Barcelona wins the World Club Cup

Barcelona left it late before capping a superb year by clinching the Club World Cup here on Saturday.
The Spanish giants needed extra time to beat Argentina's Estudiantes 2-1 and secure their sixth title of 2009.
Mauro Boselli had put Estudiantes ahead after 37 minutes only for Barca striker Pedro to grab the equaliser in the dying minutes of the game, with Argentina striker Lionel Messi nailing victory after 110 minutes.
The Spanish giants end the year on a high after following up last season's league, Champions League and Cup treble with their first title in this competition.
"We knew Estudiantes would put up a big fight," said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola.
"At half-time I told my players they had to be strong, that you have to dig deep to win finals like this. They showed their determination.

"It?s been an amazing year. By winning six trophies in total we have achieved something that no-one has achieved before.
"I?m lucky that I have such quality players in my squad. The success that we?ve had has been down to them and I?d like to thank them for that."
Barca dominated early play but met with stubborn opposition from the South American champions' defense.

Xavi thought he had earned Barcelona a penalty on 35 minutes, but goalkeeper Damian Albil's challenge on him went unpunished.
And it was Estudiantes who surprisingly took the lead two minutes later when Juan Manuel Diaz crossed from the left, and Boselli got in front of Eric Abidal to fire home a header.
Barcelona reacted immediately with Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic almost getting a touch on a Messi free-kick after 41 minutes but Albil proved solid ensuring Alejandro Sabella's team held their lead going into half time.
After the break an Ibrahimovic effort went just wide and the Swedish forward then had another shot blocked by Leandro Desabato.
Despite the best efforts of Ibrahimovic and Messi, Barcelona failed to break down their opponents, with an effort from the Ballon d'Or winner held by Albil after 70 minutes.
But their pressing paid off after 89 minutes when Gerard Pique fed substitute Pedro, who headed into the back of the net.
Barcelona dominated extra time before Messi scored the winner after chesting home an Dani Alves cross to ensure the Catalans end the year as the kings of world football.
Earlier, South Korea's Pohang Steelers beat Mexican club Atlante 4-3 on penalties to clinch third place at the Zayed Sports City.

UEFA Champions League first knockout round draw 2009/10

UEFA Champions League holders FC Barcelona will take on VfB Stuttgart in the first knockout round after the draw was made on Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.

Madrid meet Lyon
Like all the group winners, Barça will be at home in the second leg of their tie as they continue their bid to become the first team in the UEFA Champions League era to lift the trophy two years running. Real Madrid CF, aiming to play in the 22 May final at their own Santiago Bernabéu home, have been drawn with Karim Benzema's former club Olympique Lyonnais.

Mourinho reunion
Arguably the highlight of the round sees José Mourinho return to Chelsea FC when his FC Internazionale Milano team take on the club now coached by former AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti. The Rossoneri also have English opposition in the shape of Manchester United FC, who they beat in the 2006/07 semi-finals on their way to winning the trophy.

Road to Madrid
For the first time this year, the fixtures in the last 16 will be held over four weeks with half the ties on 16/17 February and 9/10 March and the others on 23/24 February and 16/17 March; for a schedule click here. At 12.00CET on Friday 19 March the draw for the remaining rounds will be held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, with the quarter-finals on 30/31 March and 6/7 April, the semis on 20/21 and 27/28 April and the final on Saturday 22 May.

2009/10 UEFA Champions League first knockout round draw Team named first at home in first leg

FC Bayern München (GER) v ACF Fiorentina (ITA): 17 February/9 March FC Porto (POR) v Arsenal FC (ENG): 17 February/9 March AC Milan (ITA) v Manchester United FC (ENG): 16 February/10 March

Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) v Real Madrid CF (ESP): 16 February/10 March

Olympiacos FC (GRE) v FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA): 23 February/17 March

VfB Stuttgart (GER) v FC Barcelona (ESP): 23 February/17 March

FC Internazionale Milano (ITA) v Chelsea FC (ENG): 24 February/16 March

PFC CSKA Moskva (RUS) v Sevilla FC (ESP): 24 February/16 March

Dynamo Kiev 1-2 FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona emerged unscathed from a difficult examination by FC Dynamo Kyiv to claim a comeback victory that took them through to the UEFA Champions League first knockout round as Group F winners.

Messi winner
The holders were on the ropes at a chilly Valeriy Lobanovskiy Stadium when Artem Milevskiy headed Dynamo in front inside two minutes, but they fought back to level through Xavi Hernández just past the half-hour before Lionel Messi's imperious late winner removed all doubt. Victory confirmed top spot for Barcelona ahead of FC Internazionale Milano and denied Dynamo a place in the UEFA Europa League as they finished bottom.

Milevskiy strikes
Josep Guardiola's men had not conceded away from home in this season's UEFA Champions League, but Dynamo struck with the first attack of the match. After Gerard Piqué's foul, Andriy Shevchenko swung in a free-kick from the left and Milevskiy's glancing header at the near post caught Víctor Valdés unawares, the ball squirming from the goalkeeper's grasp and into the net. At this stage Dynamo were provisionally in second place.

Barcelona dominate
However, Olexandr Shovkovskiy was not having a much easier night in the Dynamo goal and his miscued clearance almost handed Messi a 13th-minute equaliser. The goalkeeper, though, quickly recovered and dived to push away the Argentinian's left-footed shot. Barça began to monopolise possession, and by midway through the first-half they had enjoyed 80 per cent of the ball, though they were struggling to create clear opportunities. Messi started to drop deep in an attempt to pull the strings and he had a shot deflected wide after a typically surging run.

Xavi leveller
On 33 minutes, the Blaugrana pressure finally told. Messi sent Eric Abidal away on the left and the full-back's low cross allowed Xavi to guide in from close range. Barça continued to move the ball well and on the cusp of the interval Daniel Alves tested Shovkovskiy with a cross-shot after a flowing move. Dynamo's need to set the pace in the second period meant they were vulnerable to counterattacks and Messi was denied a certain goal by Ognjen Vukojević's alert interception. The home side responded well, and Shevchenko delivered another free-kick that Leandro Almeida headed into the side-netting.

Vociferous crowd
Dynamo, encouraged by a vociferous crowd, tried manfully to shape openings, but struggled against a Barcelona rearguard back to its best after their initial uncertainty. In fact the holders looked more likely to score, with only desperate defensive blocks denying Messi, Alves and Andrés Iniesta in quick succession. Dynamo's last throw of the dice was to bring on Miloš Ninković for the more defensive Gérson Magrão in an attempt to wrest control. With just four minutes of normal time left, though, Barça confirmed their superiority, Messi stepping up to curl a magnificent free-kick past Shovkovskiy and end Dynamo's European campaign.

Internazionale 2-0 Rubin Kazan

Goals in either half by Samuel Eto'o and Mario Balotelli fired FC Internazionale Milano into the UEFA Champions League first knockout round at the expense of FC Rubin Kazan.

Balotelli masterclass
The Nerazzurri had posed little threat before Eto'o broke the deadlock just after the half-hour, capitalising on excellent wing-play by Javier Zanetti and the awareness of Balotelli. The first goal was all-important in this must-win match for both sides and Balotelli all but ended the contest with a strike worthy of settling any game on 64 minutes, a spectacular long-range free-kick bringing San Siro to its feet and Inter into the first knockout round as Group F runners-up behind FC Barcelona.

Noboa pass
With both sides requiring victory to guarantee progress the match got off to a cautious start, although José Mourinho's decision to field three strikers spoke volumes for his intent. Balotelli's inclusion might have been rewarded on seven minutes, when the Italy Under-21 forward rolled past Aleksei Popov and César Navas only to shoot straight at Sergei Ryzhikov. The visitors soon came closer to taking the lead themselves, Christian Noboa sending Gökdeniz Karadeniz through with a brilliant pinpoint pass, but Júlio César was alive to the forward's scuffed shot.

Zanetti purpose
Inter needed inspiration; it came on the half-hour from their captain, Zanetti. The 36-year-old rolled back the years by weaving past a clutch of Rubin players on the left, and though he was eventually tackled the ball inadvertently reached Balotelli on the byline. The youngster cleverly cut it back for the unmarked Eto'o to rifle into the roof of the net.

Inter ascendant
Stung by the setback, Kurban Berdyev's men gained more urgency going forward, but that left them vulnerable to the counterattack. Zanetti again carved open the Rubin rearguard with another exciting run which was eventually halted illegally by Navas. Inter were growing with confidence, Wesley Sneijder finishing a fine team move involving Zanetti, Diego Milito and Thiago Motta with a shot that curled just over, while Maicon's effort before the break was so powerful it took two attempts from Ryzhikov to clear the danger.

Blistering strike
Rubin raised their game after the restart, Alejandro Domínguez in particular threatening from set-pieces. The Argentinian caught Mourinho's men out with a corner which Gökdeniz side-footed over, while another found Navas unmarked at the far post but it was more of the same as the defender miscued. Domínguez had an opportunity himself when he raced on to Noboa's pass but Júlio César saved. Moments earlier Balotelli should have scored when he dragged across goal when teed up by Milito's miscue, but he soon made up for it, unleashing a blistering, swerving free-kick past Ryzhikov from 34 metres.

Inter cruise
For perhaps the first time in this group stage, Inter now looked comfortable. Even when a Noboa effort fizzed wide they immediately went down the other end and flexed their attacking muscle again, Sneijder firing against the upright from long range. Nothing could spoil the Nerazzurri's night, however.

Standard Liege 1-1 AZ Alkmaar

In an extraordinary finish, goalkeeper Sinan Bolat headed an unlikely equaliser deep into added time to take R. Standard de Liège into the UEFA Europa League at the expense of AZ Alkmaar.

Dramatic ending
With the visitors leading from the 42nd minute thanks to Jeremain Lens' close-range finish, it seemed Standard – who started the match dreaming of a place in the UEFA Champions League knockout phase – would be heading out of European competition altogether. However, in what was virtually the final action of the match, Bolat joined the attack for a free-kick and duly prolonged the Belgian champions' European season in dramatic fashion, meeting Benjamin Nicaise's inswinging delivery with a powerful header to push AZ back down into fourth place.

Jovanović influence
Victory may have been imperative for both sides but it was AZ who began the brighter, moving between their hosts' lines with some success until a Nicaise free-kick shifted the point of pressure. Making his first start in the competition, the Standard midfielder forced Sergio Romero to parry low to his right from 20 metres, and after the locals responded with appreciation, it was Milan Jovanović who took over as their chief source of hope. Having had one shot deflected narrowly over, the Serbian international left two defenders in his wake as he charged through on goal only to be denied by an immaculate sliding challenge from Héctor Moreno.

Holman attempts
Jovanović then took over free-kick duties, striking the top of the crossbar close to the half-hour, before AZ midfielder Brett Holman imposed himself on proceedings with his own spell in the spotlight. He first called on Bolat to make an excellent sprawling save from distance and then rounded off a sprightly Lens break with a lobbed effort that just missed the target. It was from another pacy counterattack that the visitors went ahead too, Holman freeing Sebastien Pocognoli on the left and Lens turning in the left-back's low centre.

Goalkeeping contributions
Despite the significance of that blow, László Bölöni's charges nonetheless rallied before the interval and only the fingertips of Romero prevented Igor De Camargo levelling with an audacious overhead kick. Both goalkeepers had made telling contributions in the opening period and it was Bolat who made the first significant stop after the interval, turning over a Mounir El Hamdaoui volley as AZ threatened to double their advantage. At the other end, Romero was spared from replicating that effort as De Camargo headed off target.

Bolat intervention
Indeed, Bolat continued to be the busier of the two custodians and bizarrely saved with his face when he misjudged a long-range El Hamdaoui effort. Standard needed just one goal to ensure their season maintained more than a domestic scope, but with Romero clawing out a Wilfried Dalmat effort and the Frenchman then spooning over, their prospects were becoming increasingly bleak. Nevertheless, with time ebbing away Bolat seized upon the very last opening and, in doing so, emulated the goalscoring feat of FC Bayern München goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt 24 hours previously.

Olympiacos 1-0 Arsenal

Olympiacos FC secured their place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League after claiming a narrow victory against a youthful Arsenal FC side.

Leonardo strikes
Leonardo struck the only goal of the game two minutes after half-time as the Greek champions ensured a first knockout round place as Group H runners-up behind Arsène Wenger's side. Having already clinched top spot, the Arsenal manager fielded a starting lineup with an average age of just 21, but they were unlucky not to snatch at least a draw with Carlos Vela coming close twice.

Early chances
Zico had stressed in advance the need for Olympiacos not to simply look for the draw they required, but it was the visitors, with Theo Walcott full of running, who controlled much of the early possession as the home team made a nervous start. Moving the ball around confidently, it took Arsenal just ten minutes to register the first effort on goal, Walcott stinging the palms of Antonis Nikopolidis with a sharp shot from inside the penalty area. Kostas Mitroglou responded three minutes later, slicing an effort over the crossbar.

Galletti miss
Arsenal were then presented with a chance to take the lead when Olof Mellberg felled Vela just outside the box, but Walcott smashed his free-kick straight into the defensive wall. The Greek champions then broke and Luciano Galletti volleyed Leonardo's cross into the side-netting. Arsenal continued to control the midfield, however, and Walcott, back in the team after a hamstring injury, was proving a constant threat in and around the penalty area with his quick feet and darting runs.

Olympiacos press
Galletti was Olympiacos's main outlet down the right and the Argentinian gave left-back Thomas Cruise a difficult Arsenal debut. The visitors kept their hosts at arm's length, though, and it took Mitroglou 43 minutes to register Olympiacos's first shot on target with a speculative effort which Łukasz Fabiański gathered comfortably. Shots followed from both Dudu and Raúl Bravo as Olympiacos pressed forward, both sailing over the crossbar.

Decisive moment
The second half began with a flourish when Olympiacos took the lead two minutes in. Arsenal were caught cold when the ball broke kindly for Leonardo in midfield and the Brazilian winger surged into the penalty area before slotting through the legs of Fabiański. Frenzied celebrations ensued as the home fans sensed the first knockout round was near, although they had cause to be thankful just four minutes later when Vela burst through and only a brilliant Nikopolidis save kept his team ahead.

Keepers busy
Walcott curled a free-kick just round the right post as the Gunners stepped up the pressure and Vela prodded over with only Nikopolidis to beat in the 70th minute. At the other end, Leonardo was denied by Fabiański's sprawling save after being played in by Dudu and the visiting goalkeeper then got the faintest of touches to direct a Mitroglou effort wide. Arsenal pressed forward in the closing stages as they sought an equaliser but Nikopolidis put in several good blocks to secure a third home win in the group and with it a place in the last 16.

Sevilla 1-0 Rangers

Sevilla FC eased their way to victory and completed a miserable UEFA Champions League campaign for Rangers FC thanks to a first-half Frédéric Kanouté penalty which sealed the Spanish side's place in the first knockout round as Group G winners.

Passionate fans
Kanouté coolly slotted in after just eight minutes, and the hosts were largely on top for the full 90 in a match played before passionate home fans and loyal travelling support. In fact, had it not been for a marvellous finger-tip save by Allan McGregor from Didier Zokora with ten minutes remaining, the margin would deservedly have been greater still.

Early impact
Although the Scottish titleholders started with gusto the group leaders quickly established the status quo. On his comeback from an elbow injury, Kanouté was soon hinting that the club's top scorer Luis Fabiano would not be missed, wreaking havoc in the opening stages. First he collected a long ball, controlling with admirable ease under pressure, and stuck out one of his long legs to clip the ball past McGregor only for Saša Papac hook clear on the goalline.

Intentions clear
It was an immediate statement of intent from the 32-year-old striker who has such an impact on Manuel Jiménez's side's creative play. Once Kanouté had softened up the visitors he went for football's version of the knockout blow. What began as a clever break by Fernando Navarro ended with a spot-kick when the left-back's marauding run ended with a foul by Rangers counterpart Steven Whittaker after the Rangers defender had briefly won possession.

Kanouté cool
Kanouté strolled up and mischievously sent McGregor the wrong way at walking pace. Despite the enormous backing of their 2,500 travelling fans and an enthusiastic display of running and pressing from Walter Smith's men, the home side dominated possession without finding a second goal before the break. The closest they came was on 17 minutes, when Renato shot and McGregor fumbled wide.

Sorry record
Though Rangers came into the match unbeaten on their travels in the UEFA Champions League this season it is a more indicative statistic that they have not won outside Scotland since a 3-0 group-stage triumph at Olympique Lyonnais in 2007/08. In nine matches away to Spanish teams they had collected two draws and seven defeats.

Sevilla strength
Not surprisingly, perhaps, Sevilla remained firmly in control, but had only rare efforts by second-half substitutes Aldo Duscher and Álvaro Negredo to show for it. With time running out on their European season, Rangers finally threw all their resources forward and Nacho Novo, whose father played for Sevilla's local rivals Real Betis Balompié, had the best chance for the visitors. The substitute skewed his shot into the sidenetting, however, as Rangers' Group G campaign ended in the disappointment of a fourth defeat.

VfB Stuttgart 3-1 Unirea Urziceni

VfB Stuttgart reached the UEFA Champions League first knockout round for the first time in five years, overwhelming FC Unirea Urziceni with three goals in the first eleven minutes to claim second place in Group G at their opponents' expense.

Advantage overturned
The Romanian titleholders travelled to Germany holding a two-point lead over Stuttgart yet were powerless to deny Christian Gross a dream start to his new job. The 55-year-old replaced Markus Babbel on Sunday and watched in jubilation as his new charges began at breathtaking speed, goals from Ciprian Marica, Christian Träsch and Pavel Pogrebnyak effectively wrapping up a last-16 place despite António Semedo's reply early in the second period.

Khedira the key
The hosts could scarcely have imagined a better start, taking a three-goal lead before Unirea could draw breath. Sami Khedira, a surprise inclusion following a foot injury, swiftly proved worthy of Gross's gamble, delivering a perfect cross for Marica to nod past the stranded Giedrius Arlauskis with five minutes gone. Although Jens Lehmann was forced into a superb save from his own defender as Stefano Celozzi made a last-ditch challenge on Marius Ioan Bilasco, the early momentum was with Stuttgart, who doubled their advantage from the resulting corner.

Composed finishes
Breaking swiftly, Timo Gebhart's long pass allowed Träsch to outstrip the Unirea defence and shoot low across Arlauskis and into the bottom corner of the net. Three minutes later the Stuttgart supporters were rubbing their eyes in disbelief as Khedira laid on his second of the night and the home team's third, Pogrebnyak picking up his ball in from the right and jinking past two defenders before finishing coolly through the goalkeeper's legs.

Semedo consolation
With the match all but decided already, the Bundesliga strugglers relaxed and continued to dictate proceedings without adding to their lead before the interval. Their composure suffered a jolt five minutes into the second period when Semedo made the most of Artur Boka's mistake to reduce the visitors' deficit, though Stuttgart quickly regained the initiative by creating a plethora of chances.

Gebhardt goes close
Substitute Sebastian Rudy was the first to threaten, linking up superbly with Marica only to drive straight at Arslauskis, before Marica himself was unfortunate not to find a team-mate after breaking down the left. With Unirea attempting to hurt their hosts on the counterattack, Stuttgart accepted the invitation to pour forward and came close to restoring their three-goal lead when Gebhart curled a delightful shot beyond Arlauskis, only to watch his effort clip the outside of the post.

Qualification assured
The German side continued to look the more likely scorers as the match entered its final stages, with Unirea never seriously threatening to mount the remarkable fightback required after that sensational Stuttgart start. Dan Petrescu's side therefore go into the draw for the UEFA Europa League round of 32 on 18 December; Gross, meanwhile, will be hoping a second successive UEFA Champions League win can provide the impetus to revive Stuttgart's stuttering domestic fortunes.

Lyon 4-0 Debreceni

Olympique Lyonnais went into the UEFA Champions League knockout stages on the back of an emphatic victory against Group E's bottom team Debreceni VSC, whose debut campaign ended without a point, yet Claude Puel's side still missed out on top spot.

Fiorentina frustration
From the moment Bafétimbi Gomis opened the scoring in the 25th minute, there only looked like being one winner. Michel Bastos added a second before the break as Lyon seized total control, with further strikes in the second period through the excellent Miralem Pjanić and left-back Aly Cissokho. The margin of victory meant Lyon looked set to overtake ACF Fiorentina courtesy of a superior goal difference with the Italian side drawing at Liverpool FC, only for Alberto Gilardino to strike in added time at Anfield.

Clear objectives
Already through for a seventh consecutive season, Lyon began with two clear objectives: improve a recent run in which they have failed to win in six Ligue 1 matches and clinch the victory they needed to keep alive their hopes of topping the section. Yet with top scorer Lisandro rested, Les Gones struggled to find fluency early on. Aside from Anthony Réveillère's wayward cross-shot, the home side did not threaten during a low-key opening in which András Herczeg's charges slowly grew in confidence.

Gomis breakthrough
Zsolt Laczkó had already sent a long shot dipping too high when Péter Czvitkovics forced Hugo Lloris to push his low free-kick round the post on 15 minutes. OL reacted with a set-piece of their own, Bastos's fizzing strike drawing a parry from Djordje Pantić, who was relieved to see the flag raised as Jean II Makoun slotted in the rebound. Nevertheless, the visitors had looked comfortable until József Varga's misplaced pass presented possession to Sidney Govou. The French international advanced purposefully before shooting low, and when Pantić spilled again, Gomis made no mistake.

Sharp reaction
Govou's night would be cut short by injury, the winger replaced by Pjanić before the half-hour, yet OL were cruising after Bastos added a second. There was a degree of fortune to the goal, Pjanić miscuing his free-kick strike into the path of the Brazilian, who turned sharply and rifled an accurate shot inside the far post. The Hungarian champions were beaten 5-1 by FC Girondins de Bordeaux on their last trip to France eight years ago, and must have feared a repeat as Lyon came out firing in the second half.

Pjanić reward
Gomis latched on to Pjanić's clever pass and drew a fine fingertip save from Pantić before volleying a more awkward chance over moments later. Pjanić was pulling the strings for Puel's men, and deservedly got on the scoresheet just before the hour, deflecting Bastos's inviting cross from the right beyond the exposed Pantić for his third goal of the campaign.

Powerful fourth
With Debrecen happy to limit the damage, the game's closing quarter was eventful only for Lyon's fourth goal, a powerful strike from Cissokho that beat Pantić at his near post. It was the 19th goal the debutants had conceded in their six matches, meaning they equal the record held by FC Dynamo Kyiv and Ferencvárosi TC for the competition's most porous defence.

Liverpool 1-2 Fiorentina

Alberto Gilardino struck in injury time to ensure ACF Fiorentina advanced to the UEFA Champions League first knockout round as Group E winners with a 2-1 comeback victory at eliminated Liverpool FC.

Unwanted record
Trailing to Yossi Benayoun's first-half header, the Viola drew level through Martin Jørgensen before Gilardino snatched victory in dramatic fashion when he turned in Juan Vargas's low cross in the final seconds at a rain-sodden Anfield. If a second successive home defeat – an unwanted first in Europe for Liverpool – marked a sorry end to the hosts' UEFA Champions League campaign, for Fiorentina the fairy tale goes on, this fifth consecutive victory ensuring they will fear nobody in the last 16.

Viola threat
Fiorentina entered the contest looking to make sure of top spot in the group and they were almost presented with an early goal by Daniel Agger's under-hit back pass. Mario Santana reacted sharply but Liverpool goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri – making his first UEFA Champions League appearance of the season in place of Pepe Reina – got there first. After Jørgensen had blazed wildly over from the edge of the box, the Viola twice came close to a breakthrough. Lorenzo De Silvestri, one of several fringe players featuring for the injury-hit visitors, powered in a header from a Jørgensen corner that Cavalieri tipped over, the Brazilian then getting down low to turn away Riccardo Montolivo's volley from Jørgensen's next delivery.

Aquilani start
In truth with Liverpool's fate – their first group-stage elimination under Rafael Benítez – already sealed, the match unfolded at a slow tempo. Anfield got its first sight of Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani starting in Liverpool red, four months after his arrival from AS Roma, yet it was their usual inspiration, Steven Gerrard, who set up Benayoun's opening goal two minutes before the break. Gerrard, presented before kick-off with a memento of his recent 500th appearance, swung in a free-kick from the right which Benayoun met at the near post with a glancing header that Sébastien Frey got a hand to but could not stop going in off the far upright.

Inspirational leaders
Scenting a morale-boosting victory, Liverpool found another gear in the second half and Gerrard almost teed up a second with another wickedly delivered free-kick only for Agger to mistime his attempted diving header. Instead, Fiorentina drew level in the 63rd minute through Jørgensen. Gianluca Comotto slipped the ball forward to Gilardino on the edge of Liverpool's area and the striker laid it off to the left where the Viola skipper let fly with a first-time effort. Liverpool sought a response and after Gerrard had shot into the side-netting, 18-year-old debutant Jaime Pacheco – replacing Aquilani – drew a low save from Frey from the edge of the box.

Late winner
Instead, with the rain pouring down, the Viola grabbed victory as Gilardino buried the ball past Cavalieri to send the visiting supporters into raptures. For Liverpool it was a case of what might have been. If games lasted 89 minutes they would be through – yet the UEFA Europa League now awaits a team already stung twice previously in added time by Olympique Lyonnais.

Chelsea 2-2 Apoel FC

APOEL FC ended Chelsea FC's run of ten matches without conceding at Stamford Bridge and then repeated the trick with three minutes remaining to earn a surprise draw.

Mirosavljević equaliser
It was not enough to propel the Cypriot side into the UEFA Europa League but the memory of how they stood up to one of the continent's dominant forces – albeit a side missing several first-choice players – will live with them for a long time. Marcin Żewłakow's early strike was overturned before half-time as Michael Essien and Didier Drogba got on the scoresheet. Chelsea continued to dominate and always looked the likely winners but they were rocked when, three minutes from time, substitute Nenad Mirosavljević stole in for the equaliser.

Rare breach
Carlo Ancelotti gave UEFA Champions League debuts to goalkeeper Ross Turnbull and Gaël Kakuta and the former was quickly called into action, plunging to his right to beat away Joost Broerse's shot on the turn after a cleverly-worked free-kick. It was a stark warning to Chelsea's rearguard, but not heeded as Żewłakow became the first player to breach them at home in eleven matches. Konstantinos Charalambides found enough time and space to engineer a sweet pass for the Polish striker to stride on to and easily beat the onrushing Turnbull.

Fulsome riposte
It silenced much of Stamford Bridge while the 5,000-strong APOEL supporters let their surprise and delight be heard. The home fans were soon rising to cheer a Joe Cole header which flashed into the net following Florent Malouda's precise cross only for the offside flag to rule it out. Nevertheless, the shock of falling behind served to concentrate Chelsea minds and they were pouring forward in droves. The equaliser followed another well-constructed incursion into the heart of the visitors' defence with Essien taking possession before side-stepping his man and unleashing a firm drive which Dionisios Chiotis could not keep out.

Essien injury
Essien limped off shortly after but with Frank Lampard taking over there was unlikely to be any interruption to Chelsea's supremacy. Almost immediately Yuri Zhirkov advanced to find a crossing position down the left. Drogba pulled away from his markers and there was room aplenty to drive in the second. There was nothing at the start of the second half to suggest the balance of play was about to witness a significant change. Cole came close to Kakuta's low delivery while from a promising position Drogba sensed an opportunity to add to his recent tally of free-kick goals but aimed narrowly wide.

Chances rain
As the rain continued to pour down and Chelsea remained camped in the APOEL half, it seemed the only relevant issue was how many goals the home side would be satisfied with. Cole bounced a long cross off the crossbar but the look on his face was a giveaway that his intention had been to find a team-mate rather than go for goal. Terry had a goal ruled out and was then found wanting at the other end as Chelsea gave the ball away and Mirosavljević pounced to deliver the visitors a point.

Atlético de Madrid 0-3 FC Porto

FC Porto rounded off their Group D campaign with an impressive 3-0 victory at Club Atlético de Madrid, even the prospect of a UEFA Europa League place failing to rouse the disappointing hosts.

Overwhelmed
With APOEL FC only managing a 2-2 draw with Chelsea FC the Spanish side were handed a European reprieve as they finished third by virtue of an away goal in their head-to-head record against the Cypriot side. Yet on this evidence Quique Sánchez Flores plenty of work to do as already-qualified Porto put them to the sword at the Vicente Calderón. Early goals from Bruno Alves and Falcao set them on their way, Hulk sealing a handsome triumph 14 minutes from time to ensure Porto go into the UEFA Champions League first knockout round draw on 18 December fearing no one.

Early setback
Quique Flores said before the game he wanted his side to focus on beating Porto but his words fell on deaf ears – within two minutes a static back line allowed Alves to climb unchallenged for a corner and direct a looping header over Sergio Asenjo. It was only the defender's second UEFA Champions League goal in 35 appearances. The visitors – already assured a place in the tournament's first knockout round – revelled in the pressure-free environment and almost went 2-0 up when Diego Valeri outsmarted Juanito before seeing his close-range shot parried by Asenjo.

Porto power
The goalkeeper was less impressive on 14 minutes as Jesualdo Ferreira's side doubled their advantage, Asenjo parrying Fucile's speculative effort from distance straight into the path of Falcao, who steered in his third goal of the group stage. With news filtering through that APOEL had taken the lead at Chelsea, the home supporters at the Vicente Calderón demanded more urgency. Their side responded as Sergio Agüero hit the side-netting, Simão also threatening and as the game opened up Falcao spurned a glorious chance to make it 3-0 when he headed wide from five metres.

Forlán off-colour
It was a rare fillip for an Atlético side down on their luck. Yet though Diego Forlán peppered the fans behind Porto's goal with three wild shorts from distance, a quick glance at the scoreboard at half-time slightly assuaged the Atlético faithful with Chelsea 2-1 up against APOEL. Things soured again after the break as Sergio Agüero limped off almost immediately and despite the best efforts of Simão and Juanito, usually working in tandem, the home side's night never improved.

One-way traffic
The sight of Maicon limping off injured aside, Porto were never troubled and it took a great block from Asenjo to deny Valeri after Hulk's through-ball. That may have convinced the Brazilian forward to go it alone the next time the Atlético back line opened up before him and he did not disappoint. Running on to a pass from substitute Fredy Guarín, Hulk beat defender Álvaro Domínguez before thumping a left-footed drive in off the underside of the crossbar to send the visiting supporters into ecstasy.

Beşiktaş 1-2 CSKA

PFC CSKA Moskva progressed from the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time in their fifth attempt after a dramatic victory at Beşiktaş JK took them into the first knockout round at VfL Wolfsburg's expense.

Wolfsburg pipped
The Miloš Krasić-inspired 2-1 win against Wolfsburg a fortnight ago had meant that CSKA knew they would be through if they picked up more points here than the German side did at home to Manchester United FC. Krasić's strike late in the first half edged the visitors ahead and although Bobô levelled with four minutes left, Evgeni Aldonin won the game deep in added time; as it turned out even a point would have been enough for CSKA thanks to Wolfsburg's 3-1 loss to United. At kick-off Beşiktaş could have taken a UEFA Europa League berth with victory but three home defeats in the group proved their undoing.

Home side threaten
Beşiktaş came close to breaking the deadlock eight minutes in when captain İbrahim Üzülmez tested Igor Akinfeev, and not long afterwards Rodrigo Tello received a perfect pass from Ekrem Dağ and beat CSKA's offside trap but his chipped shot skimmed the bar. Krasić was a constant threat down the right though at this stage chances were few for youngsters Tomáš Necid and Alan Dzagoev in attack.

Krasić strikes
Necid, scorer of CSKA's equaliser against Wolfsburg, was denied by the alert İbrahim Toraman on the half-hour but it was still out of the blue when some Krasić brilliance broke the deadlock four minutes before the break. Deividas Šemberas played in the winger with an incisive ball to the left of the box and Krasić's superb angled shot beat Rüştü Reçber at his far post.

Beşiktaş response
Rüştü, himself a star on Matchday 5 in the 1-0 win at Manchester United FC that ensured Beşiktaş would have something to play for tonight, had to receive treatment – and a new shirt – after a brave dive early in the second half left blood gushing from his nose. But the home side were full of vigour and İbrahim Toraman headed just over as Wolfsburg's equaliser against United left CSKA desperate to hang on to their lead, though the English side soon restored their own advantage.

Late goals
Home coach Mustafa Denizli sent Nihat Kahveci on in attack midway through the second half and five minutes later they went close again, Matteo Ferrari this time sending a header just over the bar. Nihat forced Akinfeev to save in the 83rd minute but Beşiktaş secured their equaliser when İbrahim Üzülmez sent a low ball into the box and Bobô slid in to score. As more than five minutes of additional time began, the final whistle in Wolfsburg ensured that CSKA only needed to hold on for a draw, but with almost the final kick Aldonin burst into the box and his strong finish sparked a celebration for which his club have been waiting a long time.

FC Zürich 1-1 AC Milan

A fright night for AC Milan ended with a 1-1 draw and a place in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round after FC Zürich paid a high price for a single unfortunate challenge.

Ronaldinho penalty
Milan Gajić's superb 29th-minute free-kick for Zürich, who earned a shock 1-0 victory in Milan on Matchday 2, looked set to steer the eliminated Swiss champions to a repeat success. But on 63 minutes Alain Rochat felled Marco Borriello, meaning a red card and a penalty which Ronaldinho gratefully converted to settle nerves. Milan advance as Group C runners-up behind Real Madrid CF thanks to their 3-1 win at Olympique de Marseille.

Early chance
Milan made a bright start and needed only seven minutes to create their first chance, with left-back Luca Antonini breaking down the flank to cross, Marco Borriello nodding on and Pato meeting it with a volley which Johnny Leoni did well to smother. It was not a sign of things to come. Zürich's Adrian Nikci swung a left-footed shot just wide by way of reply and although his side needed longer to settle than the seven-time European champions, they were impressive when they did.

Gajić strikes
The hosts could easily have forged ahead in the 26th minute when Gajić threaded the ball past Milan's defence. Alexandre Alphonse sprinted clean through but contrived to balloon his shot over. Gajić made no such mistake three minutes later from over 25 metres, bending his free-kick around the Milan wall and just inside the left-hand post with Dida beaten at full stretch. It was a fair reward for Zürich's efforts and despite Borriello hooking a half-chance over shortly afterwards, they were looking good for their lead. They might even have had a second shortly before the break when Onyekachi Okonkwo sent in a rising shot from the edge of the area, forcing a sharp save from Dida.

Milan switch
Milan, which had struggled in the final third throughout the opening 45 minutes, showed a little more bite after the restart. Fed by Clarence Seedorf, Ronaldinho drilled in a low angled shot from inside the area which Leoni kept out with a one-handed save. It was not enough for Milan coach Leonardo, who sent on Mathieu Flamini for Massimo Ambrosini to try and stir things up.

Ronaldinho levels
It certainly livened up just after the hour when Seedorf slipped a killer pass through to Borriello in the Zürich area and the forward was sent tumbling. Ronaldinho gave Leoni no chance with the spot-kick, sending the keeper the wrong way. Suddenly, with the home side down to ten men, it was a different contest and Milan substitute Kakha Kaladze came agonisingly close to putting the visitors in front with a header from Andrea Pirlo's free-kick. To their credit, Zürich were determined to exit the competition heads high and they limited Leonardo's men to only half chances late on, but Milan had done enough.

Maccabi Haifa 0-1 Bordeaux

FC Girondins de Bordeaux claimed a fifth successive UEFA Champions League victory thanks to Jussiê's early strike at Maccabi Haifa FC, who finished bottom of Group A without a point or a goal to their name.

Worthy winner
The French titleholders had already secured first in the section with their Matchday 5 defeat of Juventus and were in control from the outset at the Ramat Gan Stadium, although a composed 13th-minute finish from Jussiê – the striker's first goal in the competition – was their only reward. A young Haifa side strove to find a way back into the game, yet their failure to do so means they become only the second team in UEFA Champions League history, after RC Deportivo La Coruña in 2004/05, to finish the group stage without a goal and only the ninth to end point-less.

Jussiê goal
With Haifa captain Yaniv Katan and Gustavo Boccoli both out injured, Elisha Levy welcomed back Eyal Golasa and Lior Refaelov. The Greens began brightly, pressing their opponents from the outset, yet were unable to turn early superiority into goals and soon paid the penalty. Tsepo Masilela missed his kick as he attempted a clearance and Abdou Traoré took full advantage, chipping delightfully to the far post where the advancing Jussiê thumped into the roof of the net. Haifa promptly escaped falling two goals behind as they were caught on the counterattack following a corner, but while Nir Davidovitch was beaten by Jussiê's fierce drive, Dekel Keinan acrobatically blocked on the line.

Haifa revival
The hosts took time to regroup but then came close twice in a minute, Mohamad Ghadir directing a volley straight at Ulrich Ramé and Vladimer Dvalishvili shooting into the side-netting. Yet it was not until just before half-time that the Bordeaux goalkeeper was called into serious action for the first time, diving to his right to keep out Refaelov's fierce drive from the edge of the area.

Arbeitman on
Refaelov continued in similar vein as the second half got under way, threatening with a right-foot shot that flew just wide. Seeking to press home the advantage, Levy introduced Shlomi Arbeitman hoping Haifa's top scorer could finally break the Israeli champions' duck in this season's competition, but instead it took a perfectly-timed tackle from Jorge Teixeira to prevent Jussiê doubling their deficit.

Harazi farewell
Another replacement, Talb Tawatha, nearly made more of an impact as his ball from the left was parried by Ramé into the path of Refaelov; the midfielder volleyed over. David Bellion did likewise at the opposite end with an acrobatic effort. In the 70th minute, Alon Harazi came on to a standing ovation. The 38-year-old defender, who was handed a framed shirt prior to kick-off, was making his 720th and final Haifa appearance. That, however, proved the home crowd's biggest cheer of the night, while Laurent Blanc's pre-match prediction that an unfamiliar Bordeaux side would still impress was fully justified.

OM 1-3 Real Madrid

Olympique de Marseille spurned a major helping hand from FC Zürich as their UEFA Champions League adventure ended with a swift return to earth, Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice as Group C winners Real Madrid CF left the Stade Vélodrome with a 3-1 victory.

Daunting task
Beating the nine-time winners is a daunting task at the best of times, but OM faced the prospect of needing to prevail 3-0 or by four clear goals if AC Milan took maximum plunder in Switzerland. As it happened, the Rossoneri could only draw 1-1, but that result was rendered meaningless by a pair of Ronaldo goals either side of Raúl Albiol's effort, with Lucho having earlier equalised before missing a penalty for the side now intent on UEFA Europa League success.

Free-kick tradition
Madrid's last visit here had opened with a free-kick goal from David Beckham back in November 2003, and no sooner had the locals voiced their optimism than they were silenced by another former Red Devil, Ronaldo continuing the tradition of set-piece strikes from former Manchester United FC players with just five minutes gone. OM's feisty start to proceedings had been admirable, but it led to a foul 30 metres from goal and Ronaldo spun a delicious effort into the top corner via the glove of Steve Mandanda.

Swift leveller
The stadium was soon humming again, though, as Didier Deschamps' men willed themselves level, Lucho lashing beyond Iker Casillas after Albiol had blocked Brandão's point-blank header from a Taye Taiwo cross. Brandão had by then collected a yellow card and a suspension, but the Brazilian striker's focus did not sway and he temporarily roused passions with an effort ruled out for offside as Marseille looked to pounce on some brief glimpses of disarray.

Corner chances
Not that all was serene at the other end – far from it, in fact, and four different players threatened to register in quick succession as a Rafael van der Vaart corner spread panic in the OM area. Ronaldo nodded against a post, Mandanda kept out Gonzalo Higuaín and finally both Pepe and Sergio Ramos had goalbound attempts blocked in extremis.

Penalty miss
With Milan trailing at the interval, Marseille came out for the resumption in animated mood, only for their early fervour to be crushed once again. Mandanda had done well to deny both Van der Vaart and Marcelo, yet he was helpless to prevent Albiol firing low into the net after Gabriel Heinze had attempted to clear a corner – and this time there was to be no rapid equaliser.

Ronaldo double
A penalty for Lucho looked to be the perfect chance to restore parity following Casillas's foul on the onrushing Mamadou Niang, but the Argentinian international blasted against the crossbar. He was soon left ruing that miss all the more acutely as Ronaldo latched on to a Lassana Diarra pass, picked himself up from Mandanda's challenge on the edge of the area and turned the ball into an empty net to take his tally in this year's competition to six.

Juventus 1-4 Bayern Münich

FC Bayern Münich reached the UEFA Champions League first knockout round in scintillating style after coming from behind to complete a memorable victory at Juventus thanks to strikes by goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt, Ivica Olić, Mario Gómez and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk.

Blistering fightback
Though David Trezeguet had given La Vecchia Signora the lead with a wonderful strike on 19 minutes Bayern, who required victory to reach the knockout stages, had dominated early on. The character of the German side withstood the setback, however, and Butt equalised from the penalty spot after Olić had been brought down. Early in the second half, despite the sustained resistance of Gianluigi Buffon, the lively Croatia striker pounced to turn the match on its head, Gómez and substitute Tymoshchuk adding goals in the final seven minutes to consign Juve, for whom this equalled their record home defeat in UEFA competition, to the UEFA Europa League.

Olić chance
The Bundesliga outfit began strongly, Bastian Schweinsteiger standing out with his powerful running from deep. The Germany international began and ended a promising move in the fifth minute, carrying the ball 20 metres, finding Thomas Müller on the right, and meeting his cut-back with a shot that sailed over. The visitors came even closer minutes later when Olić rose to head Mark van Bommel's cross against the far post.

Trezeguet strike
Juventus, without the injured Giorgio Chiellini, appeared to be creaking but suddenly scored. Martín Demichelis brought the ball out of defence but failed to spot Diego, who dispossessed him, found Claudio Marchisio, and the midfielder's searching pass was met with a sublime first-time Trezeguet volley. The Stadio Olimpico burst into life, but fell silent within seconds as Buffon tipped over Schweinsteiger's effort and then kept out an Olić header.

Butt equaliser
Bayern were refusing to lie down and drew level after the livewire Olić was felled by Martín Cáceres and Butt kept his nerve to beat Buffon from the spot for his third career goal against Juventus. Louis van Gaal's men were rampant, and should have been ahead two minutes later when Gómez headed over from three metres, Buffon again saving well from Schweinsteiger before half-time.

Olić goal
The Bundesliga outfit maintained their momentum after the break and on 52 minutes Olić scored the goal he so richly deserved. Danijel Pranjić had already brought another save from Buffon and when the exposed Juve goalkeeper was again required to parry Daniel Van Buyten's downward header from another Van Bommel cross, the Croatia striker tucked the rebound into the unguarded net. Now it was the hosts who were going out and Ciro Ferrara's men attempted the fightback, Christian Poulsen and Trezeguet going close.

Clinching goals
Juventus, though, never really looked like finding the elusive equaliser despite the introduction of Sebastian Giovinco and Amauri. Indeed, it was the visitors who grew stronger and they scored a third seven minutes from time from a Schweinsteiger corner. Van Buyten's header was kept out by Buffon but again the goalkeeper was unlucky with the rebound, Gómez finishing from less than a metre. The final flourish was applied by Tymoshchuk from the edge of the area in added time, completing a memorable night for Bayern and a miserable one for their hosts.

Wolfsburg 1-3 Manchester United

A superb Michael Owen hat-trick helped Manchester United FC clinch top spot in Group B with a 3-1 win at VfL Wolfsburg which denied the hosts a place in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages.

Owen double
The German champions knew they had to at least match PFC CSKA Moskva's result against Beşiktaş JK to join United in the first knockout round. However, despite Edin Džeko's 56th-minute header cancelling out Owen's first-half opener, the English international struck twice in the closing stages to extend United's remarkable unbeaten run to 15 away games in the UEFA Champions League and leave Wolfsburg contemplating a place in the UEFA Europa League.

High tempo
The initial enthusiasm of the home fans was matched by their team as Wolfsburg made a high-tempo start. Back after a two-match suspension, Grafite brought an early save from Tomasz Kuszczak before Michael Carrick, one of three midfielders in the United defence, stepped across smartly to halt a penetrating Makoto Hasebe run.

Opportunities
Given the makeshift nature of the visitors' defence it was no surprise that gaps appeared. Andrea Barzagli was left unmarked at a corner, but the Italian defender could not keep his header down, and there was an identical outcome when Sascha Riether's deep cross found Zvjezdan Misimović similarly unattended in the box. The groans of disappointment that accompanied the ball as it sailed over the bar were adequate testament to a second gilt-edged opportunity that had gone begging.

Promising surge
United's response was piecemeal. Darron Gibson flashed a well-struck shot wide, and when Daniel Welbeck stroked the ball into the net after Anderson had threaded through a delightful pass, the offside flag meant parity was preserved. An acrobatic Kuszczak tip-over from Hasebe's drive kept United's goal intact before opportunism of the highest order gave the visitors the lead just before the break. Nani cut inside to deliver an inswinging cross from the left, and Owen's anticipation did the rest, the England striker getting in front of Marcel Schäfer to head past Diego Benaglio for his second goal in this season's competition.

Swift response
With CSKA leading at half-time in Istanbul, Wolfsburg knew greater efforts were required, and coach Armin Veh was provided with the response he had no doubt asked for during the interval. A sharp one-two with Christian Gentner gave Schäfer room to cross, and the full-back's pinpoint centre was met by Džeko, whose powerful header left Kuszczak helpless. The goal buoyed the crowd and the home side as they were both infused with renewed hope, which another fine save from the goalkeeper, turning aside Grafite's well-hit shot, failed to diminish.

Cool chip
Ricardo Costa then headed over before Carrick's last-ditch lunge denied substitute Ashkan Dejagah a clean strike on goal. It was United, though, who would find the net again to end the contest and Wolfsburg's ambitions. Owen first slotted in from close range after excellent work by Gabriel Obertan and – just seconds after Riether had narrowly failed to connect with a cross – Owen then capped a lightning counterattack with a cool chip over Benaglio to complete his hat-trick.

The Final Draw for South Africa 2010

The 32 teams participating at next year's FIFA World Cup™ finals discovered their fate this evening when the Final Draw for South Africa 2010 took place in Cape Town.

While South Africans learned that the host nation's Opening Match on 11 June would be played against Mexico at Soccer City, it was the Group D lineup which caused arguably the biggest stir. Germany, Australia, Serbia and Ghana will battle it out for two qualifying places for the Round of 16, meaning two nations with passionate support will depart the tournament early. There could be a high-profile casualty from Group G too, after Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal were drawn together.

An estimated global television audience of 200 million joined the 2,000 invited guests in the Draw Hall in watching the colourful and entertaining ceremony unfold. With African sporting stars such as athlete Haile Gebreselassie, rugby player John Smit, cricketer Makhaya Ntini, and footballers Matthew Booth and Simphiwe Dludlu assisting with the draw, along with England's David Beckham, it was always going to be an exhilarating occasion, but the undoubted centrepiece came when the eight groups were revealed.

An early highlight of the draw was the eye-catching encounter between England and USA, scheduled for 12 June, which evokes the Americans' famous 1-0 win over their transatlantic cousins at Brazil 1950. Argentina, Nigeria and Greece will get the chance to revive their group rivalry from 1994, while the heavyweight collision between Portugal and Brazil on 25 June also has the feel of a derby.

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana,
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Although the dates and locations of each of the 48 group-stage games are known, the kick-off times will be announced shortly, upon conclusion of a meeting between FIFA, the Local Organising Committee and broadcasters.

A night to remember
With such an array of stars, the event dazzled from start to finish. After a welcome sequence from Lions Head, the mountain that provides Cape Town with such a dramatic backdrop, award-winning musician Johnny Clegg performed 'Scatterlings of Africa', a song made famous by the Academy Award-winning film Rain Main.

Fittingly, the first speech of the night came from the man without whom a FIFA World Cup in South Africa would never have been possible: the country's former president Nelson Mandela. The 91-year-old, speaking in a special video message, urged his nation to make the most of their opportunity as tournament hosts. "We must strive for excellence in our hosting of the World Cup, while at the same time ensuring the event leaves a lasting benefit to all our people," he said.

Next it was time for two special presidents to take to the stage. FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and South African President Jacob Zuma showed their excitement at both the Final Draw and the 2010 FIFA World Cup itself in an entertaining dialogue lasting several minutes. Giancarlo Abete, President of the Italian Football Federation, then handed over the holders' FIFA World Cup Trophy to Mr Blatter, confirmation that sport's holy grail is in South Africa and ready to be contested next year.

Legendary Portugal striker Eusebio, born in neighbouring Mozambique, was introduced to the crowd before examples of the 'Win in Africa, With Africa' campaign were showcased before an expectant audience. Beninese singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo duly took to the stage to perform her Grammy-nominated song 'Agolo'.

The first duty of the show's guest presenter, Academy Award-winning actress, Hollywood producer and proud South African Charlize Theron, was to show off the official 2010 Match Ball, adidas's Jabulani, a name meaning 'to celebrate' in Zulu. Soweto’s Gospel Choir continued the theme of happiness with a lively rendition of Pata Pata before the arrival of Draw Master and FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, signalled the moment of truth.

Some of the assembled coaches will have headed away feeling confident, others concerned by the task presented here, yet at least all now know what lies in store as they begin their planning and preparation for next year's showpiece.

Anelka's header gives chelsea top spot

Nicolas Anelka's second-half header earned Chelsea a 1-0 win at Porto that guaranteed top spot in Champions League Group D.
The France international completed a deadly individual double over Porto, having scored the only goal in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge in September.
The win was also Chelsea's first on Portuguese soil in the Champions League, although the Premier League leaders did not have it all their own way, with Petr Cech having to make several important saves.
Chelsea registered the first effort on goal of the match and it was not the best piece of goalkeeping Porto's reserve custodian, Beto, will ever produce.
Anelka cut in from the left wing and, after ghosting past his marker, he whipped in a shot that just moved enough to panic Beto, who flapped at what should have been a comfortable save.
Fortunately for the keeper, the ball rebounded to safety and it was his opposite number, Petr Cech, who was called into action moments later but much to Chelsea's relief the Czech international showed Beto how to do it with a smart double stop.

Argentina midfielder Fernando Belluschi struck a long-range effort that Cech did well to parry and better was to come when the rebound from Falcao was blocked by the Czech international's body.
The enterprising Belluschi, who on this form could well add to his two international caps, struck another delightful effort on goal from range on the half hour mark and this time Cech was beaten, but the ball thudded back off the bar and away to safety.
Chelsea stepped up the energy levels in the second half and Deco could have opened the scoring on 53 minutes, but the former Porto man - who received a warm reception from the home crowd on his return to the Estadio Dragao - put his effort just wide.
Florent Malouda was beginning to make his presence felt on the Chelsea left and on at least three occasions the France winger put crosses into the Porto box that only needed a finishing touch.
One such Malouda contribution proved vital on 70 minutes and this time Anelka was on at close range hand to head home the left-wing centre and ensure Chelsea finished as Group winners after holding off a late surge from the hosts.

APOEL Nicosia 1-1 Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid came from behind to grab a precious 1-1 draw against APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus to keep their Europa League dream alive.

APOEL opened the scoring in the first five minutes. A great run and cross from Nektarios Alexandrou on the left was turned in by Nenad Mirosavljevic six yards out leaving Madrid keeper Sergio Asenjo with no chance.
Amazingly it was the first goal scored by an APOEL player in the Champions League.
But Atletico Madrid's push for the Europa League stayed afloat for another day when captain Simao scored after an hour. APOEL goalkeeper Dionisis Chiotis could only palm Sergio Aguero's cross into his path and the Portugese winger made no mistake.
Diego Forlan did have a chance midway through the first half but his right-footed effort from 15 yards was weak and straight at Chiotis in the APOEL goal.
Madrid's chances were few and far between and lacked conviction.
You could not accuse APOEL of that. They gave everything and were roared on by an unwavering crowd.

Bayern Munich 1-0 win over Maccabi Haifa

Bayern Munich kept alive their hopes of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Maccabi Haifa at the Allianz Arena.

Ivica Olic provided the only goal of the game midway through the second half, tapping home from a rebound after Maccabi keeper Nir Davidovitch could only parry Mario Gomez's venomous shot to the side.
Bayern twice went close to extending their lead through Thomas Mueller and Mark van Bommel, though the three points from this match, together with Bordeaux's 2-0 win over Juventus, leaves the door open for the German giants to qualify should they beat the Italians in Turin in a fortnight's time.
Any remote hopes Maccabi had of snatching a UEFA Cup spot are now over, and they remain without a point or a goal in Group A.
Again deprived of wing wizards Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, Bayern struggled for attacking inspiration in a first half that saw them leave the field to a chorus of boos from the home fans.
Gomez passed up the best opportunity of the half on 17 minutes, prodding the ball wide after Bayern's midfield for once found themselves on the same wavelength, with Phillip Lahm, Mueller and Van Bommel all combining to set up the club's record signing.

Though industrious, Maccabi struggled to string enough passes together to really test the Bayern defence, though Eyal Meshumar's dipping shot midway through the half forced Hans-Joerg Butt into an awkward save, and prompted nervous whisperings from the hushed Bayern faithful.
Danijel Pranjic and Bastian Schweinsteiger showed a couple of moments of class, the latter producing a gorgeous through ball that Olic ended up thumping straight at Davidovitch, though that was as good as it got in terms of attacking cohesion from Louis van Gaal's men before the break.
The impressive Yaniv Katan fired another warning shot to Bayern with a left-foot volley that fizzed over the bar within moments of the restart, while Schweinsteiger skimmed the top of Davidovitch's bar with a well-struck free-kick on 50 minutes.
Pranjic and Schweinsteiger again saw goalbound shots blocked as the game began to come to life, though it was left to Olic to bring the fans out of their seats with the only goal of the game.
Van Bommel's excellent ball through the middle found Gomez in space, and though the Germany international's shot was parried by Davidovitch, Olic reacted quickest to sidefoot home the rebound from close range.
Seemingly buoyed by the far more vocal and content home fans, Bayern went in search of a second, with Mueller and Van Bommel driving shots past the post in quick succession.
Maccabi's goal threat has all but evaporated by now, with Daniel Van Buyten and Martin Demichelis imperious in the centre of defence, and a skied effort from substitute Eyal Golasa was as close as they came to grabbing an unlikely point.

Juventus beaten 2-0 by Bordeaux

Juventus need a point at home to Bayern Munich in a fortnight's time to qualify from Champions League Group A after they were beaten 2-0 by Bordeaux.

The Italians struggled throughout against the French champions, who sealed top spot in the group in front of their own fans at the Chaban Delmas.
Bordeaux dominated an uneventful first half but two headed goals from set pieces after the break won the game and left Ciro Ferrara's men facing a crunch tie at the Stadio Delle Alpi on December 8.
Juve offered little going forward while always looking vulnerable from set pieces and were undone by headers from Fernando and the highly-rated Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh.
A poor first half was punctuated only by a Giorgio Chiellini header that looped over the crossbar and a good chance for Chamakh, who sublimely brought a through ball under his spell before being smothered by an onrushing Gianluigi Buffon.
It was much the same early in the second half until, with 55 minutes on the clock, Fernando leapt brilliantly at the near post to flick home Jaroslav Plasil's free kick from the left. The French crowd went wild and the stadium was temporarily shrouded in smoke from the celebratory flares.

Juventus worked their way back into the game through a series of corners and free kicks but made very little in open play other than a shocking miss from Diego 10 minutes after they fell behind.
When the otherwise-anonymous Alessandro Del Piero worked it neatly down the right, his cross seemed destined to be stroked in from four yards but the Brazilian contrived only to scuff his effort wide and beyond the stretch of waiting compatriot Amauri.
And it was the home side that finished the stronger, with the impressive Chamakh heading home a corner at the near post with virtually the last touch of the game to send the majority of the crowd home happy.

Milan and Marseille battled for a draw

Milan and Marseille battled to a 1-1 draw at the San Siro to take a three-way qualification dog fight with Real Madrid for a place in the last 16 into the final match day.

Marco Borriello fired the Italian side into the lead with a superb solo effort after ten minutes, only for Lucho Gonzalez to level six minutes later.
The Rossoneri are now in pole position to qualify and will fancy their chances against FC Zurich, while Marseille will go head-to-head with Real Madrid at the Stade Velodrome in a fortnight.
Both teams came out with intent and it was the hosts who almost opened the scoring with six minutes gone.
Andrea Pirlo's lofted ball found Gianluca Zambrotta and his close-range left foot strike was superbly saved by Steve Mandanda.

The Rossoneri only had to wait a further four minutes before taking the lead.
Borriello picked up the ball on the Marseille left, ran at the sky blue defence and, after turning Gabriel Heinze, he calmly slotted the ball past Mandanda.
Marseille boss Didier Deschamps felt that Milan were vulnerable to the counter attack and when l'OM skipper Mamadou Niang raced down the Milan flank, Rossoneri stopper Dida parried his cross straight to Lucho, who crashed the ball home.
Fabrice Abriel then tried a speculative long-range effort that sailed narrowly over Dida's bar before Borriello was denied by a superb stop when one-on-one with Mandanda.
With both teams looking to attack in the second period, Benoit Cheyrou was embarrassed by taking an air-shot after a clever free-kick routine, while Borriello scuffed his own shot wide of Mandanda's post after a great ball from Ronaldinho.
Brandao should have put the visitors ahead midway through the half, only to side-foot against the bar from yards out after Niang's superb run and cross, and as the game swung from end to end, it was the unmarked Borriello who was then left holding his head after heading wide with Mandanda to beat.
When the woodwork came to Milan's rescue from Souleymane Diawara's header with four minutes remaining, the chance of a winner had gone, setting the stage for a nail-biting final matchday.

Real Madrid go throw over zurich

A below par Real Madrid all but assured their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League with an lacklustre 1-0 victory over FC Zurich in Group C.

Manuel Pellegrini's men barely broke sweat as they defeated the Swiss outfit at the Santiago Bernabeu. Gonzalo Higuain scored the decisive goal in the 21st minute with a straightforward finish.
The highlight of the second half was the return of Cristiano Ronaldo who replaced Raul for his first appearance in almost two months.
With Milan and Marseille drawing at the San Siro, Zurich are out, leaving Madrid two points clear at the top with a game to go.
The Rossoneri, in second place, travel to Zurich, while Marseille host the Galacticos at the Stade Velodrome needing at least a win to qualify.
Kaka looked to set the tone of the evening with an early shot that had Johnny Leoni at full stretch.
Unsurprisingly Madrid dominated the early exchanges sweeping the ball from left to right on an immaculate surface, leaving Zurich entrenched in their own half.
But for all their possession Los Blancos demonstrated very little urgency, until a lapse of concentration in the visiting defence presented Higuain with a simple chance.

Kaka drove at the heart of the Zurich rearguard, drawing Heniz Barmettler out of his central defensive position, leaving Higuain in acres of space.
The Brazilian slipped the ball through to the striker who applied a cool finish past a helpless Leoni.
Minutes later, Xabi Alonso, looking for his first Madrid goal on his 28th birthday, stung the hands of the Zurich custodian with a fierce drive from distance.
Leoni was left at the mercy of Real's firepower once again. Higuain picked out Marcelo, coiled on the edge of the box from a corner, and the South American rattled the post with a first time volley. The goalkeeper barely had time to blink.
With one eye on Sunday's Clasico against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, Manuel Pellegrini's men coasted through the first half in second gear.
The home side's dreary performance continued after the interval as they plodded along to victory against a limited Zurich side.
The second half was littered with scrappy fouls and cheap bookings as Pellegrini's troops struggled to infiltrate a wall of orange and blue.
One of the few highlights in the second period came in the 67th minute when substitute Rafael van der Vaart met Marcelo's cross with a first time volley that required a straightforward save from Leoni.
In the 70th minute Raul made way for Ronaldo, who returned to action after almost two months out with an ankle injury.
But the £80 million man failed to make an impact as Bernard Challandes' side continued to stifle.
Before the final whistle Van der Vaart and Ronaldo both missed chances to extend the Spanish giants' lead.

CSKA Moscow 2-1 Wolfsburg

CSKA Moscow recovered from a goal down to beat Wolfsburg 2-1 at the Luzhniki Stadium in their Champions League clash and close the gap on the German side in Group B.

Two second half strikes were enough for the Russian side to overhaul the visitors and draw level with the German champions on seven points, albeit with a poorer goal difference.
The hosts dominated possession in a very one-sided first half in Moscow, but somehow it was the German side who held the lead at half-time courtesy of Edin Dzeko's 19th-minute strike.
But an imperious header from Tomas Necid restored parity for Leonid Slutsky's side in the 58th minute, and eight minutes later the comeback was complete as Milos Krasic (pictured) unfurled a screamer from 25 yards to clinch victory for the hosts.
For all CSKA's build-up play, the Russian side lacked conviction in the final third of the field in the first half and Wolfsburg possessed a clinical striker in the form of the Bosnian Dzeko, who capitalised on his opportunity to claim the opener.
The warning signs were there: Obafemi Martins was an able strike partner and the Nigerian found Zvjezdan Misimovic out on the left, whose pinpoint cross found Dzeko in the 12th minute, but the striker's header sailed over the bar from inside the penalty area.
By the far the most inventive player on show was Milos Krasic, and the CSKA midfielder made his presence known in the 18th minute with an incisive run down the right before his low shot was deflected narrowly wide by Ricardo Costa.
But at the other end, the prolific Bosnian made the hosts pay as he showed his class with an exquisite strike past the diving Igor Akinfeev into the far corner after Martins slipped a precise pass beyond Sergei Ignashevich's lunge.

Krasic produced another superb run and devilish delivery from the right on the half-hour mark, but none of his team mates anticipated the cross to make the run to the back post and the opening was wasted.
Alan Dzagoev should have equalised from close range in the 41st minute as he swivelled superbly to shake off Alexander Madlung, but his instinctive shot was straight at Diego Benaglio.
Dzagoev then turned provider on the stroke of half-time as he turned Schafer but his cut back to the onrushing Tomas Necid culminated in the opportunity being squandered as the forward dallyied on the ball and was dispossessed by Costa.
The second half began in a similar fashion as the hosts pressed forward incessantly before Wolfsburg countered, and Martins had a goal chalked off in the 53rd minute as CSKA were handed a reprieve.
The Nigerian stole in to tap the ball home from close range, but Dzeko was in an offside position and was judged to be interfering with play.
But the hosts finally made their pressure tell as Eugeni Aldonin clipped a delightful ball across the Wolfsburg penalty area to Necid, whose towering header found the bottom corner of Benaglio's net.
Eight minutes later, CSKA had completed their recovery as Krasic picked the ball up on the edge of the Wolfsburg box and unleashed a venomous shot from 25 yards which flew unerringly into the far corner to put the Russian side in the ascendancy.
Wolfsburg coach Armin Veh replaced Martins just before the goal and his side lacked pace in the final third of the field thereafter as Dzeko looked increasingly isolated in attack.
Despite the visitors staging a late rally, it was CSKA striker Alan Dzagoev who had the final two clear-cut chances with the first a glorious chance: the forward stole in at the back post to latch on to Aldonin's pass from close range, but Benaglio saved well with his legs.
The forward then fired a fierce shot from the edge of the penalty area but was again denied by Benaglio, who kept Wolfsburg in the contest until the end with a superb tip round the post in the final minute.
The visitors launched a barrage of attacks late on, but CSKA defended obdurately to close out victory and seal a crucial victory over their Group B rivals.

Manchester United unbeaten streak ended

Manchester United's 23-match unbeaten streak at home in the Champions League came to an end as they went down 1-0 to Besiktas at Old Trafford.

United, who only needed one point to win Group B with one match remaining, fell victim to a long-range bullet from Rodrigo Tello as the Turkish champions snapped their seven-year away losing run in the competition.
Last season's runners-up must now win away to Wolfsburg on December 8 if they are to top Group B while Besiktas narrowly kept alive their hopes of earning a Europa League berth ahead of CSKA Moscow.
United made a blistering start to the match, swamping the Besiktas defence and enjoying a host of gilt-edged chances.
Rafael found Gabriel Obertan within two minutes of the start, the Frenchman squaring a great chance to Federico Macheda, who just failed to get a touch.
Nemanja Vidic also missed a sitter, his header from an Anderson corner somehow spinning off at a right-angle to the goal despite the Serb having done all the hard work in losing Matteo Ferrari towards the right post.
Macheda came closest for United, in the 19th minute, when he received the ball on the right wing before cutting back inside with a swagger and drilling a low shot just past the right post.
But it was Besiktas who made the most of their opportunities, with Tello unleashing a bullet of a shot after being allowed space and time in midfield.
The ball took a slight deflection off the shoulder of a back-tracking Rafael, just enough to wrong-foot Ben Foster, before curling into the back of the net on the left side of goal.

And the Turkish champions could have made it two just before the interval after a delightful spot of one-touch football between Ekrem Dag and Tello. The Chilean did well to hold up the ball on the right-hand corner of the area before laying it off for Michael Fink, whose low shot narrowly dribbled past the right post to let United off the hook.
The hosts continued to enjoy the lion's share of the possession after the interval and again crafted a number of great chances to get the point they needed to win the group.
But again those chances went begging as Besiktas' impressive defence held firm.
Two shots in as many minutes on the hour mark from Obertan should have seen United level as the Frenchman first sent the ball skidding past the right post from the left corner of the box before landing a header on the top of the net from an inch-perfect Macheda pass.
Sir Alex Ferguson slowly began to introduce his more experienced bench from the 70th minute onwards as Michael Owen, Michael Carrick and Patrice Evra all took to the field to help United pushed for the equaliser.
Evra had a great penalty shout turned down just as they clock ticked over to the 90th minute as he went down under the challenge of Ibrahim Kas. The Frenchman surged into the box right in front of referee Stephane Lannoy and went down perhaps a little easily.
But Besiktas were lucky to escape as Kas clearly made no attempt to play the ball instead blocking Evra with an outstretched arm.
A frantic five minutes of extra time saw yet more drama.
Keeper Foster went up for a corner, causing all kinds of problems as Macheda met it with a brilliant header turned behind by the fingers of Rustu Recber before the visiting keeper again denied Wes Brown from the following set-piece.
Michael Carrick took a punt on the stroke of full-time when a low shot from the edge of the area but Rustu, who just moments before had been booked for wasting time, was equal to the task and Besiktas held on for the win.

AZ Alkmaar 0-0 Olympiacos

Olympiacos missed the chance to tie up qualification for the Champions League.

AZ Alkmaar were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League after drawing 0-0 at home against an Olympiacos FC side who look on course to qualify for the first knockout round from Group H.

Point enough
Although the home side's need was greater – nothing but a win would keep them in contention for second spot in the group – they failed to make their superior possession count. The stalemate moves Olympiacos on to seven points, three clear of R. Standard de Liège going into Matchday 6, when a point at home against section winners Arsenal FC will send Zico's team through with the Gunners irrespective of what happens in Belgium.

Blustery conditions
The game got off to a scrappy start as both sides took time to adapt to the extremely blustery conditions, and 13 minutes had gone when AZ captain Stijn Schaars drove the first half-chance from outside the box a metre wide. Nine minutes later, with Olympiacos seemingly having wrested control, the home side almost broke through. Brett Holman played a clever pass through from close to the halfway line to the lively Jeremain Lens who got a toe to the ball before Antonis Nikopolidis but could only watch it roll the wrong side of the post with the goalkeeper beaten.

Olympiacos openings
AZ's No7 went closer minutes later, reacting sharply to fire the loose ball narrowly wide from the edge of the penalty area, yet the visitors continued to push forward frequently and Kostas Mitroglou's shot was deflected just over by Gill Swerts. Jaouad Zairi had an even better opportunity soon after, his low shot cannoning off Sergio Romero's legs. Those efforts sandwiched a Lens lob which had Nikopolidis concerned at the other end.

Strong start
Despite the absence of goals, it was an absorbing first half with both teams committed to attacking play. The second started in similar vein, Dembélé twice, Holman and David Mendes da Silva all having attempts on goal in quick succession. Pontus Wernbloom's deflected drive just past the hour mark was acrobatically tipped round by Nikopolidis as Ronald Koeman's side continued to search for the goal needed to keep them alive in the competition. Olympiacos were content to play deep, though an awkward cross by Giorgos Galitsios on 70 minutes after a counterattack was only gathered by Romero at the second attempt.

Wernbloom chance
Chances continued to be of the half variety as the game drew to a close, Leonardo forcing a good block from Romero before Dudu connected perfectly from range without finding the target. Then, in added time, AZ had a glimmer of hope when the unmarked Wernbloom was picked out with a cross from the right, only to head over when well placed. The result means last season's Dutch champions travel to Liege in a fortnight knowing only a win will keep them in European competition beyond the new year.

Rubin Kazan 0-0 Dynamo Kiev

Rubin Kazan missed the opportunity to heap the pressure on Champions League Group F rivals Barcelona after sharing a drab 0-0 draw with Dynamo Kiev at the Centralniy Stadium.

Chances were created in the first half, but neither side was able to capitalise and the second was a pretty turgid affair with inventive forward play at a premium in conditions not conducive to expansive football.
Heavy sleet and a distinct lack of quality ensured that the play was scrappy at a very blustery Centralniy, with the temperatures lingering just above zero.
Kiev knew that a defeat would see them eliminated from the competition, and the visitors played with all due circumspection as they extended their record to just one win from 14 European away games, losing nine and failing to score in 10.
The opening period was most noteable for a stunning save from Kiev goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkovskyy, who kept the match goalless on the stroke of half-time with an acrobatic stop.
The first chance in the fifth minute arose as Andriy Shevchenko (pictured) surged down the right and dragged a low cross into the six-yard box but his delivery evaded two Rubin defenders and was met by Andriy Yarmolenko at the back post, who scuffed his shot wide.
Rubin, who won the Russian Premier League at the weekend, dominated the early possession, but another chance was forced at the other end in the 12th minute as Milos Ninkovic bundled his way into the penalty area at pace but his final touch was shoddy as the hosts were handed a reprieve.
At the other end, Rubin almost made their build-up play count three minutes later as Gokdeniz Karadeniz whipped in a devilish delivery from the right which the dangerous Alejandro Dominguez met, unmarked in the penalty area, but his header was tame.
Dominguez was a constant threat and on the half-hour mark the Argentine danced through two Kiev challenges but Shovkovskyy just about had his shot covered at his near post following a promising run.
As half-time was imminent, Dominguez produced a stunning acrobatic over-head kick which he directed low into the bottom corner, but Shovkovskyy somehow managed to flick the ball wide with an outrageous piece of reflex goalkeeping.
The second half was as fragmented as the first on the most part, with Shevchenko's most notable contribution being a robust challenge on Alexander Bukharov, for which he received a yellow card with the striker bearing ominously down on goal.
Shevchenko then contrived to miss his kick inside the Rubin penalty area after Artem Milevskiy had made an incisive run through the hosts' half and squared the ball to the forward.
The final period of play petered out poorly as neither side was able to seize the initiative, despite making second half changes, and the stalemate was not broken late on.
The draw leaves limits the pressure applied to Barcelona as they face Internazionale at the Camp Nou as the fight for qualification spots from Group F intensifies as Rubin recorded their fourth match unbeaten.

Unirea Urziceni 1-0 Sevilla

An Ivica Dragutinovic own-goal was enough to give Unirea Urziceni a 1-0 win against a below-par Sevilla side, which strengthens the Romanians grip on second place in Champions League Group G.

Unirea sprang to life immediately from the kick-off. Attacking down the left, Sevilla's Spanish centre-back Sergio Sanchez was drawn into a cynical foul and, from the resulting free-kick, Unirea had the ball in the back of the net.
However, referee Tom Henning Ovrebo, remembered for his controversial display in last season's Champions League semi-final between Chelsea and Barcelona, again stoked up the heat by ruling the goal out for apparent offside.
Iulian Apostol had whipped the ball into the penalty area, and Javi Varas was only able to punch unconvincingly clear. The ball fell to Pablo Brandan who slotted home, before Ovrebo blew his whistle.
Nevertheless, that did not serve as a sign of things to come, as Dan Petrescu's men proceeded to sit back and invite Sevilla to attack for most of the first-half. And in two separate instances, that tactic almost served to undermine Unirea.
The first chance for the Spanish side came in the 8th minute and saw Abdoulay Konko whip in a ball from the right, which Frederic Kanoute connected with cleanly, but his shot smashed back off the post. Jesus Navas, who followed up, could only manage to blast wide from outside the box.
If Manolo Jimenez's men felt hard done by, they had another reason to curse their misfortune in the 20th minute. Kanoute's strike partner Alvaro Negredo sent a looping header back off the underside of the crossbar, following an incisive free-kick from Diego Capel, which Unirea keeper Giedrius Arlauskis failed to deal with.
Sevilla looked comfortable for the remainder of the first-half, maintaining possession and managing to keep Unirea pinned back in their own third.
Yet, on the stroke of half-time, the Spaniards were to find themselves going into the break behind.

And it was to be an inexplicable own-goal by Dragutinovic, clumsily heading past Varas.
The Serbian defender was put under relatively little pressure, following a long-ball into the box from Brandan, but that did not stop Dragutinovic swooping low and directing the ball past his hapless keeper.
Into the second-half, and Unirea grew further in confidence. Dacian Varga and Marius Bilasco were beginning to look more threatening, and Sevilla were struggling to cope with the long-balls that were beginning to bombard their box.
Just before the hour mark, Varas was called into a smart save after Varga connected well following a flick-on from Bilasco.
And, moments later, the pair were to collaborate again - this time Varga striking high into the side-netting, after Bilasco had received Brandan's long throw.
In response, Jimenez sent on Renato and Luis Fabiano but Sevilla continued to struggle to find their stride. Their final substitute, Diego Perotti, injected a bit of pace and vigour into proceedings, but Unirea continued to hold firm and deny the Spanish side any real, clear-cut openings.
Late on, nerves started to get the better of the home team - somehow Arlauskis proved to be a hero with a flying save to deny Konko from three yards out, while Luis Fabiano could only find the side-netting with a ferocious shot on the turn.
But it was to be Unirea's day, the Romanian side hanging onto a 1-0 victory which sees them move one step closer to an historic qualification to the knockout stage. Petrescu's men will require a draw in Stuttgart to progress - Sevilla, meanwhile, will look back on a performance which, though determined, proved to be lacking quality when it mattered.

Rangers home defeat against Stuttgart

Rangers crashed out of the Champions League following a 2-0 home defeat against Stuttgart in Europe in Group G.

Walter Smith's team needed to beat the Germans to harbour any hopes of progressing to the knock-out stage, but instead the Scottish champions choked in front of their own fans.
A penetrative raid down the left wing finished with on-loan Barcelona player Alexander Hleb crossing for Sebastian Rudy to score the first goal after 16 minutes.
The scorer turned provider 14 minutes into the second half when he crossed for Zdravko Kuzmanovic to head the final nail in Rangers' European coffin.
With Unirea Urziceni beating Sevilla, who are already assured of their place in the last 16, it's all to play for in the final game when the Germans host the Romanians.
But for Rangers their European campaign is over following a third successive home defeat. The Gers shipped 10 goals at Ibrox and scored just two.
In front of a crackling home support a frenetic pace consumed the opening exchanges.
Driven by desire and desperation the Rangers players flew into tackles, but it was the Germans who looked more accomplished on the ball and they fired their first warning shot barely six minutes into the game.
Arthur Boka cut in from the left wing, evading the attentions of Steven Whittaker, before feeding the ball into striker Cacau.
The Brazilian born German turned a Velcro tight David Weir and thumped a right foot shot at goal from 20 yards.
Allan McGregor did brilliantly to spring to his left and turn the heat seeking missile around the post.
However, 10 minutes later there was nothing he could do as 19-year-old Rudy scored his first senior goal.
Yet again Rangers' Achilles heel, the left wing, was exposed. Former Arsenal player Hleb exchanged a one-two with Cacau, before reaching the byline and pulling the ball back to the arriving Pavel Pogrebnyak.
A horrible miscue from the Russian ran kindly for Rudy darting in at the back post and he slid the ball into the back of the net.
The Scottish Premier League leaders struggled to shackle Cacau and on the half hour the striker fizzed a rasping drive from distance inches past McGregor's left hand post.
Despite deploying an adventurous 3-4-3 formation the home side offered very little going forward.

Their best chance fell to Kris Boyd in the 37th minute. Stuttgart tried to break quickly following a commanding collection from Jens Lehmann, but Kenny Miller intercepted an under hit pass and whipped in an early cross from the right.
Boyd lurked menacingly, but could only manage to direct a terrible header over the bar and into the stands.
The visitors started the second half how they ended the first containing Rangers with ease and dominating possession.
For all their industry the home side were devoid of any attacking threat. One of their few menacing moments was turned on its head to devastating effect.
Matthieu Delpierre cut out Steven Davis' through ball to Miller and the Germans swept up field, with Rudy bursting down the right wing and crossing for an unmarked Kuzmanovic to head home the killer second goal with more than 30 minutes to play.
Had it not been for McGregor's heroics in goal Markus Babbel's men, who are third from bottom in the Bundesliga table, would have been out of sight moments later.
Rudy accelerated down the right wing and laid a pass into the feet of Cacau who stung the hands of McGregor with a fierce drive.
The rebound fell to the feet of Pogrebnyak, who looked offside, and with a clear sight of goal he should have added a third, but McGregor managed to fling out a leg and turn it over the bar.
The big Russian striker squandered another chance with 12 minutes to play. Hleb rode the challenge of Danny Wilson and laid a pass a little behind Pogrebnyak.
Afforded an abundance of time and space he swivelled in the box and crashed a shot against the outside of the post from close range when he really should have scored.
As the fans scurried for the exits McGregor kept the score line respectable as he repelled Stuttgart's target practice Pogrebnyak, Thomas Hitzlsperger and Timo Gebhart were all denied by the goalkeeper.

Fiorentina in the last 16

Fiorentina dumped Liverpool out of the Champions League as Juan Manuel Vargas's penalty gave them a 1-0 win against Lyon at the Stadio Artemio Franchi to book a place in the last 16.

But the Serie A side had goalkeeper Sebastien Frey to thank for denying his fellow countrymen with two superb saves in the closing minutes.
Lyon's qualification was already assured, but the Viola are now in pole position in Group E and will swagger into Anfield for the last group match in two weeks time.
Rafa Benitez felt that Lyon would want to win the group to avoid stronger teams in the last 16 and boss Claude Puel started with eight of the players who drew at Anfield a fortnight ago. However, Fiorentina came close to opening the scoring with 10 minutes gone.
Mario Alberto Santana was given time to chest the ball down and after his volley smashed against the post, Lyon keeper Hugo Lloris reacted superbly to turn away the follow up from Alberto Gilardino.
And Gilardino was again left shaking his head when his towering header hit the Lyon woodwork for a second time.

Although Cris came close to connecting with a Lyon free-kick, the French side offered little in return.
As the Viola grew in confidence, Marco Marcionni stormed into the box on 28 minutes, only for Aly Cissokho's clumsy challenge to send the Italian sprawling.
The referee had little hesitation in pointing to the spot and Vargas confidently stepped up to send Lloris the wrong way to give Fiorentina a deserved half-time lead.
And it was the Viola who carved out the first real chance of the second period on 63 minutes. Marchionni beat the offside trap, but just as he prepared to pull the trigger, Cissokho slid in with a pinpoint tackle to deny the Italian.
Gilardino then scuffed a left-foot shot wide following Lorenzo De Silvestri's excellent pass as the visitors rocked.
Miralem Pjanic almost crafted an equaliser out of nothing for Lyon with a crashing free-kick that Frey punched awkwardly away, but there was no white shirt on hand to benefit from the rebound.
The French keeper redeemed himself with just minutes remaining.
Bafetimbi Gomis fired substitute Cesar Delgado's corner goalwards from twelve yards out, only to find Frey on hand to make a superb reaction save.
Then in the dying seconds, fellow sub Lisandro Lopez got clear on the Fiorentina left, but the Brazilian was denied by another excellent Frey stop to send the Viola through with their visitors, and send Liverpool out.