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Mikel Arteta said Arsenal have their sights set on a sunshine break after beating Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 to move within touching distance of the Champions League last 16.

Arteta’s side swatted aside the Croatian champions at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday thanks to Declan Rice’s early opener and second half goals from Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard.

The Gunners sit third in the Champions League standings and need just a point from next week’s trip to Girona to be certain of automatic qualification for the last 16 via a top-eight finish.

Even a defeat is unlikely to knock Arsenal into the knockout stage play-offs — which features the teams that finish ninth to 24th — because they have a three-point lead and a superior goal difference to the teams immediately below eighth place.

If the north Londoners finish in the top eight, Arteta has suggested he will take his squad on a warm weather training camp during the time when other teams are in play-off action.

“If we earn the right to do that, it would be great,” he said when asked about the potential for a winter getaway.

“Obviously it has been a super-busy schedule, a lot of demands and with things that have happened, even more demands, especially on the players. If we can achieve that it would be great. ”

Arsenal’s fifth win from seven league phase games was never in doubt from the moment Rice fired home from Havertz’s pass just 106 seconds after kick-off.

READ ALSO:  Champions League: Arsenal Beat Dinamo To Stay On Course For Last 16

‘A massive step’ 

Havertz’s 66th minute header and Odegaard’s clinical finish in stoppage-time wrapped up only Arsenal’s second win in their last six games in all competitions.

“This is a massive step forward. It puts us in a really strong position before we play Girona,” Arteta said.

“We scored three goals and dominated the game and another clean-sheet at home. Overall very happy.

“We are in a really good position. A lot of things have to happen for us not to make it. But still we have to try to win the game in Girona. ”

Rice’s goal was well-timed after Arteta encouraged the England midfielder to get into attacking positions more often.

Rice has just three goals this season but Arteta believes he could go on a scoring streak now.

“His intent, his purpose, especially the attacking positions he is taking. How he is striking the ball,” he said.

“In the last few weeks he had some big chances to score. We need to affect the game from that position.

“The more consistent he is in those positions, with the quality he has, he will score goals.

“He has played so much football in the last two years. You can see when he is fresh he is a big player for us. ”

While Rice’s goals will be useful, Arteta needs Havertz to be firing on all cylinders even more often.

The much-maligned German striker has reached 14 goals in all competitions 22 games faster than he did last season.

Havertz has two goals from his last two games after his wife suffered death threats following his costly penalty shoot-out miss in the FA Cup third round defeat against Manchester United.

Arteta has remained firmly on Havertz’s side and he said: “That is a good stat. What does it tell you? It shows the perception against the reality. ”

A double from Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez and a valiant defensive effort handed Dutch side Feyenoord a shock 3-0 Champions League win over Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

The surprise defeat means that Bayern, six times champions of Europe, will more than likely face a play-off match to advance into the last-16.

“We are not afraid of the Champions League playoffs. If we have to go in there, then we have to go in,” said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.

“You have to earn the top eight. And the format was designed precisely to create tension. But like I said: you have to earn it. ”

On a rain-swept night in Rotterdam, Feyenoord belied their poor recent domestic form, holding firm at the back and hitting their illustrious opponents with rapid counter-attacks.

Bayern dominated possession in a cagey opening quarter as both sides struggled with driving rain and a slippery surface.

Feyenoord had made no secret of their strategy to hit Bayern on the break and it was a pinpoint long ball by left-back Gijs Smal that broke the deadlock after 21 minutes.

Smal’s pass perfectly bisected the Bayern defence and was brilliantly collected by Gimenez, who curled the ball past the veteran Manuel Neuer.

Falling behind seemed to galvanise the visitors, who nearly equalised when French winger Kingsley Coman fizzed the ball across the goal but there was no one to tap in.

England’s Harry Kane had a gilt-edged change to open Bayern’s account deep into the first half but could only fire his shot into Feyenoord’s defence from close range.

Bayern pressed hard but Feyenoord defended stoutly and again hit the Germans on the break in the ninth minute of added time at the end of the first period.

Raphael Guerreiro was adjudged to have fouled Calvin Stengs in the box, Gimenez making no mistake from the spot, sending the ever-boisterous fans in De Kuip into raptures and Feyenoord into a 2-0 half-time lead.

The second half saw wave after wave of German attacks but they could not find a way to unlock the well-organised Feyenoord defence and beat the excellent Justin Bijlow in goal.

Playmaker Jamal Musiala forced a sharp save from point-blank range on 60 minutes as Feyenoord sat ever deeper, every tackle cheered as if the game were won.

Bijlow tipped over a powerful Musiala header and the home fans breathed a sigh of relief when the post kept out an effort from substitute Leroy Sane.

With seven minutes to play, Kompany brought on Germany legend Thomas Mueller and he made an immediate impact, sliding through a pass that nearly played in Sane.

But even Mueller could not break down the wall and substitute Ayase Ueda put the icing on the cake with a third on 89 minutes to seal a famous night for the Feyenoord faithful.

Bayern next face winless Slovan Bratislava at home, while Feyenoord wrap up their Champions League campaign away at Lille.

Rafael Leao boosted AC Milan’s chances of direct qualification to the last 16 of the Champions League with a brilliant goal in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Girona.

Portugal winger Leao lashed in his eighth goal of the season after some dazzling dribbling in the 37th minute at the San Siro to give Milan their fifth straight win in the competition.

Sergio Conceicao’s team are sixth on 15 points after seven matches and are guaranteed at least a spot in the play-offs, as well as having a great chance of a top-eight finish with their final league phase fixture at Dinamo Zagreb.

Leao’s goal was reward for a fine individual display from a player who has the reputation for drifting in and out of matches and had a poor relationship with Conceicao’s predecessor Paulo Fonseca.

“It was a big match for us in terms of getting through… that’s our objective, to go through to the next round (directly),” said Leao to Prime Video.

“We’re starting to understand what the coach wants from us… He’s trying to help me as a man and as a player and I’m trying to get to grips with what he wants from me. ”

Girona’s maiden Champions League campaign will go no further than the visit of Arsenal next week as Michel’s team are seven points from the play-offs and as a result eliminated.

La Liga outfit Girona would have come away from northern Italy with more had it not been for Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who pulled off three superb saves late in the first half to keep the hosts ahead.

Conceicao demanded more hunger from his players after Milan slumped to defeat at rivals Juventus at the weekend, and the Serie A team deserved the win against a backdrop of frustrated fans again chanting for American owners RedBird to sell the club.

“We’re in a transitional period, there’s still lots of work to do,” said Conceicao.

“Some things are going well, other things not so well. That’s part of my job with the boys. But tonight the result is the most important thing. ”

READ ALSO: Shakhtar Deal Blow To Brest’s Champions League Last-16 Ambitions

Maignan to rescue

The hosts should have already been ahead before the 24th minute, when Theo Hernandez somehow didn’t score after being laid on for a sitter by Leao.

Leao was sent surging behind the Girona defence by a brilliant Tijjani Reijnders pass and rolled across a perfect low ball to Hernandez, who scuffed his finish onto the bar.

Yunus Musah, who should have scored an early chance, then crashed a low shot off the upright five minutes later as Milan pressed for an opener.

Maignan had to be at his best to stop Girona taking a shock lead twice in a few minutes, the France goalkeeper sticking out a leg to stop Donny van de Beek after the Dutch midfielder and keeping out Viktor Tsygankov’s snapshot.

The grumbles beginning to be heard around the San Siro soon turned into cheers after a moment of magic from Leao, who collected Ismael Bennacer’s pass, cut onto his right before quickly switching back to his trusty left foot which he then used to roof a perfect finish.

But Milan only led at the break thanks to Maignan, who again saved his disjointed defence deep in stoppage time by getting his studs to Yangel Herrera’s close-range strike.

The second was much lower key, with Bryan Gil’s fizzing strike for Girona ruled out for a razor-thin offside being the only real incident of a match which ended with Conceicao’s first Champions League win as Milan coach.

Champions League holders Real Madrid got back on track in Europe with a 5-1 victory over RB Salzburg on Wednesday to ensure they will not be eliminated at the first hurdle.

Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes struck twice each with French superstar Kylian Mbappe also on target in a ruthless display at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side lost three of their first six games in a worrying start to the competition and will likely have to compete in the extra play-off round in February which is part of the competition’s new format, unless they can scrape a top-eight spot.

Victory left Los Blancos 16th, a point behind Bayer Leverkusen in eighth, which is the final spot for direct qualification to the last 16.

Brazilian winger Rodrygo struck twice in the first half to help Madrid take control, with Mbappe netting soon after the break and Vinicius grabbing a brace of his own to bring up a century of goals for the club.

“I’m very happy after reaching 100 goals with this shirt,” Vinicius told Movistar, noting he was close to Brazilian compatriot Ronaldo Nazario’s tally of 104.

“I hope to be able to continue like this and score a lot of goals, and mark an era in this team — that’s my dream. ”

Defeats by Liverpool, AC Milan and Lille put Madrid under pressure ahead of their final two group matches and their Austrian visitors started with vim, pinning back Los Blancos.

Madrid created little of note until Rodrygo’s opener after 23 minutes changed the dynamic of the game.

The winger, in sensational form in recent weeks with eight goals in his last nine games across all competitions, finished neatly after Jude Bellingham nudged a cross into his path at the back post.

His second goal was even better, set up by Bellingham with a brilliant backheel, which Rodrygo finished first time with a crisp curling strike.

“It’s so easy to play with Jude, he makes everything easy, the movements he makes, his second assist was very nice and I love playing with him,” said Rodrygo.

READ ALSO:  Champions League: Arsenal Beat Dinamo To Stay On Course For Last 16

  ‘Goals never a problem’ 

Mbappe notched the third early in the second half, pinching the ball from Salzburg goalkeeper Janis Blaswich and tapping home to continue his own recent run of fine form after a shaky start to life at Madrid.

Veteran midfielder Luka Modric sent Vinicius down the left with a fine pass for Madrid’s fourth, and the Brazilian finished with a powerful drive across Blaswich.

Vinicius netted again after Fede Valverde burst down the middle and put him through after a slick team breakaway, with the forward stroking home with ease after losing his marker.

Mads Bidstrup slapped home a volley late on to offer Salzburg scant consolation, as well as carrying on Madrid’s unenviable run of conceding in each of their Champions League outings this season.

Despite the late set-back, Madrid’s demolition job was just what they needed to settle nerves after their poor start.

“We’ve been through difficult moments we didn’t want to,” admitted Rodrygo.

“But this victory in the Champions League, that we needed, will give us a lot of confidence to keep going now with the big challenges ahead of us. ”

Ancelotti said Bellingham was taken off in the second half with back discomfort but said it was “nothing” too problematic, and was largely happy with his team’s display.

“Scoring goals will never be a problem with these players,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“I will try to improve the team in defence, because that’s the key to success, for me it’s what we have to get better at. ”