw in their dead-rubber Champions League tie against PSV Eindhoven.

A goal apiece either side of half-time saw the top two in Group B share the spoils as Eddie Nketiah’s first Champions League goal was cancelled out by Yorbe Vertessen’s smart finish in a draw.

Manager Mikel Arteta said on the eve of the game that, whoever represented Arsenal had a “duty” to win – but his unfamiliar XI were second-best for much of the night.

Arsenal had already secured top spot in Group B, with PSV assured of qualifying alongside them, and the Gunners showed eight changes to the five alterations made by the hosts.

Despite ringing in the changes, Arteta named first-choice centre-back pairing William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes and the duo were on hand to prevent PSV taking an early lead.

A fine ball from Malik Tillman played in Johan Bakayoko, who squared for Ricardo Pepi – only for a combination of Saliba and recalled goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to stop a shot, with Gabriel brilliantly blocking the follow-up effort from Patrick van Aanholt.

The Arsenal defence was struggling to prevent the hosts breaking at their goal, even with Saliba and Gabriel present, and Vertessen rattled a post with a header after 19 minutes.

Bakayoko was the next to have Ramsdale diving at full-stretch but his shot from distance flashed just wide of a post.

Arsenal would hit the woodwork themselves just before the half-hour as Mohamed Elneny let fly with a trademark long-range effort that hit the base of a post before a well-worked PSV counter ended with Saliba blocking Pepi’s shot.

Arteta’s side had begun life back in the Champions League after a seven-year absence by easing to victory over PSV at the Emirates in September and, despite this rotated line-up, they would strike first once more.

Nketiah broke the deadlock three minutes before the break with his first proper sight of goal, angling a low drive through the legs of PSV skipper Andre Ramalho and in off the inside of a post.

Ramsdale turned a Bakayoko shot around a post to send Arsenal in ahead at the interval, even though the hosts had dominated for much of the first half.

Vertessen dragged a shot just wide soon after the restart but moments later he deservedly levelled, Saliba this time leaving himself out of position by diving in for an interception and the Belgian curling past Ramsdale.

Arteta made three alterations just after the hour, one enforced as Elneny came off with what appeared to be a thigh problem, with captain Martin Odegaard on in his place, joining both Declan Rice and Ben White off the bench.

Rice went in at centre-back in place of Saliba but was almost caught out minutes later, Ismael Saibari getting the better of the club-record signing before striking a post with Ramsdale beaten.

Jakub Kiwior headed in an Odegaard free-kick with 10 minutes to go but the goal was ruled out for offside against fellow defender Gabriel, who had also attacked the ball.

Not for the first time, Gabriel completely failed to deal with a simple forward ball, leaving Guus Til to burst through and fire wide late on as the tie finished all-square.

Gabriel Jesus is ready to teach Arsenal’s Champions League newcomers all about a competition he used to skip school to watch as a boy.

The Gunners return to Europe’s elite club competition after a six-year absence, having finished second in the Premier League last season.

A number of Mikel Arteta’s players have yet to taste Champions League football, with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and William Saliba set to make their debuts in the tournament against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night.

Jesus, meanwhile, scored 14 goals in 22 Champions League appearances for Manchester City and came off the bench as his former club lost the 2021 final to Chelsea.

“I remember the times I watch at home, the times I missed school to watch and my mum got crazy,” the Brazil forward said of why he holds the competition in such high regard.

“It starts from there. It was different to hear the music, to see the best clubs. All the leagues, the best clubs go. I think this helps a lot, then it is a different game, a different competition.

“If I talk, I get in trouble! As a kid, you do things you don’t control. Like I said to the kids: don’t do it, go to school.

“When I was a kid, 14, 15 years old, and I tried to go to the clubs to do tests to stay in the club, I always chose school.”

Having gone from playing truant to watch the Champions League to starring in it, Jesus will be key to any hopes Arsenal have of going deep into the tournament.

The 26-year-old, who has recovered from a second knee surgery in the past eight months, revealed his team-mates are already getting excited ahead of the visit of PSV and has backed them to shine.

“Yesterday, some of them were joking in the gym, putting the (Champions League music on),” he added.

“I’m sure everyone is happy, not just the players, the club, the fans, it goes a long way without playing in this competition, now Arsenal are back.

“A club like Arsenal cannot stay without playing that competition so everyone at the club is very happy.

“Everyone here is already experienced to know how to control emotions and these kind of things. Some of them, it is the first time they play in the Champions League.”

Arteta will also be taking charge of a team in the competition for the first time and believes Arsenal are back where they belong.

“Proud and excited I would say,” he said of his feelings on the eve of the opening Group B encounter.

“It’s been a long time for the club since we’ve been in the competition and obviously the first time for me as a manager as well.

“We’ve been chasing it and fighting for it and now we’ve got it. Now we have to make the most out of it and it starts at home.

“Every time that I watched it and we weren’t there I felt it. This club has to be in the Champions League and when I have the job that I have, the responsibility is to try and bring the club to the biggest stages, the biggest tournaments and then be fighting for them.”

Rangers’ Champions League hopes were extinguished in Eindhoven as PSV ran out comprehensive 5-1 play-off winners to go through 7-3 on aggregate.

Michael Beale’s side, who drew 2-2 draw with the Dutch outfit at Ibrox last week, deservedly fell behind in the 35th minute of the return game in the Philips Stadion when Ismael Saibari headed in.

The Moroccan attacker added a second in the 53rd minute and while Gers skipper James Tavernier pulled a goal back in the 64th minute, PSV captain Luuk de Jong wasted little time in restoring the two-goal lead with a header similar to the one he scored in Glasgow.

Joey Veerman compounded Rangers’ misery when he fired in number four before hapless Gers defender Connor Goldson scored an own goal to confirm the Light Blues will drop down to the Europa League.

It was a dismal performance from Rangers who carried almost no threat until it was too late.

From the first leg, Beale drafted in midfielder John Lundstram and winger Rabbi Matondo, with Abdallah Sima and Ryan Jack dropping out.

The home side soon warmed to the task and De Jong headed a corner over the bar before Gers keeper Jack Butland beat away a Veerman drive.

In the 19th minute, home winger Johan Bakayoko floated a cross to the back post and De Jong headed wide as PSV gradually increased the pressure.

Only a fine reaction save from Butland denied Saibari from close range and there was a VAR check seconds later when Ibrahim Sangare went down in the box under a challenge from Borna Barisic.

Rangers survived but only for a few moments, until Veerman got behind Tavernier and crossed from the byline for Saibari to head past Butland from six yards.

The goal seemed to drain Rangers of real belief and they almost came unstuck again just before the break when Bakayoko’s angled drive escaped the far post.

The start to the second half was no more encouraging for the visitors.

Barisic picked up an injury just after the break and was replaced by Dujon Sterling before the Light Blues fell further behind.

Jordan Teze’s cross to the back post evaded Tavernier and De Jong knocked the ball back for Saibari to ease into the net from close range.

Saibari went looking for his hat-trick and was denied by a Butland save.

Sam Lammers and Danilo came on for Cyriel Dessers and Nicolas Raskin and there was an quick pay-off.

Lammers took a Cantwell pass and knocked it across goal for Tavernier to steer in from a couple of yards out to give the visitors an unlikely lifeline, taken away less than two minutes later when De Jong headed in a free-kick from Veerman.

A Bakayoko drive was pushed away by Butland while at the other end Matondo hit the outside of the post with a drive.

In the 78th minute Veerman fired a pass from Teze low past Butland for number four before Goldson took a pass from his keeper and knocked the ball into his own net to complete a miserable night for the Govan side, who somehow have to regroup for the Old Firm visit of Celtic on Sunday.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy has resigned as manager of PSV Eindhoven ahead of their final game of the season, the Dutch club have announced.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker had been in charge for just one year at the Philips Stadion and won the Dutch Cup earlier this month.

PSV will secure a second-place finish in the Eredivisie if they take a point from their last game at AZ Alkmaar on Sunday.

A statement from the club on Wednesday said Van Nistelrooy, 46, did not feel he had sufficient support following several recent discussions about “internal affairs”.

The club wanted him to see out of the season but he has opted to leave immediately. Fred Rutten will take charge for the trip to Alkmaar.

The statement read: “Van Nistelrooy reported this morning that in his opinion there was not enough support within the club to continue longer.

“He immediately explained this to the players and staff.

“PSV regrets Van Nistelrooy’s decision and is grateful to him for winning the Johan Cruyff Shield and the KNVB Cup this season and hopes to close the football year with second place.”

Jack Grealish's mooted move to Manchester City appears set to imminently go through.

City manager Pep Guardiola has long admired the 25-year-old England midfielder.

English champions City have also been linked with Harry Kane as they chase an elusive Champions League crown.

TOP STORY - GREALISH BOOKED IN FOR MAN CITY MEDICAL

Aston Villa's Grealish is on the cusp of completing his £100million transfer to join Manchester City, according to the Birmingham Mail.

The report claims Grealish was due to arrive in Manchester on Wednesday, with a medical booked in.

Grealish returned from a holiday after Euro 2020 this week and was spotted at Villa training on Wednesday but has since reportedly headed north.

ROUND-UP

- Sky Sports claims Aston Villa are lining up a move for Norwich City midfielder Todd Cantwell as they prepare for Grealish to depart.

- Tottenham are plotting moves for PSV's Noni Madueke and Denmark's Euro 2020 star Mikkel Damsgaard according to the Evening Standard, as they plan their windfall from Harry Kane's potential sale to Manchester City.

- Fresh from Danny Ings leaving for Villa, Southampton are closing in on Blackburn forward Adam Armstrong, reports Football League World.

- The Sun claims Norwich City are looking to launch a £15m bid for Blackburn's Armstrong too. Irish prospect Adam Idah could be included in a player-plus-cash deal.

- Atalanta are set to hold talks with Chelsea for a move for striker Tammy Abraham according to Gianluca Di Marzio.