Arsenal and Man Utd through to last 16
Updated: 2007-11-08 10:35
BELGRADE - Arsenal and Manchester United qualified for the Champions League knockout stages while Inter Milan took a big step towards the last 16 after fighting back from 2-0 down to beat CSKA Moscow 4-2 on Wednesday.
A 0-0 draw at Slavia Prague took Arsenal through from Group H and Sevilla look set to join them after two goals by Brazilian midfielder Renato clinched a 2-0 win at bottom club Steaua Bucharest.
 Arsenal's Gael Clichy acknowledges fans after their Champions League Group H soccer match against Slavia Prague in Prague November 7, 2007. [Agencies] |
Arsene Wenger's Arsenal side have 10 points, followed by Sevilla with nine and Slavia on four while Steaua have only a slim chance of taking a consolation UEFA Cup berth for third-placed teams after losing their opening four games.
United made their best start to the competition since 2002 after a 4-0 rout of Dynamo Kiev at Old Trafford earned a maximum 12 points in Group F, five ahead of AS Roma who snatched a 2-2 draw at Sporting Lisbon.
Gerard Pique nodded United ahead with his first goal for the club and Carlos Tevez scored his first in the Champions League after a darting run and one-two with Wayne Rooney.
Rooney side-footed home the third with his seventh goal in the last six games for United before Cristiano Ronaldo completed the rout with a fine individual goal in the 88th minute.
Sporting have four points and a slim chance of leapfrogging Roma after an Anderson Polga own goal in the 89th minute cancelled out Liedson's double following Mauro Cassetti's early opener for the Italians.
While the late goal dented Sporting's hopes, the wicked deflection off David Pizarro's long-range effort sealed United's passage with two matches to spare.
Inter Milan roared back after Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Esteban Cambiasso each scored twice to wipe out CSKA goals from Brazilian strikers Jo and Vagner Love.
Love set up Jo to give CSKA the lead with a searing shot and then doubled their advantage with a fine solo effort.
Ibrahimovic pulled one back after 33 minutes before Cambiasso swept in the equaliser.
The pair were on target again in the second half to put Inter in the driving seat in Group G with nine points, one more than Fenerbahce after they beat PSV Eindhoven 2-0.
A Dirk Marcellis own goal and a clinical finish by Semih Senturk kept the Turkish champions well placed to join Inter and left PSV, who have four points, an uphill task of reaching the last 16 for the fourth time in a row.
Barcelona eased to a 2-0 win over Rangers at the Nou Camp with Ronaldinho having a hand in first-half goals from Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi that put the Catalan side in pole position in Group E with 10 points.
Henry bundled in the opener at the far post with a little help from his arm and Messi stroked in the second after keeper Alan McGregor parried a shot from Ronaldinho.
The result left Rangers second with seven points, one more than Olympique Lyon, who kept alive their chances with a 4-2 home win over VfB Stuttgart.
Hatem Ben Arfa grabbed his first two Champions League goals while Kim Kallstrom and Juninho also netted.
Mario Gomez struck twice for Stuttgart.
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