Internazionale & Fenerbahçe in the last 16

PSV 0-1 Internazionale

PSV Eindhoven will have to content themselves with a berth in the UEFA Cup after they lost their final Group G match 1-0 at home to section winners FC Internazionale Milano.

No way back
The Dutch champions had to beat the Nerazzurri and hope that Fenerbahçe SK dropped points at home to PFC CSKA Moskva to live on in the UEFA Champions League but neither result went their way. The dismissal of Ecuador midfielder Edison Méndez just before the half-hour mark hinted that it was not to be PSV's night, and a goal from Julio Cruz in the 64th minute confirmed it as Inter deservedly finished on a high.

Brisk start
With PSV's need the greater, they attacked almost immediately and with two minutes gone Australian midfielder Jason Culina volleyed a Mike Zonneveld cross narrowly wide. The first real opening went Inter's way, though, as Santiago Solari was sent clean through by the impressive David Suazo but the legs of Heurelho Gomes kept out the Argentinian’s low shot.

Méndez sees red
PSV's task became significantly trickier after 28 minutes. Marco Materazzi's long clearance from inside his own penalty area inexplicably caught the home defence flat-footed and allowed Suazo a free run on goal which was only ended by Méndez's lunging, illegal challenge. Referee Markus Merk, on his last international assignment at the age of 45 after an esteemed career, had no option other than to issue a straight red to the midfielder.

Inter in control
The first half wound down with Inter predictably in control. Solari and Maxwell were combining well down the left and Cruz often dropped deep to help in the build up. The former Feynoord striker almost opened the scoring five minutes before the break, but Gomes somehow parried his angled shot from inside the box. In an isolated home offensive, Danko Lazović evaded Materazzi for the first time but curled his left-footed effort wide of Júlio César's right post.

Impressive Suazo
No matter how hard PSV pushed, they always found a wall of black-and-blue shirts blocking their path to goal – Lazović running into six of them soon after the restart following an enterprising 50-metre cross-field run. Jan Wouters' men did carve out an opportunity soon after, but Carlos Salcido blazed over after good work by Jefferson Farfán. Cruz repled in kind at the other end, lifting a shot over the bar after he had found himself with almost too much space and free on Gomes's goal. The Argentinian made no mistake on 64 minutes, tapping the ball into the empty net after another great run by the man whose skill and endeavour had also worked that previous opportunity, Suazo.

Solari shot
Despite bringing on Kenneth Perez and Ismaïl Aissati to freshen the attack, César's goal was never breached. Indeed, the best of the late chances went the way of the Serie A leaders, Solari firing against the post.

Fenerbahçe 3-1 CSKA Moskva

Fenerbahçe SK have got through the UEFA Champions League group stage at the fifth attempt after they overcame a momentary scare to inflict the fifth defeat of PFC CSKA Moskva's unhappy campaign.

Knockout place secure
Although CSKA were already out and severely depleted, they took the lead on 30 minutes through an Edu own goal. But probably the star man of Fenerbahçe's Group G run, Alex, swiftly levelled and an Uğur Boral goal late in each half gave the Turkish title-holders the advantage they needed to dash any PSV Eindhoven hopes of pipping them to the first knockout round. In any case, the Dutch side lost at home to group winners FC Internazionale Milano.

Depleted CSKA
CSKA's domestic season ended a month ago, and suspension and injuries – including to talismanic Brazilian strikers Vágner Love and Jô – had reduced the Russian team to a 15-man squad. Therefore it was hardly surprising that Fenerbahçe were on top from the start. Within five minutes Mehmet Aurélio had gone close and an Edu header forced Igor Akinfeev into a save.

Own goal
The visitors did settle, with some nice touches from Turkish teenager Caner Erkin, but Fenerbahçe were not kept down for long and Akinfeev denied Semih Şentürk and Alex in quick succession. The goalkeeper was beaten when Deivid leapt to meet a corner, requiring Evgeni Aldonin to block on the line. However, the Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium was silenced on the half-hour as Caner crossed low into the area from the left and Edu slid the ball into his own net.

Fenerbahçe delight
Within two minutes, though, Alex had equalised after he controlled a clearance on his chest 25 metres out and thumped a shot into the top corner. Akinfeev had no chance of stopping it, and while he did make a good save from an Aurélio header, the half would finish with the home fans in full voice: Alex played a quick one-two with Semih Şentürk before slipping a pass through to Uğur Boral, who marked his group-stage debut by beating the CSKA keeper at the near post.

Janczyk rally
One of CSKA's three available outfield substitutes, Pavel Mamaev, came on at half-time to make his European bow, becoming the fourth teenager to be fielded here by Valeri Gazzaev. The youngest player on the pitch, 18-year-old Dawid Janczyk, troubled Volkan Demirel with a fierce effort while the 34-year-old Roberto Carlos, on his 125th UEFA competition appearance, let fly from distance but Akinfeev touched the ball wide.

Late third
Uğur Boral then cut in from the left to produce an excellent cross that was headed wide from point-blank range by Semih Şentürk. If the news that Inter were leading PSV only increased the party atmosphere in Istanbul, this nearly went up another notch when Uğur Boral struck the crossbar with a zipping half-volley. CSKA did not give up their vain quest to avoid their lowest-ever group stage finish of one point, yet their night ended in further disppointment as Uğur Boral nodded in the third in the last minute. Fenerbahçe's tally of eleven points was the best by a Turkish team –eclipsing Galatasaray AS's record would only have added to their joy.