Kylian Mbappe conceded Paris Saint-Germain did not do enough to top their Champions League group, which Benfica topped in dramatic circumstances on Wednesday.

Goals from Mbappe and Nuno Mendes at Juventus, either side of Leonardo Bonucci's equaliser, seemed to have Christophe Galtier's side on course to top Group H courtesy of a 2-1 triumph.

However, Benfica scored five unanswered second-half goals at Maccabi to win 6-1, the latter of which from Joao Mario in the 92nd minute snatched top spot on away goals scored.

For the first instance in Champions League history, PSG and Benfica could not be separated by their head-to-head record, goals scored or conceded, though Mbappe suggested his side should have done more.

"During the match, we did not know, but in the end they tried to warn us" the World Cup-winning forward told RMC Sport.

"But that was the end, it doesn't matter, we qualified. We came to do the work, that's not enough, we'll watch the draw and we'll play to win."

Galtier pinpointed PSG's 7-2 win over Maccabi on matchday five as a warning sign and lamented the fine margins that saw his side finish second.

"When we were winning 7-2 last week, we stopped playing at the 90th minute," he told Canal+. "We conceded too many goals during the group stage from set-pieces, as we did against Maccabi.

"If we'd conceded one goal fewer, we would have finished top of the group."

PSG failed to top their Champions League group for a second straight season after finishing first in each of the previous four, but Galtier insisted his side have still performed well in Europe's top competition.

"We could consider everything. We knew this possibility. Congratulations to Benfica, who scored more away goals than us," he added.

"Afterwards, I congratulate my team and my group. We had a good group. We scored a lot of goals. That's the history of the Champions League. This competition is sometimes irrational and we saw that.

"We had an exceptional journey. We've beaten Juventus twice and we were very happy until the 92nd minute.

"But if you want to go far in this competition, you have to beat big teams. Let's wait for the draw and see who we get in the last 16."

Salzburg will have to do what no other Austrian side has done before at Milan to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages, while Jude Bellingham has his eyes on an achievement managed by only two players previously.

The Rossoneri need only a point from the game at San Siro and the historical facts suggest they will achieve their aim to make it out of Group E.

For Bellingham, he can put his name in the record books alongside former team-mate Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe by scoring for Borussia Dortmund at Copenhagen.

There is plenty to play for as the Champions League group stage wraps up on Wednesday, and Stats Perform has trawled through the data to shine a light on the most interesting angles.

Milan v Salzburg

With a win, Salzburg will advance to the knockout stages for the second consecutive season after never making it out of the group stage previously.

They will need to defy the odds on their trip to Milan, where the Italian side are undefeated in home fixtures against Austrian opponents in the competition (W4 D1), while averaging 3.8 goals per game.

Salzburg have never beaten Milan in their three previous Champions League meetings, but after losing the first two, they collected their first point with a 1-1 draw in this campaign's reverse fixture.

While Olivier Giroud became the oldest player in Champions League history to reach 20 goals (36 years old) during Milan's win at Dinamo Zagreb last time out, Salzburg boast the youngest starting XI in the competition with an average age of 22 years and 279 days.

Shakhtar Donetsk v RB Leipzig

Shakhtar have only won one game in the group stage, but sit three points behind second-placed. A win would see them through to the knockout stages for the third time in the past four seasons.

The reverse-fixture was a memorable one for Shakhtar and exciting young winger Mykhailo Mudryk, who showed why he is so in-demand with a goal and two assists in a 4-1 away win.

Unfortunately for the Ukrainian side, that was their only victory from their past 12 Champions League matches (D6 L5).

Meanwhile, Leipzig have found some form in the competition, with back-to-back victories against Celtic before making it three wins in a row when they beat Real Madrid 3-2.

Manchester City v Sevilla

City are eyeing an undefeated group stage when they host Sevilla, having only conceded one goal in total from their five games until this point.

English sides have given Sevilla trouble for years now, with their last Champions League win over a Premier League team coming back in 2007 against Arsenal. 

If Jorge Sampaoli's side are to stand any chance of a shock win, they will need to pay special attention to Jack Grealish, who has impressed in the group stage with 10 chances created from open play, the most in Pep Guardiola's squad.

Maccabi Haifa v Benfica

If Juventus can salvage even a draw in their clash with Paris Saint-Germain, then Benfica will be able to win Group H by defeating Maccabi Haifa.

It has been a special run of form for Benfica, who for the first time since 1990 have gone six Champions League games without a loss (W3 D3).

Maccabi will have their backs against the wall, as only Malmo have a worse winning percentage (17 per cent) than their 24 per cent among teams to have played at least 15 Champions League games.

Also working in Benfica's favour is manager Roger Schmidt's record in the competition. Between his time with Bayer Leverkusen (2014-2017) and Benfica in this campaign, his run of 13 games unbeaten is the most by any active manager qualified for this season's Champions League.

Other fixtures:

Juventus v Paris Saint-Germain

5  - Juventus are looking to avoid becoming the second Italian side to ever lose five matches in a Champions League group stage, after Roma in 2004-05.

6  - Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe has six goals in the group stage. With one more he can tie Christopher Nkunku (last season) for the most by a French player in a single group stage, while with two more he can tie Zlatan Ibrahimovic's club-record of eight in 2013-14.

Copenhagen v Borussia Dortmund

60  - Despite Copenhagen still being without a win in Group G, they have kept a clean sheet in 60 per cent (nine-of-15) of their Champions League home games – the best ratio of any team with at least 10 appearances.

3  - With a goal, Bellingham can become just the third teenager to ever score in all three away games in a Champions League group stage, following Mbappe (2017-18) and Haaland (2019-20).

Chelsea v Dinamo Zagreb

10  - Chelsea are undefeated in their past 10 group stage games in the Champions League dating back to September 2019 (W6 D4). Over that period, they are averaging 2.3 goals per game.

10  - Along with City's Grealish, Chelsea's Mason Mount is the only other Premier League player from this Champions League campaign to tally at least 10 shots and 10 chances created.

Real Madrid v Celtic

20  - Since the beginning of last season's Champions League, no player has been involved in more open-play sequences that have resulted in a goal than Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior (20).

14  - Celtic's Matt O'Riley has attempted the most shots in the Champions League this season without scoring, with no goals from his 14 shots.

Massimiliano Allegri rued Juventus' previous Champions League shortcomings after Tuesday's 4-3 defeat at Benfica condemned them to their first group-stage exit since 2013-14.

Juventus travelled to the Estadio da Luz knowing only a victory would keep them in contention for a top-two finish in Group C, but were left stunned by a scintillating performance from Benfica.

Rafa Silva's double, as well as goals from Antonio Silva and Joao Mario, saw Benfica establish a 4-1 lead after 50 minutes, and the hosts stood firm when Juventus responded through Arkadiusz Milik and Weston McKennie late on.

A 2-0 defeat at Maccabi Haifa earlier this month left Juventus needing maximum points from their final two games to have any hope of progressing, and Allegri believes their Champions League fate was all but sealed before their trip to Portugal.

"We are sorry and angry, but the elimination did not come today, but in the previous games," Allegri said.

"It is not necessary to get down, we would not want these things to happen, but they do happen. 

"There must be a path of growth. Unfortunately, we conceded a goal from a penalty for 2-1, then you saw the match. We must continue to work."

Juventus made several unwanted pieces of history at Benfica, conceding three first-half goals for the first time in a Champions League game and losing a fourth match in a single group-stage campaign for their first time ever. 

The Bianconeri are also 10 points adrift of the Serie A summit following an underwhelming start to their domestic season, and speculation regarding Allegri's future is sure to intensify following Tuesday's loss.

However, the Juventus boss chose to remain philosophical after their exit, challenging his team to respond with a renewed run of league form.

"Failure? No. These evenings happen, defeats happen. It must be an opportunity to dive back into the championship," Allegri added.

"You fall to get back up. I would have liked to have played the last game with Paris Saint-Germain to force Benfica out. The reality is this, let's focus on the future. 

"We have to react, we have a championship to play, there is a Europa League to win. It will not easy, there are players to recover. From tomorrow, we just need to get back to work.

"The first part of the season was more difficult than expected but we have 20 days to do well, then at the [World Cup] break we will recover almost all the players."

Thierry Henry feels Juventus have issues "from top to bottom" and sacking Massimiliano Allegri will not change their fortunes.

A 4-3 defeat to Benfica on Tuesday saw Juve crash out of the Champions League, while they will exit European competition entirely if Maccabi Haifa better their result in the final round of group-stage matches.

The Bianconeri's loss in Lisbon was their third in five games across all competitions, with Allegri's side down in eighth in Serie A and already 10 points behind leaders Napoli.

Juve's first group-stage elimination in the Champions League since 2013-14 increased pressure on Allegri, but former Bianconeri striker Henry believes replacing the coach will not change their situation.

"I wouldn't go there. As you know, I'm on the other side of the line now, so it is very difficult to call out a manager," he told CBS Sports.

"I think there is a lot of problems from top to bottom; it is not only at the bottom and on the field where things are not going well.

"I said it when [Andrea] Pirlo left, I said it when [Maurizio] Sarri left, he is not a bad coach.

"What is going on behind closed doors, we don't know. It takes time sometimes. It's not that if you just bring in Allegri, it is going to work.

"Where are you going to go? What is going to be the plan? Who are you going to bring in? You need to let people work for a little while to make change, to change who is going to leave, who is going to come and play in this system.

"We've seen it with [Mikel] Arteta [at Arsenal]; it took him two years to put a decent team on the field, and people were having a go.

"Are you going to stay with the man or are you not? Think about it carefully. They thought that bringing him [Allegri] in, things were going to change, and it hasn't happened yet."

Juventus were condemned to a humiliating Champions League exit by a 4-3 loss at Benfica on Wednesday, as Rafa Silva's brace helped the outstanding hosts seal their own place in the last 16. 

Massimiliano Allegri's team arrived at the Estadio da Luz requiring a win to stay in contention in Group C, but were distinctly second-best after Dusan Vlahovic cancelled out Antonio Silva's opener. 

Benfica stormed into a 3-1 lead by the halfway mark as Rafa added to Joao Mario's penalty with a glorious backheel, and the winger doubled up with another wonderful goal after the break. 

Late efforts from Arkadiusz Milik and Weston McKennie ensured a grandstand finish, but it was too little, too late for Juventus as Roger Schmidt's men held firm.

It came as no surprise when Juventus fell behind after starting slowly, as the 18-year-old Silva met Enzo Fernandes' inviting cross with a glancing header to beat Wojciech Szczesny after 17 minutes.

The visitors levelled against the run of play when a VAR review overturned an offside call against Vlahovic four minutes later, but there was to be no such reprieve when Juan Cuadrado clumsily handled in his own area with 28 minutes gone.

Joao Mario picked out the top-left corner from the spot to re-establish Benfica's lead, then turned provider to tee up Rafa's flicked finish seven minutes later as the hosts threatened to run riot.

Rafa needed just five minutes to double his tally after the restart, dinking another cultured finish beyond Szczesny after latching onto Alejandro Grimaldo's throughball.

Juventus then gave themselves hope with a quickfire double; first with Milik volleying home Samuel Iling-Junior's cross before McKennie converted following a goalmouth scramble with 11 minutes remaining.

However, Benfica missed the best chance of an end-to-end finish when Rafa crashed a shot against the post, leaving the hosts to celebrate a famous win.

Tottenham forward Son Heung-min is reportedly looking towards his "next career step", with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said to have a keen interest.

Son tied with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah for the Premier League's Golden Boot after a career-best 23 goals last season and was the only player with more than 16 goals to not take a penalty.

It was the sixth Premier League season in a row Son has tallied at least 11 goals, and despite the South Korean's slow start to this campaign, he has shown his class in spurts, including a hat-trick off the bench against Leicester City and an important brace in a 3-2 Champions League win against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Tottenham sit in third place, five points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, but if Son does not believe he can realistically win silverware with the club, the 30-year-old may view a move to a Champions League stalwart as now or never.

TOP STORY – REAL MADRID KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON SPURS' SON

According to Sport1, Ancelotti is monitoring Son's situation closely, however his contract situation gives Tottenham all the leverage as he is tied to the club until 2025.

The report claims there is also interest from world powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, and that an impressive performance in the World Cup – where South Korea will play Uruguay, Ghana and Portugal in the group stage – could see a club spurred into action in January.

Bild is reporting Bayern will not have an active January window, which would rule them out for the immediate future as any serious bid for the Tottenham star would need to be substantial.

However, with Tottenham desperate to retain the services of Antonio Conte – who the Times reported as saying he needs three more transfer windows to build the necessary depth at the club – selling one of his top players would be a step in the wrong direction.

ROUND-UP

– Ser Deportivos is reporting Real Madrid have offered an improved contract to Marco Asensio amid speculation that he may head to the Premier League when his contract expires after this season.

– According to O Jogo, Liverpool and Manchester United are both interested in 18-year-old Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva.

– Arsenal are preparing an offer for 27-year-old Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic that is believed to be worth in the range of €50m, with their bid also including Albert Sambi Lokonga in a player exchange, per Calciomercato.

– Sport is reporting Barcelona view 25-year-old Ajax player Edson Alvarez as a potential successor to Sergio Busquets in the centre of midfield, although the Dutch giants supposedly rejected a €50m offer from Chelsea in the previous transfer window.

– According to The Mirror, Manchester United are eyeing Lille's Jonathan David, Lyon's Moussa Dembele or Bayer Leverkusen's Patrick Schick as potential replacements for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Massimiliano Allegri is confident Juventus "will be fine" against Benfica on Tuesday, even with their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread.

A shock defeat to Maccabi Haifa last time out has given Juve no room for error, with anything less than victory in Lisbon resulting in their elimination from Europe's elite club competition.

Even with a win this week, the Bianconeri would need another result against Paris Saint-Germain while hoping Benfica slip up at Maccabi.

Heading into matchday five, though, Allegri has no concerns, saying in Monday's news conference: "Tomorrow, I think it will be fine. I may be wrong, but I'm confident.

"We have only one result [to chase]; we are not yet eliminated from the Champions League, but neither have we qualified for the Europa League.

"Two games, six points to go, and our fate does not depend only on us. Benfica, on the other hand, are the owners of their own destiny."

Defender Alex Sandro is similarly backing Juve to "prove our worth".

"This game has a great value," he said. "Only the victory counts. We are here to win and play a great game. We are growing. And we know you can't go wrong anymore.

"We will go on the pitch to prove our worth. We hope to give Benfica their first defeat. I know them; some are very strong. It will be a very difficult game. There are players who can make the difference at any time."

Benfica could dump Juventus out of the Champions League, while Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea are among the other clubs who can seal a round-of-16 spot on Tuesday.

Juve must win at Benfica to have any chance from qualifying from Group H, while a victory will be enough to see the home side through. They can also advance with a point if Maccabi Haifa are unable to beat PSG.

The Ligue 1 champions will be through with a victory at the Parc des Princes or if they draw and Juve fail to win in Lisbon.

Chelsea travel to Salzburg as the Group E leaders and are guaranteed to progress if they win, while the Austrian side also remain in the hunt to qualify. The Premier League club can also go through if they draw and third-placed Milan defeat Dinamo Zagreb, who are bottom but only three points behind the leaders.

Borussia Dortmund will be sure to join Manchester City in getting out of Group G if they secure a home win over Pep Guardiola's side, who could win the pool with a game to spare. Real Madrid are in a similar situation to City, while RB Leipzig bid to join the holders in the knockout stage.

Ahead of another tense night of action, Stats Perform picks out the standout Opta numbers for the eight matches.

Benfica v Juventus

Juve have lost all three of their European matches away at Benfica, with their most recent loss a 2-1 Europa League defeat in 2014. 

The Turin giants only have one victory home or away in the seven previous meetings between the two famous clubs, Jurgen Kohler, Dino Baggio and Fabrizio Ravanelli on target in a 3-0 UEFA Cup clash in 1993.

Benfica could qualify for the knockout stage for a second consecutive season, a back-to-back feat they have only previously achieved in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons under Rui Vitoria. 

Juve could be eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League for the first time since the 2013-14 season, when Antonio Conte was in charge.

Paris Saint-Germain v Maccabi Haifa

Maccabi are winless in three away European games (including qualifiers) in France, losing two and drawing in a Cup Winners' Cup tie at PSG back in 1998.

PSG have only lost one of their past 32 group stage games at the Parc des Princes in the Champions League (W25 D6), with their lone defeat during that run coming against Manchester United in October 2020 (1-2). They have averaged 2.7 goals per game in those fixtures, scoring 86.

Since Kylian Mbappe's Champions League debut in September 2016, only Robert Lewandowski has been directly involved in more non-penalty goals (55) than the France forward (54 – 34 goals, 20 assists). 

Omer Atzili has scored twice for Maccabi in the Champions League this season. The last Israeli player to net more in a single campaign in the competition was Eran Zahav, who scored three for Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2010-11.

Salzburg v Chelsea 

Chelsea have only played two away European matches in Austria, losing 1-0 at Weiner Sport-Club in November 1965 in the Fairs Cup and drawing 1-1 against Austria Vienna in November 1994 in the Cup Winners’ Cup. 

Salzburg are winless in all seven of their European matches against English teams (D2 L5), failing to beat Blackburn Rovers (D1 L1), Manchester City (L2), Liverpool (L2) and Chelsea (D1).

In-form Chelsea have won back-to-back Champions League games, beating Milan 3-0 at Stamford Bridge and 2-0 at the San Siro. The last time they won three games in a row in the competition by a margin of at least two goals was in October-November 2013.

Salzburg have scored exactly one goal in each of their past seven games in the Champions League – only one team have ever had a longer run of scoring a single goal in the competition, with Olympiacos doing so in 10 in a row in a run ending in November 2005. 

Borussia Dortmund v Manchester City

No player has been directly involved in more goals than City's Erling Haaland (five goals) or Dortmund's Jude Bellingham (four goals, one assist) during the group stage this season.

Dortmund have won just one of their five Champions League matches against City (D1 L3), a 1-0 home victory in the 2012-13 group stage. 

No full-back has been involved in more sequences of play that have ended in shots (29) or goals (five) thans Joao Cancelo in the Champions League this season. The Portugal international has provided three assists in four games, equalling his season-best tally in a Champions League campaign (three in nine games last season). 

If Haaland scores on his return to face his former club, it will be the third time he has scored in five or more consecutive appearances in the Champions League. Only five players have achieved that feat on three occasions – Cristiano Ronaldo (five), Lionel Messi (three), Lewandowski (three), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (three) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (three). 

Other fixtures:

RB Leipzig v Real Madrid

13 – Madrid are unbeaten in their past 13 games against German sides in European competition (W9 D4), scoring at least two goals in every game during this run (31 in total). 

3 – Leipzig will be looking to win three consecutive Champions League games for just the second time – they won three in a row between February and August 2020, beating Tottenham twice and Atletico Madrid once. 

Dinamo Zagreb v Milan

5 – Dinamo have lost all five of their matches against Milan in European competition (including qualifiers). Against no side have they lost more games in their European history (also five v Ajax). 

100 – Milan's 100 per cent record against Dinamo – winning five out of five games against them – is their best against any side in Europe.

Sevilla v Copenhagen

29 – The average age of Sevilla's starting line-up in the Champions League this season is 29 years and 73 days, the second-oldest of any side in the competition this term after Rangers (29 years 96 days). 

13 – Copenhagen are winless in all 13 of their major European matches against Spanish teams (D5 L8), losing their last three on Spanish soil. 

Celtic v Shakhtar Donetsk 

7 – Celtic have lost seven of their past eight games in the Champions League (D1) and are looking for their first win in the competition since September 2017 (3-0 v Anderlecht).

0 – Shakhtar have never won a Champions League away match against a British team, losing on eight of their nine total trips. They did avoid defeat in the most recent one, however, drawing 1-1 against Manchester City in November 2019. 

Massimiliano Allegri backed his Juventus side to claim a vital Champions League win at Benfica after they thrashed Empoli 4-0 on Friday.

The Bianconeri followed up their derby victory over Torino last weekend with an impressive display at the Allianz Arena, where Moise Kean put them in front with his first goal since April.

Weston McKennie opened his Serie A account for the season to double their lead and there were two late goals for Adrien Rabiot as Juve moved above Inter into seventh place.

Allegri's future had been called into question following defeats to Milan and Maccabi Haifa, but the Turin giants look to have turned the corner.

They must win at Benfica on Tuesday to have any chance of qualifying for the Champions League round of 16 and head coach Allegri fancies their chances in Lisbon.

He said: "Tonight it was important to win because we are behind in the championship and we hadn't won two in a row.

"Unfortunately we have to chase in the championship for the points lost against Salernitana and Monza. Tuesday will be an important match for two reasons: we are not out of the Champions League and we are not even in the Europa League.

"We will face a strong team, we can go there and overturn the result [they were beaten at home by Benfica], we need to be confident."

Barcelona, Liverpool and Chelsea are reportedly all interested in 21-year-old Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

Fernandez arrived at Benfica from River Plate just four months ago in June for a fee of €10million, and immediately took the Primeira Liga by storm, with the league naming him August's player of the month.

He has since helped Benfica to an undefeated record in both the league (8W 1D) and the Champions League (2W 2D), playing in every game, and his exploits in back-to-back draws against Paris Saint-Germain seem to have convinced some of the world's top clubs that he is up to the level.

TOP STORY – WORLD POWERHOUSES CLAMOUR FOR 21-YEAR-OLD BENFICA MIDFIELDER

According to a report from Sport, Barcelona had the chance to sign Fernandez for €10m but opted against it, allowing Benfica to swoop in, and he is now said to be valued at over €50m.

That figure could continue to rise as well. Having made his senior international debut for Argentina in September, Fernandez could play a significant role in his country's World Cup campaign as they enter the tournament on a 35-match unbeaten streak.

The report claims Barcelona will face opposition from Premier League giants Liverpool and Chelsea, and while there is no indication that Benfica would be willing to let Fernandez go six months into a five-year contract, the club that specialise in turning a profit in the transfer market could be faced with an offer they cannot refuse.

ROUND-UP

– 90min is reporting Chelsea have made Napoli striker Victor Osimhen their priority forward target, following reports they are also heavily interested in RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku and Lille's Jonathan David.

– According to Sky Sport in Germany, Everton have also been keen on Lille's David, with the 22-year-old Canadian tied with Neymar for the most goals in Ligue 1 this season (nine in 11 games).

– The Evening Standard is reporting Chelsea are also weighing up moves for Borussia Dortmund's teenage English star Jude Bellingham, as well as West Ham's Declan Rice.

– Arsenal are said to be joining Barcelona and Real Madrid in the chase of 16-year-old Palmeiras striker Endrick, per FourFourTwo.

– Calciomercato claims Milan are considering a move for Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech in January, with Chelsea said to be open to a loan move for the 29-year-old.

Christophe Galtier hailed the performance and focus of Kylian Mbappe against Benfica after "very surprising" reports emerged that the forward again wants to leave Paris Saint-Germain.

Mbappe gave PSG the lead at Parc des Princes on Tuesday, converting from the penalty spot in the first half to become the club's leading scorer in the Champions League.

Joao Mario subsequently responded with a spot-kick of his own after the interval, though the result seemingly paled insignificance after reports suggested Mbappe had demanded an exit from PSG.

The World Cup-winning 23-year-old only signed a new three-year extension in May but has reportedly become unsettled once more after a failure to meet his demands both tactically and in recruitment.

PSG football advisor Luis Campos emphatically denied those reports by claiming Mbappe had not informed the club of such intentions, while head coach Galtier also expressed confusion over the speculation.

"We talked a lot about him this afternoon. I didn't talk about it with him, the objective is to stay focused on the match," Galtier told RMC Sport after PSG were held to a 1-1 draw in the Group H encounter.

"He gave a lot, he showed that he is a great player, focused on the game and the competition. We were all focused on the goal and on the match.

"From the rumour, we make information and from information, we make a statement. I find that very surprising a few hours before a very important match..."

Mbappe's goal was not enough to secure progression to the Champions League knockout stages, though Benfica and PSG sit four points clear of Juventus and Maccabi Haifa at the Group H summit.

PSG will aim to secure qualification with two games left to play, sitting level on eight points with Roger Schmidt's side, though Galtier may be concerned after having to withdraw Mbappe in the closing stages.

"He took a nasty tackle, he has a knock. I preferred to make sure to bring on a fresh player," Galtier added.

"We can regret the penalty we conceded because the action was not dangerous. We lacked verticality in the final third.

"We have played high-intensity matches, obviously that generates tiredness, but fatigue is in everyone, it's not an excuse."

The stalemate left Benfica winless in away six Champions League games against French sides (D3 L3), scoring just two goals in these six games, though the Portuguese side deserve credit.

Schmidt's men are the first team to avoid defeat in both group stage games in the competition against PSG since the Ligue 1 side were twice held by Napoli in the 2018-19 season.

"It makes me proud, of course. The way the players are playing in these difficult games, we never gave up, we always believed in ourselves," Schmidt told Eleven Sport.

"When you can't win, you have to take a point. I said it after the first game and I repeat it now. I think it was a fair result, again. Playing two games like this against Paris says a lot about the quality and attitude of the players."

Sergio Ramos refuted speculation Kylian Mbappe wants to leave Paris Saint-Germain as he claimed the forward is "happy every day".

Mbappe started in the Champions League against Benfica on Tuesday after reports emerged the France international wants to depart the club in January, despite turning down Real Madrid to sign a new, lucrative three-year contract with PSG in May.

PSG football advisor Luis Campos insisted the 23-year-old has not expressed such intentions to the club, and Mbappe was in the thick of the action on the pitch in Paris.

Mbappe became PSG's all-time top scorer in the Champions League with a first-half penalty before Joao Mario's spot-kick restored parity, with the match petering out to a draw, with both sides sitting on eight points at the top of Group H.

After the game, former Madrid centre-back Ramos echoed Campos' sentiment, telling Canal Plus: "The only thing I can say is that Kylian is a friend and very happy here every day.

"He didn't leave last season, I don't believe the rumours."

As for PSG's performance, Ramos was far from impressed.

"We lacked a bit of determination. It's the little details that make the difference," he explained.

"Physically, [Benfica are] a very strong team, which worked well tactically and we couldn't find a space.

"The Champions League is a complicated competition. The objective is to finish first in the group, there are two games left and we must continue to work to show the best face of the team."

Kylian Mbappe became Paris Saint-Germain's leading scorer in European competition but Christophe Galtier's side were held to a 1-1 draw against Benfica in the Champions League.

Tuesday's match at the Parc des Princes came on the back of widespread reports Mbappe was unhappy at PSG and would be seeking a January transfer.

PSG's football advisor Luis Campos emphatically denied those reports before kick-off, and the France international put the speculation to one side to convert a first-half penalty, nosing his side ahead and overtaking Edinson Cavani in the club's European record books.

Joao Mario equalised with a penalty of his own after the restart, however, with Mbappe seeing a late goal disallowed for offside as both teams missed the chance to secure progression from Group H.

PSG were thankful for a VAR reprieve in the 18th minute, an offside call seeing referee Michael Oliver change his decision to award Benfica a penalty for an Achraf Hakimi handball.

However, there was no doubt over Oliver's next penalty decision after Antonio Silva clumsily felled Juan Bernat, with Mbappe calmly sending Odysseas Vlachodimos the wrong way for his milestone goal six minutes before half-time.

Mbappe curled just wide in the second half before Marco Verratti brought down Rafa Silva just inside PSG's area.

The foul was initially missed by Oliver, who swiftly changed his decision after consulting the pitchside monitor, with Joao Mario smashing a finish high into the back of Gianluigi Donnarumma's net.

Mbappe thought he had struck a late winner, only to be ruled offside from Sergio Ramos' flick after acrobatically volleying past Vlachodimos.

Kylian Mbappe became Paris Saint-Germain's top scorer in the Champions League with a penalty against Benfica on Tuesday.

Reports this week suggested Mbappe wants to leave the French capital despite signing a bumper three-year extension in May amid continued interest from Real Madrid.

PSG football advisor Luis Campos said Mbappe had not told him of this wish ahead of the Group H clash with Benfica at Parc des Princes, where the 23-year-old soon made club history.

The World Cup winner coolly converted from 12 yards in the 39th minute to open the scoring after referee Michael Oliver pointed to the spot following Antonio Silva's careless foul on Juan Bernat.

That took Mbappe's PSG tally to 31 goals in 48 Champions League appearances, surpassing Edinson Cavani as the club's leading marksman in the European Cup.

The France international, who previously netted six Champions League goals for Monaco, has scored four in as many games in Europe this season.

Lionel Messi will miss Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League clash with Benfica on Tuesday, but head coach Christophe Galtier expects the forward to return for next weekend's game with Marseille.

The Argentina international missed out on his side's ill-tempered Ligue 1 match with Reims over the weekend with a calf injury, and was forced to watch from the sidelines as they played out a goalless draw.

Hopes that the 35-year-old might return in time for the crucial European clash with their Portuguese visitors have been dashed now, too, with Messi set to miss out again.

But while Galtier confirmed he would be an expected absentee, he suggested that the attacker is close to a return to action, and could well feature in Le Classique on October 16.

"Messi felt discomfort in his calf during the first game against Benfica," he stated. "He thought he could take part in tomorrow's game, but in the end, he would be limited.

"He is better, but he still has an unpleasant feeling. He preferred to abstain. We will watch his recovery, but it is very likely that he will be present against Marseille."

Galtier acknowledged losing Messi is a blow, with the Argentinian having rediscovered his form after a difficult first season with PSG following his exit from Barcelona, having scored five goals and added seven assists in Ligue 1 this term.

"We know the importance of Leo to our game, his form and the connection he can have with the other players," Galtier added. "We cannot be happy with his absence.

"But we will have to find other solutions and other connections where we can bring danger to the Benfica defence."