AC Milan and Marseille reached the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, but Arsenal's hopes of joining them are in the balance following a shock defeat at Sporting Braga.
AC Milan and Marseille reached the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, but Arsenal's hopes of joining them are in the balance following a shock defeat at Sporting Braga.
Seven-time champions Milan were made to work hard before emerging from their trip to Auxerre with a 2-0 victory that secured second place in Group G behind Real Madrid.
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The French side had procured all the clear-cut chances until Zlatan Ibrahimovic blasted Milan ahead in the 64th minute, with substitute Ronaldinho curling home in injury time to complete the victory.
"We were under heavy pressure at the start of the match and we felt a little bit trapped inside our penalty area, but everything finished well," said Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri.
Real made sure of top spot in the group and continued their unbeaten record in this season's competition by thrashing Ajax 4-0 in Amsterdam.
Karim Benzema broke the deadlock by side-footing into the roof of the net in the 36th minute, with full-back Alvaro Arbeloa doubling the Spanish side's lead with a long-range rocket just before half-time.
A second-half brace from Cristiano Ronaldo, the second a penalty, set the seal on a comfortable victory, but Real had Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos sent off for two bookable offences late on.
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| Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (R) celebrates a goal with Real's Madrid Pepe (C) during the match between Real Madrid and Ajax Amsterdam.. AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYS |
French champions Marseille had earlier secured their place in the knockout round with an impressive 3-0 win at Spartak Moscow.
Beaten 1-0 in the reverse fixture in September, Marseille had to win to make sure of second place in Group F and they assumed control of proceedings in the 18th minute through a smart turn and finish by Mathieu Valbuena.
Valbuena's France international colleague Loic Remy made it 2-0 nine minutes into the second half, before Brandao fired into the bottom-right corner to rubber-stamp Marseille's progress.
Spartak saw Brazilian striker Welliton dismissed between Marseille's second and third goals after an altercation with OM centre-back Souleymane Diawara.
"It is important for the club," said Marseille coach Didier Deschamps.
"I am a very, very satisfied coach this evening, both with how we played and the result.
Shakhtar Donetsk won 3-0 at Partizan and are now virtually assured of a place in the next phase.
Roma produced the performance of the night to come back from 2-0 down to beat last season's beaten finalists Bayern Munich 3-2 at Stadio Olimpico.
Two goals from in-form Mario Gomez had put Bayern on course for victory, but well-worked strikes by Marco Borriello and Daniele De Rossi drew Roma level before Francesco Totti netted the winner with an 84th-minute penalty.
"It wasn't easy, especially in the first half, but the players were magnificent," beamed Roma coach Claudio Ranieri.
Roma now trail already-qualified Bayern by three points in Group E and will progress if they avoid defeat at CFR Cluj, who lost 1-0 at Basel, in their final group game.
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