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.

Barcelona crashes Internazionale

Reigning champions Barcelona gave their chances of progression from Champions League Group F a huge boost with a 2-0 home win over Internazionale.

Defender Gerard Pique volleyed an early first from a corner before winger Pedro finished off a sublime move to make it two on 29 minutes, although Inter keeper Julio Cesar was at fault.
Following the earlier 0-0 draw between Rubin Kazan and Dynamo Kiev, the result puts Barca top of the table with eight points.
Rubin are second and Inter third - both on six points - and Dynamo have five.
With injuries to key forwards Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, there were nerves flying around in Barcelona prior to the match.
The Blaugrana had taken only one point from their last two European games and faced the prospect of becoming the first holders since the inaugural Champions League in 1993 to be eliminated at the group stage of the tournament.
Messi and Ibrahimovic were ultimately restricted to the bench, kept in reserve should Pep Guardiola have need of his superstars later in the match.
However he need not have worried: led by the silky-skilled Andres Iniesta, the home side were too good for Jose Mourinho's Inter team on the night.
The first match in Milan ended a disappointing 0-0 draw, and this was no classic - but the contributions of Iniesta kept visiting centre-halves Lucio and Walter Samuel constantly on their toes from the first moments, the Spain star unlucky to not find the arriving Xavi in the box with a curled cross on seven minutes.

Barca took the lead after 10, Xavi's corner flicked on by Thierry Henry for former Manchester United defender Pique to thump home first time on the far side of the box.
Henry struggled to find space all evening but in the process created it for young winger Pedro, a menace on the left, and Iniesta, playing in an advanced role: Pedro almost found Iniesta with a low pass after Inter were carved wide open by the diminutive attacker with the help of Seydou Keita.
Inter had barely attacked in the opening quarter before former Barca midfielder Thiago Motta was booked for a challenge on Sergio Busquets. Their main outlet was down the right with full-back Maicon, but a lack of possession killed their hopes of creating any chances for returning striker Samuel Eto'o.
Lucio just intercepted a Pedro centre after he had skinned Maicon then Javier Zanetti, but he could do nothing two minutes later when he arrived at the far side to finish an innovative move.
Xavi received the ball into feet and played an immediate one-touch diagonal pass which split the away defence, Daniel Alves racing on to it on the right; the Brazil wing-back's delicate lofted cross was perfect for Pedro, although his shot into the ground and into the far corner should have been parried more effectively by the usually-reliable Cesar.
Barca captain Carles Puyol went into the book for a studs-up tackle on Diego Milito - the Argentina striker enjoyed little success from deep but put himself about, including a retaliatory barge on Puyol following that tackle.
Milito forced a save out of Victor Valdes from 20 yards before half-time but Inter's best chance fell to Dejan Stankovic, who lifted the ball over the bar after the wayward keeper miscontrolled an Eric Abidal backpass.
Eto'o - booed by some but welcomed back by banners inside the ground in honour of his two Champions League triumphs - went down in the box when challenged by Puyol and again wanted a penalty in the second half when Alves shielded a dangerous ball from him.
There were few chances in the second 45 minutes as the game descended into niggly fouls and spells of treatment from the physios: the best of them saw Cesar brilliantly save a Xavi downward header from an Alves cross.
Pedro was booked while more pertinently Inter full-back Cristian Chivu was also shown yellow for a blatant block on Iniesta, ruling him out of the crucial final group match at home to Rubin.
Eto'o was halted by the offside flag on several occasions as his former team-mates left gaps in their own half - and when he broke free inside the box on the left he could only volley high and wide of the far post.
Javier Zanetti was also cautioned before the end as a frustrated Inter chased Barcelona around the pitch.
It was all in vain as the Italian champions' 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions came to an end, while Barca ended their poor recent run of form in Europe to take pole position in the group.

Arsenal 2-0 Standard Liege

Arsenal booked their place into the last 16 as Champions League Group H winners as they beat Standard Liege 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners progress to the knockout stage while Liege will have to win their final game to stand any chance of qualifying.
It was a totally commanding performance from Arsene Wenger's men who were never in any trouble and never got out of third gear.
With Arsenal needing a draw to progress, it would have been easy for Premier League side to sit back and play for the point they required.
Instead, Wenger's side bossed the game from start to finish completely overshadowing their Belgian opponents who hardly threatened.
Thomas Vermaelen played a long ball towards Samir Nasri on the right-hand edge of the penalty area on 35 minutes. A back-tracking Reginal Goreux slipped as it dropped over his shoulder allowing Samir Nasri to stroke it past Sinan Bolat into the far corner.
Denilson made it 2-0 with an absolute screamer from 30 yards on the stroke of half-time. The midfielder, returning from injury, struck a swerving effort that moved in the air leaving the goalkeeper with egg on his face.

It could have been 3-0 on numerous occasions with Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Eboue and Theo Walcott all going close in the second period.
Standard Liege did have their chances. Dieudonne Mbokani hit a post after turning on the edge of the box with the game at 0-0. William Gallas was lucky not to concede a penalty after he bundled Goreux to the ground inside the area. Alex Witsel also struck an upright in the second half as Liege searched for what would have been a mere consolation.
Late on Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez was sent off for violent conduct.
But Arsene Wenger's side progress and their can now rest players for their final group game.

Liverpool sent out after victory

Liverpool were sent crashing out of the Champions League at the group stage despite a 1-0 victory over Debrecen at the Ferenc Puskas Stadium.

Having progressed from the Champions League group stages five years in succession, Liverpool were dumped out of the competition after they were pipped by Lyon and Fiorentina in Group E as the Europa League now awaits for a beleaguered Benitez and his side.
David Ngog's fourth-minute strike was enough for Rafael Benitez's side to edge out the Hungarian side, but Fiorentina's 1-0 win over Lyon saw the Reds' European campaign come to a shuddering halt.
The visitors' joy after Ngog's opportunist finish was tempered as the news from Florence filtered through with a tannoy announcement confirming their worst fears in the 28th minute.
Liverpool started the game quickly and always looked set to secure a comfortable victory after a run of just one win in 10 games in all competitions left Benitez's side with their fate resting in the hands of the French side.
After beginning the match at a typically frantic tempo, the visitors took the lead as Ngog stole in front of Norbert Meszaros to stab home from Steven Gerrard's flick on inside the Debrecen penalty area.
Liverpool's lead should have been doubled as early as the 11th minute after Gerrard whipped in a devilish delivery from the right which beat the lunge of Marcell Fodor but Dirk Kuyt made a tame contact in front of goal and the chance was squandered.
It took until the 35th minute for Debrecen to force a clear-cut opportunity of their own as Gergely Rudolf stole in between Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger to meet Zoltan Szelesi's delivery from the right, but his header drifted wide of Pepe Reina's near post.
Ngog continued to impress with his pace and conviction in the final third, and the striker pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the Debrecen box and lashed his shot towards the far corner of the goal, only for Vukasin Poleksic to dive full-length to tip the ball wide.

Gerrard was characteristically brimming with urgency and purpose in the second half, while Benitez continued to confine Yossi Benayoun and Alberto Aquilani to the bench and was reluctant to introduce the pair of creative midfielders.
Indeed, the Liverpool skipper came agonisingly close to doubling his side's lead as he surged into the Debrecen box, but was denied by an impeccably-timed challenge from Fodor, who had no margin for error.
A minute later, another dynamic run and shot from Gerrard, including a slick one-two on the edge of the hosts' penalty area with Kuyt, brought a fine reflex save from Poleksic, who was forced to sprawl down to his right and parry the ball to safety.
Liverpool were left to bemoan having a lone striker in the 64th minute as Kuyt whipped in a superb delivery from the right, but Lucas headed wide of the near post with just Ngog providing the only additional presence in the box.
For all Liverpool's pressing and harrying in the Debrecen half, the visitors looked devoid of ideas on the whole as Debrecen steadily grew in confidence and introduced a second striker in the burly form of Adamo Coulibaly.
Benitez belatedly brought on Benayoun in the 77th minute at the expense of the goalscorer Ngog, but it was Debrecen who almost found a breakthrough as Coulibaly fired a shot from out on the right which took Reina completely by surprise, with the Spaniard just able to tip the ball over the bar.
Aquilani had to wait until the 91st minute until he got his paltry appearance as a dismayed Gerrard was taken off and all eyes turned to the Stadio Artemio Franchi stadium - but to no avail as Fiorentina clung on to dash Liverpool's hopes.
The final chance of the match fell to the hosts as substitute Coulibaly stormed through on goal but struck his shot straight at Reina as the reaction of the Benitez's forlorn side epitomised the feeling of the travelling supporters.

Tottenham 9-1 Wigan

Jermain Defoe fired in five goals as Tottenham Hotspur destroyed Wigan Athletic 9-1 at White Hart Lane in the Premier League.

Peter Crouch scored the opener for Spurs with the returning Aaron Lennon, Niko Kranjcar and substitute David Bentley also hitting the target, but Defoe rightly hogs the headlines as he rocketed up to the top of the league scoring charts, overtaking Fernando Torres with 11 goals.
Defoe's haul eclipses that of his club captain Robbie Keane, who managed four in the 5-0 win over Burnley in September, and equals the Premier League record set by Andy Cole in Manchester United's 9-0 defeat of Ipswich Town in 1995.
The stunning exhibition of clinical finishing from the England striker also takes his record against the Latics to nine goals in six Premier League starts against them.
His hat-trick came in a frantic seven-minute spell early in the second -half in which Paul Scharner also scored Wigan's consolation goal, but it was Crouch who got Spurs off and running.
After a opening 10-minute onslaught in which he had already put two chances wide, Crouch got in behind Titus Bramble to stoop low and head in Lennon's cross to put Spurs ahead.
Lennon, making his first appearance since picking up an injury in the 1-0 defeat to Stoke a month ago, terrorised former Spurs left-back Erik Edman throughout the match, if this game can be called that.
After Chris Kirkland had kept his side in the match at the break with two good saves from solid Defoe strikes, his team completely fell apart in the second half and looked nothing like the side that has beaten Aston Villa and Chelsea this season.
Five minutes after the break Defoe got off and running when he steered Lennon's low cross into the roof of the net from close range.
Three minutes later it was two for him when Emmerson Boyce failed to intercept Wilson Palacios's through ball and Defoe fired a clinical low strike across goal into the far corner.

With Wigan 3-0 down they already looked dead and buried, but Scharner gave them a sliver of hope when he fired in Hugo Rodallega's cross after clearly controlling the ball with his arm. Referee Peter Walton ignored Tottenham's protests and gave the goal, but it was cancelled out moments later when a rasping shot from Lennon's ball from the byline sealed Defoe's hat-trick and restored Tottenham's three-goal lead.
From then on there was only one side in this game and Tom Huddlestone, Lennon and Kranjcar ran riot in midfield. Lennon got a goal he richly deserved when Crouch played him in on the right to smash a low finish past Kirkland, and four minutes later Defoe latched on to Vedran Corluka's through ball to fire in his fourth.
The match began to open up as Tottenham eyed a record scoreline and Wigan frantically tried to save face, but it all fell apart for the visitors as they conceded three more in the final few minutes.
Edman's awful miscontrol of a long ball allowed Defoe to saunter through and fire in his fifth, and in the very next minute Bentley saw his well-struck free-kick rebound off the bar and in off the back of Kirkland's head.
Bentley turned provider in the third minute of injury time when he found Kranjcar on the edge of the box, and the Croat midfielder rounded off the rout with a swift turn and rocket shot that flew in off the underside of the bar.

the Real Story Egypt vs Algeria in Sudan

These are videos of Algerian fans before the match of Egypt vs Algeria in the Fifa world cup qualification in Khartoum holding knifes and making promises to hurt Egyptian fans.





This video was filmed by an Algerian fan before the match in Sudan on November 18.

He says that Algeria will send thugs to Sudan, "men who's own mothers won't cry over them." What does that tell you about their intention.They went to Sudan knowing that, no matter the outcome, they wanted to wreak havoc. They have proved to the world that they are nothing more than a pathetic country of barbarians that know nothing about modernity or about civilization.




Algerian going through on the Egyptian flag by their cars.



here is some videos of the damages of Egyptian offices of some companies in Algeria.



Algerian burned the office of Egypt air in the capital Algeria.





this a video of the attack on the Egyptian team bus before the match in Khartoum.



Two Algerian fans hits an Egyptian fan with knifes.

Thierry Henry handball video

Thierry Henry has admitted that replaying France's World Cup play-off against the Republic of Ireland would be "the fairest solution" following his handball in the build-up to Les Bleus' decisive goal, with his former manager at Arsenal, Arsène Wenger, insistent a rematch is the only way of restoring French credibility ahead of next summer's finals.

Fifa has ruled that the 1-1 draw at the Stade de France on Wednesday cannot now be changed despite Henry's clear infringement before squaring for William Gallas to equalise in extra-time. The French Football Federation retreated conveniently behind that decision today, conceding it was a "bitter qualification" but it had "to abide by what Fifa say", despite Henry suggesting in a carefully worded statement that a replay of the play-off second leg was preferable.

The Barcelona forward did, however, fall short of apologising for using his hand and denied being a cheat, shifting the onus back on to Fifa to resolve the furore. "Naturally I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who definitely deserve to be in South Africa," said Henry.

"Of course the fairest solution would be to replay the game but it is not in my control. There is little more I can do apart from admit that the ball had contact with my hand leading up to our equalising goal and I feel very sorry for the Irish. I have said at the time and I will say again that, yes, I handled the ball.

"I am not a cheat and never have been. It was an instinctive reaction to a ball that was coming extremely fast in a crowded penalty area. People are viewing a slowmotion version of what happened and not what I or any other footballer faces in the game. If people look at it in full speed you will see that it was an instinctive reaction. It is impossible to be anything other than that."

The Ireland captain, Robbie Keane, praised Henry's "courage and honour" in addressing the issue publicly today and urged the FFF to lobby Fifa to have the game replayed, though a spokesman for the French footballing authorities suggested tonight that it was, in fact, time to "move on". That will do little to ease the acute sense of embarrassment that has accompanied Raymond Domenech's side's progress to South Africa with Wenger, who was present in Paris on Wednesday night, suggesting the FFF has a moral obligation both to Ireland and to Henry to press for a rematch.

"The French Football Federation have to call for the game to be replayed – the credibility of France going to the World Cup depends on that," said Wenger, who had successfully pressed, along with his vice-chairman David Dein, to have Arsenal's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Sheffield United replayed 10 years ago when Marc Overmars's winning goal was scored when the visitors had expected the ball to be returned to them after an injury.

"French football and France as a country have a duty not to leave Thierry out there alone against the whole world. France has to say: 'Yes, it was a handball and we offer a replay,'" Wenger said.

"We want all sport to be fair. Now let's be realistic. Football, and sport in general, is full of heroes who have cheated 10 times more than Thierry. For me people who bought referees, who took drugs, they are the real cheats in sport. Thierry Henry has 14 years behind of fair behaviour in sport and he is singled out today, for me, in the wrong way. You mustn't go overboard with Thierry's behaviour. He made one mistake, and who hasn't made mistakes in life?"

Henry's reaction in twice cushioning the ball with his left hand to ensure it did not drift out of play before squaring for Gallas to score, has drawn comparisons with Diego Maradona's infamous first goal against England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, though Wenger stressed the levels of intent were very different.

"I always said it was not the hand of God but the hand of the Devil, with Maradona," he added. "I never accepted what he did. Thierry's was an instinctive reaction of a striker. When the ball goes too far, you take your hand and use it… He meant to do it but what I mean is it is a reaction of a player when the ball is going out to keep it in.

"[He should apologise] because it is not a regular goal. You can understand at that moment, with the greed of wanting to score, he did that. With a little bit of distance, he is not a guy who wants to win pretty. He wants to win classy. But I am proud of the way France reacted. Everybody said: 'No, that's not the way we wanted to qualify.' The only people who didn't were political people. People are not happy."

Fifa kills Football

Algerians home and abroad exploded with joy as the final whistle sounded in Khartoum to send the north African country to its first football FIFA World Cup™ since 1986.

this is what Fifa put on the official website.they did not mention what the Algerian fan did to the Egyptian fans of throwing stones and using knifes against them in Khartoum.

how is that a fair game,if the Algerian fans move in Khartoum like criminals or hooligans.

Fifa loose his credibility of supporting fair clean games by not referring to any of those incidents.

Algerian fans chasing Egyptian fans through the streets of Khartoum trying to hurt them any way they can.

IF Fifa let Algeria play in the world cup in south Africa 2010 this will be the end fair game which is the soul of Football as they only qualify through anger and intimidation by players or fans not through fair play or fair support.

Portugal 1-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina

Portugal will take a slender advantage into the second leg of their FIFA World Cup™ qualification play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina after Bruno Alves scored the only goal of tonight's match in Lisbon.

A tightly-contested encounter was decided on the half-hour mark when Manchester United winger Nani crossed to the far post where Alves was on hand to head home.

Nani, who deputised on the wing in the absence of the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, was Portugal's most enterprising player. However, the hosts' hopes of finding a second goal were continually thwarted by a disciplined display from Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The visitors showed why only Spain were able to defeat them in the group stage and they could even have taken an away goal into Wednesday's second leg a minute from the end when Edin Dzeko headed against the crossbar before substitute Zlatan Muslimovic hit a post from the rebound.

While Bosnia-Herzegovina would have been enthused by their display, their hopes in the second leg will be undermined by bookings picked up by Emir Spahic, Elver Rahimic and Samir Muratovic which rules them out of Wednesday's game.

Portugal went into the game without star winger Ronaldo and his attacking craft was missed as they struggled to break down the visitors in the early stages when they gave away possession cheaply. Chelsea schemer Deco was most culpable as his usual creative influence deserted him while Simao Sabrosa and Liedson also failed to impart an influence.

The home side had been thwarted for half an hour before they finally created the chance to go ahead. Nani combined with Deco on the right side of the area before the former curled a cross to the far post where Alves was waiting to nod in the decisive goal.

Bosnia-Herzegovina had been happy to defend before the goal, but after they went behind showed a greater attacking desire. After 38 minutes Fejae Salihovic found space down the left flank before firing in a shot that Eduardo did well to save. Five minutes later Senijad Ibricic headed a corner just over the crossbar as Portugal just about held their lead into the break.

The hosts pushed for a second after the interval with a couple of counter attacks, but again Bosnia-Herzegovina held firm. Deco fed Liedson with a long ball that the striker superbly controlled with his chest, passed the ball over a defender and then narrowly shot over. Deco then shot narrowly over himself as the visitors sat deep.

Bosnia-Herzegovina weathered the storm and Dzeko almost squeezed a shot in at Eduardo's near post with a snap shot after 77 minutes. And the hosts almost had an away goal a minute from the end when Dzeko headed Miralem Pjanic's cross against the crossbar and Muslimovic also rattled the woodwork from the rebound.

Ireland 0-1 France

On Saturday 14 November, Nicolas Anelka fired France a step closer to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ finals, with the Republic of Ireland's brave resistance finally wilting late on.

Anelka's 72nd-minute strike, which was deflected past Shay Given by Sean St Ledger, was enough to condemn Giovanni Trapattoni's side to their first defeat of the qualifying campaign and send the French into Wednesday night's return with a lead and a precious away goal.

In truth, it was scarcely more than Raymond Domenech's side deserved after a dominant second-half display which at times left the Irish chasing shadows. And they might have won more comfortably had striker Andre-Pierre Gignac not sliced horribly wide with the goal at his mercy with 10 minutes remaining.

However, it took a fine last-gasp save by keeper Hugo Lloris to deny Glenn Whelan an equaliser as a bumper crowd of 74,103 at Croke Park dared to believe once again.

If France had arrived in Dublin with any doubts about the determination of the Irish to pile on the misery for under-pressure coach Domenech, they were dispelled within seconds of their emergence at Croke Park.

Thierry Henry and his team-mates were greeted by a sea of green and a wall of noise, and the commitment off the field was more than matched by the efforts of the men on it.

Inevitably, the visitors held sway for much of the opening half-hour as the dangerous Anelka dropped deep on the right before either cutting inside or feeding marauding full-back Bacary Sagna, while Henry's searing speed and the brawn of central striker Gignac were constant threats.

But the doggedness of central defenders Richard Dunne and St Ledger - coupled with that of the two men immediately in front of them, Keith Andrews and Whelan - proved enough to limit France's front three and impressive playmaker Yoann Gourcuff.

Of course, there were occasions when Domenech's men were simply too good for the Irish - Dunne was spared punishment for a major error of judgement when he allowed Eric Abidal's 11th-minute clearance to bounce over his head and Gignac gleefully lobbed Shay Given, only for an offside flag to ruin his big moment.

Gourcuff warmed Given's hands with a well-struck 25th-minute snap-shot, while Gignac and Henry both fired wide as the Irish keeper enjoyed a relatively quiet first 45 minutes.

Opposite number Lloris was equally, if not more, under-employed, although he did not see the flag which had gone up for a foul by Kevin Doyle marginally before Robbie Keane ran on to his flick and forced a brave point-blank save before Liam Lawrence's follow-up was deflected behind by Patrice Evra.

Keith Andrews curled a 31st-minute effort two feet wide, but the tie remained finely balanced as the two sets of players headed for their respective dressing rooms.

The French resumed at break-neck pace and very nearly carved the Republic open within seconds as Evra, Henry and Anelka combined to set up Sagna to cross, but John O'Shea made sure it was he who made contact in the middle.

United team-mate Evra was devastated to have 69th-minute penalty appeals waved away after going down under Given's challenge as he pursued Gourcuff's through-ball. But the opening goal finally arrived with 18 minutes remaining as France made their dominance pay, although with the help of a cruel twist of fate.

It was Gourcuff who once again fashioned the opening, picking out Anelka on the edge of the box, and his shot deflected off St Ledger past the helpless Given and in via the upright.

Gignac should have made it 2-0 with 10 minutes remaining when he was presented with an open goal after Anelka had charged down Given's clearance, but he shot wastefully wide and out for a throw-in.

That might have proved costly had Lloris not produced a brave block to deny Whelan three minutes from time and then pushed away another dipping effort from the midfielder, but there was no way back for the home side.

Greece 0-0 Ukraine

Greece and Ukraine's 2010 World Cup qualifying play-off tie remains in the balance after the two teams shared a goalless draw in Athens.

Theofanis Gekas, the overall top scorer in qualifying with 10 goals, wasted Greece's best chance, while Ruslan Rotan was guilty of poor finishing for the visitors on a night when both sides cancelled each other out at the Olympic Stadium. Sotiris Kyrgiakos almost won the game for Otto Rehhagel's Greece in the dying seconds but the Liverpool defender headed wide.

Both teams began brightly but it was the visitors who threatened first and registered the first shot on target when Alexandros Tzorvas pulled off a comfortable save from Andriy Shevchenko's 25-yard free-kick. Giorgos Karagounis responded for the hosts with a shot from distance which was comfortably held by Andriy Piatov in the Ukraine goal.

Former Chelsea and AC Milan forward Shevchenko then tried his luck again from another free-kick in the 13th minute but his tame effort drifted wide. Greece had the ball in the net after 16 minutes when Gekas turned in Dimitris Salpigidis cross but the assistant referee had already raised his flag for offside.

Rotan wasted a golden opportunity three minutes later after a defensive mix-up from the home side when he dragged his shot wide of the left post from the edge of the box. The visitors continued to look the more dangerous, particularly on the counter attack and Tvorvas was called upon in the 36th minute to make a smart save from Oleg Gusiev's shot from an acute angle.

Greece threatened twice before half-time but striker Giorgos Samaras' control let him down when Salpigidis picked him out with a low centre before Gekas headed straight at Piatov from Karagounis' free-kick. Samaras, who was a peripheral figure in the first half, drew a save from Piatov with a speculative shot from distance as Greece began strongly after the break.

However, again the visitors threatened and Karagounis came to Greece's rescue with a last-ditch tackle to deny Artem Milevskyy in the 55th minute. Tzorvas was called into action again in the 68th minute to push away a rasping Taras Mykhalyk's drive.

Rehhagel then handed 21-year-old striker Kostas Mitroglou his international debut as a replacement for Salpigidis with 19 minutes left as he looked to add attacking impetus to his team. However, the Olympiakos forward failed to make a significant impression and it was Samaras who next went close with a powerful shot which flew just inches over the bar.

Ukraine continued to look dangerous going forward on the break but it was the home side who almost snatched a vital win through Kyrgiakos, but the defender headed Kostas Katsouranis' right-wing cross wide of the left post with only seconds remaining.

Russia 2-1 Slovenia

Russia midfielder Sergei Semak admitted Slovenia's late goal in their 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ qualifying first leg play-off left him uneasy ahead of the return clash.

Russia dominated the match throughout and led comfortably through Everton midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov's brace. However, substitute Nejc Pecnik's header two minutes from time left the tie in the balance at 2-1, and they could even have levelled as Marko Suler forced a superb stoppage-time save from Igor Akinfeev.

"The match left me with mixed feelings," Semak told RIA Novosti. "On the one hand, I'm pleased we won, but on the other hand, the way the game ended doesn't leave you at ease in the run-up for the next match."

I'm pleased we won, but on the other hand, the way the game ended doesn't leave you at ease in the run-up for the next match.
Sergei Semak
Slovenia produced little in attack and Robert Koren's 88th-minute shot in the build-up to Pecnik's goal was their first on target. Semak added: "They didn't surprise us because it was obvious that they came here with the aim of not allowing a goal. Only after we scored the second goal did they go all out."

Goalscorer Bilyaletdinov opted to let his football do the talking, offering only the assertion that: "All commentaries will be after the second match."

Slovenia coach Matjaz Kek was relieved after Pecnik's contribution, and told the Slovenian FA's official website, nzs.si: "We have found a goal that keeps us in the game. In the first half we gave away a stupid goal, and we also started badly in the second half when (keeper Samir) Handanovic kept out some dangerous moves from the Russian team."

Kek is hopeful for Wednesday's clash in front of his nation's own fans, and continued: "The People's Stadium can create a positive outcome. We must recover and prepare for the return meeting."

Europe play-offs first leg

The prospect of a FIFA World Cup™ without Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry will move a step closer if Portugal and France come unstuck in the first leg of their South Africa 2010 play-offs on Saturday.

Having failed to secure automatic qualification for the South Africa showpiece, Portugal must overcome Bosnia-Herzegovina while France face a stern test against Giovanni Trapattoni's rejuvenated Republic of Ireland. Both France and Portugal, who lost to the French in the 2006 semi-finals, have been hampered by injury, with Les Bleus deprived of the services of Franck Ribery and Portugal missing talismanic captain Ronaldo.

France coach Raymond Domenech, apparently immune to the welter of public criticism which has rained down on him for much of his tenure, insists the French will go through. "I know my men are ready," said Domenech, whose side face Ireland in Dublin on Saturday prior to the return leg in Paris next Wednesday.

"Any pressure is internal. If the players don't feel it inside then there's something wrong and they have no place here." Yet even as Domenech seeks to throw a protective arm around his squad he himself has been squarely in the firing line, coming in for criticism from the Irish and his own countrymen alike.

Ireland defender Richard Dunne, whose side went unbeaten in qualifying only to be pipped to automatic qualification from Group 8 by reigning champions Italy, insists that with the likes of Henry and Nicolas Anelka on board, France should already be through.

"Every time a tournament comes round, France have all these world-class players and then a man who seems intent on messing them up," Dunne told The Guardian newspaper. "And we know that if we can get in front, they probably have not got the man at the top to pull them back around."

Domenech took time out to attend the Paris Masters tennis tournament this week and was promptly booed by fans when cameras picked him out in the crowd. And L'Equipe sports daily picked up on criticism by depicting the Irish team lined up behind Domenech beneath the headline, 'Their luck is him!'

The pressure is on them (France) more so than us, but we are both playing for a place in the World Cup finals, so it's enormous,
Republic of Ireland assistant coach Liam Brady.
Former Irish star Liam Brady, now an assistant to Trapattoni, says the men in green fear nobody. "The pressure is on them more so than us, but we are both playing for a place in the World Cup finals, so it's enormous," he said. "But if we were to carry a lead to Paris, the pressure would pile on them."

French forward Sidney Govou shrugged off the mind games regarding Domenech. "They (the critics) just want to put the pressure on - but it's not him who'll be out there on the pitch."

For Portugal's Deco, meanwhile, the loss of Ronaldo must not be allowed to weigh too heavily on Carlos Queiroz's side. "We have enough quality to plug the gap - we can't use his absence as an excuse. We know it won't be easy but we are confident," the Chelsea midfielder insisted.

As France and Portugal seek redemption in the form of tickets to South Africa, 2004 European champions Greece also face a fight as they go up against Ukraine, who edged Croatia out of the runners-up spot in England's group. The inconsistent Greeks lost out in their group to Switzerland and have the perceived disadvantage of playing the second leg away.

Guus Hiddink's Russia, who were unable to overhaul Germany in their group, host Slovenia. "We should never underestimate Slovenia on any account," Hiddink warned his UEFA Euro 2008 semi-finalists.

Arsenal 4-1 AZ Alkmaar

Two goals from captain Cesc Fàbregas set Arsenal FC on their way to a comfortable victory against AZ Alkmaar which left the Gunners on the verge of qualifying for the last 16 from UEFA Champions League Group H.

On top
Fàbregas scored in the 25th and 52nd minutes, either side of Samir Nasri's first-half strike, before Abou Diaby added a fourth in the 72nd minute and Jeremain Lens grabbed a consolation goal for the visitors. Arsenal top the section by four points from Olympiacos FC – beaten 2-0 at R. Standard de Liège – and need just a point from their remaining two matches to be certain of a place in the first knockout round.

Early pressure
Stung by AZ's added-time equaliser in the Netherlands two weeks ago, Arsenal made their intentions clear from the off. Robin van Persie tried his luck in the fourth minute after a series of short passes put the Dutchman through for an angled drive that flew narrowly wide of the far post. Though it signalled the start of the home team's pressure on the AZ penalty area, a string of clear-cut chances was not to follow.

Fàbregas celebrates
With the Dutch champions' well-organised defence seemingly impervious to aerial attack, it was going to take something special for Arsène Wenger's men to make a breakthrough and that duly arrived when Fàbregas, who had also given his side the lead in Alkmaar, collected the ball on the edge of the box from William Gallas. It may not have looked like a scoring position, and there was not a great deal of power behind his well-concealed shot, but goalkeeper Sergio Romero could only get his glove to the Spaniard's daisy-cutter as it zipped inside the near post.

Second strike
The setback gave AZ more urgency going forward, yet just as Ronald Koeman's charges appeared to be coming back into the game, Arsenal put it further out of their reach. Two minutes before the break, Andrei Arshavin picked up the ball in midfield and fed Nasri, who deftly skirted the last defender before steering a shot into the bottom left-hand corner.

AZ threat
Seven minutes after the interval, Arshavin was again the provider as AZ gave possession away in central midfield and the playmaker slipped the ball through for Fàbregas to smack a first-time effort past Romero. To their credit, AZ shrugged off the latest blow and very nearly pulled one back when Graziano Pellè chested the ball down and volleyed a searing shot which Manuel Almunia parried, sending it against the underside of the bar and out.

Game over
Fàbregas left the field to huge applause when he was replaced by Aaron Ramsey in the 67th minute, with Van Persie also making way for Eduardo in what Wenger clearly believed was a match already won. It certainly seemed that way in the 72nd minute when Eduardo's clever back-heel released Arshavin on the counter and the Russian teed up Diaby to beat Romero from close range. However, the final goal went the way of AZ – who could still qualify in second spot despite propping up the section – as Lens raced through to finish neatly after a swift break on 82 minutes.

Standard de Liège 2-0 Olympiacos FC

R. Standard de Liège's first UEFA Champions League win proved to be worth the wait as the Belgian titleholders defeated Olympiacos FC at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne to revive their Group H qualification prospects.

Slender advantage
Bottom on one point ahead of Matchday 4, László Bölöni's troops lifted themselves up a rung and within two points of second-placed Olympiacos thanks to Dieudonné Mbokani's coolly taken strike after 31 minutes and Milan Jovanović's late header. The first goal owed much to a defensive lapse, but Standard deserved it for their more enterprising approach in the opening half, even if they did creep dangerously back into their shells to protect their slender advantage after the restart. They will look to continue their renaissance at Arsenal FC on 24 November, when their Greek rivals will attempt to bounce back at AZ Alkmaar.

Committed tackling
The visitors lined up with five at the back and, with Standard lacking the requisite quality to find a way through, the first 25 minutes were more notable for some committed tackling than any goalscoring chances. Finally, with 27 minutes gone, the hosts put together a fluid move. Igor De Camargo started things off in midfield by freeing Mehdi Carcela-González on the right, and the 20-year-old slipped a pass through to Jovanović, whose cutback was scooped over by Mbokani.

Mbokani breakthrough
That one moment sent volts of energy through what had been an uneventful encounter and moments later goalkeeper Sinan Bolat almost palmed a lofted Enzo Maresca pass into the feet of Raúl Bravo. It was Standard who made the breakthrough, though, Mbokani holding off Avraam Papadopoulos and shooting low beyond Antonis Nikopolidis after Olof Mellberg had let Eliaquim Mangala's hopeful long ball pass him by. With the crowd in raptures, Les Rouches sought to capitalise and the gifted Carcela-González volleyed a superb arcing effort on to the bar from 25 metres after controlling with his chest.

Galletti injury
Jovanović then fired wide, with Olympiacos going closest through an off-target Kostas Mitroglou attempt but handed a major blow when Argentinian schemer Luciano Galletti was forced out of the fray through injury three minutes before the interval. The response from Zico's men after the break was to attack in greater numbers, and they gave the locals a fright when Maresca sent a diving header too high.

Mellberg attempt
With a new intensity to their play, Greece's champions threatened again as Mellberg volleyed a Maresca free-kick straight at Bolat from in front of goal. How Standard trainer Bölöni must have wished his charges had the luxury of a second goal on the scoreboard, yet instead of striving to secure the points they became encamped in their own half, a tactic that had allowed Arsenal FC to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win on Matchday 1.

Late goal
Indeed, given the pressure his side were under, Mangala ought to have done better when he headed a corner wide from point-blank range. It was not to prove costly, though, as Jovanović nodded in the rebound two minutes from time after Mbokani's shot had been saved by Nikopolidis.

Sevilla FC 1-1 VfB Stuttgart

A superb long-range strike from Zdravko Kuzmanović with eleven minutes left gave VfB Stuttgart a merited point against a Sevilla FC side who nevertheless marched into the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds with this draw.

Man down
The 1-1 scoreline was secured after Jesús Navas had established a first-half lead for the Group G pacesetters, who were then hindered by injuries to Arouna Koné and substitute Aldo Duscher, leaving the Spanish Liga club a man short for the last quarter of an hour. The end product was Kuzmanović's stunning effort, slightly deflected off substitute Julian Schieber and launched from Duscher's abandoned beat.

Going solo
The fact both coaches initially opted for a lone striker put the solo abilities of the two centre-forwards, Luis Fabiano for Sevilla and Stuttgart's Pavel Pogrebnyak, in direct comparison. That neither team was clever enough in its use of the ball for the frontrunners to have it easy only emphasised how effective Fabiano was with whatever scrap of possession he gained. Stuttgart's Russian international showed willing, Fabiano class. Where home coach Manuel Jiménez normally prefers a 4-4-2, here he deployed three creative players – Navas on the right, Arouna Koné centrally and Diego Capel on the left – behind the Brazilian dubbed "the best centre-forward in the world" by FC Unirea Urziceni coach Dan Petrescu.

Provider
'O Fabuloso' displayed both precision and vision when the opening goal arrived. Fabiano was lurking 30 metres out when Ndri Romaric gave him a hard, low pass to feet. The diagonal volleyed flick that followed was glorious and measured perfectly for Navas's run into the Stuttgart box. The captain's uncomplicated right-foot finish earned him his second UEFA Champions League goal, handed Sevilla the lead and made Fabiano the leading assist provider of the group stage with four. Injury then forced Sevilla to introduce Álvaro Negredo in place of Arouna Koné. This prompted a return to the twin-striker system and within minutes the replacement nearly scored. Matthieu Delpierre carelessly presented the ball to Navas who cut it back for Negredo, whose left-footed strike was smothered by Jens Lehmann.

Tactical battle
Whatever the deficiencies away coach Markus Babbel witnessed in his side's first-half performance, he would nonetheless have spotted opportunities down Sevilla's left flank. The Bundesliga outfit duly drafted Stefano Celozzi and Sebastian Rudy down their right, for Khalid Boulahrouz and Roberto Hilbert, and the switch worked. The ensuing flurry of possession and chances for the visitors made Sevilla's advantage look slim. It culminated in a fierce 54th-minute effort from Kuzmanović that Javi Varas saved with his knees. From the rebound Pogrebnyak bounced a header off the bar and, with Varas struggling for position, Serdar Tasci wasted his opportunity by nodding the loose ball straight at the goalkeeper. Jiménez responded to the tactical power play by sending on Diego Perotti and Duscher.

Parity
If equilibrium appeared to have been restored, Duscher's departure with a hamstring problem helped rip up the script. The rest was done by Kuzmanović's 20-metre missile after the midfielder received a square pass from Pogrebnyak. The result ended Sevilla's 100 per cent home record in the UEFA Champions League in their seventh match at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.

Unirea Urziceni 1-1 Rangers

Marius Onofraş struck an explosive equaliser with two minutes remaining to keep FC Unirea Urziceni firmly in contention to progress from UEFA Champions League Group G and frustrate a Rangers FC side who believed they had just breathed new life into their campaign.

Unirea advantage
Lee McCulloch, who put through his own net as the Romanian champions won 4-1 in Glasgow two weeks ago, scored at the right end this time with an emphatic drive in the 79th minute. It pointed Rangers towards their first victory in the section but Onofraş, an early substitute, had other ideas to keep Unirea three points clear of fourth-placed Rangers, and two in front of VfB Stuttgart in third.

Nervous start
There was a cagey feel to the initial exchanges, befitting the importance of the game to both teams. While Kenny Miller was operating as a lone front man for the visitors, Steven Davis and Steven Naismith in particular were quick to push on from midfield and lend support. Unirea funnelled back in numbers to plug any gaps while the inventive touches of Serban Dacian Varga offered them possibilities going forward.

Early efforts
Worryingly for Rangers, Unirea were able to find their central striker Marius Ioan Bilasco seemingly at will, although 17-year-old defender Danny Wilson was creating a solid impression on only his second competitive appearance. An early shooting chance emerged for Tiberiu Bălan but he snatched at the attempt. Rangers probed away and soon manufactured openings themselves. From Kevin Thomson's free-kick, Giedrius Arlauskis was grateful to scramble the ball away. The goalkeeper then stretched to gather a Naismith header.

Onofraş on
As at Ibrox, Unirea coach Dan Petrescu opted to introduce Onofraş at an early juncture with Bălan making way. The switch appeared to inspire his side and Onofraş himself gave Allan McGregor palpitations with an ambitious effort from 40 metres that landed on the roof of the net. McGregor had already been relieved to push a Vasile Maftei free-kick around the post and then responded well when Sorin Frunză's drive deflected off a defender. At the other end, Miller shimmied his way past two defenders yet could not squeeze his shot beyond Arlauskis. Moments before half-time Kyle Lafferty was only narrowly wide of the far post with a curling strike.

Miller close
There was no quick second-half goal to warm supporters who had been soaked through by the incessant rain. In the 62nd minute Rangers worked the best opening of the night so far with Davis slipping Miller into a great position to give his team the lead. However, the Scottish international prodded the ball too close to Arlauskis and with the attempt lacking sufficient power, the keeper was able to make the save.

Varga flair
The reprieve lifted Unirea and with Varga eager to get on the ball and display his tricks, the home crowd willed their favourites to punish Rangers. However, the deadlock was broken by the Glaswegians when McCulloch, receiving a short pass from Lafferty, let fly with a shot that bounced in front of Arlauskis and skidded in. There was little time for Unirea to respond but Onofraş came to their rescue after the hard-working Bilasco had set him up.

Fiorentina 5-2 Debreceni

ACF Fiorentina moved within sight of the UEFA Champions League knockout stages with an entertaining victory against Debreceni VSC.

Ruthless diplay
Although Gergely Rudolf gave the visitors brief hope by cancelling out Adrian Mutu's opener, Cesare Prandelli's men ran amok in the second half. Marco Marchionni, Riccardo Montolivo, Dario Dainelli and Alberto Gilardino all found the net to take the Serie A side second in Group E, a point behind Olympique Lyonnais who drew 1-1 with Liverpool FC. While Fiorentina and Debrecen had traded seven goals in Budapest two weeks before, it was difficult to envisage a similar scenario here at half-time, but inspired by substitute Montolivo, the Viola emerged with new purpose and even Adamo Coulibaly, whose header made it 4-2, was denied the final word.

Dainelli header
Visiting coach András Herczeg had decided to pack his midfield yet it did not take Fiorentina long to breach the Hungarian champions' defences. Mutu had his first shot on target within five minutes after dancing past Luis Ramos and Ádám Komlósi. The Romanian's effort was blocked, but from the resulting corner Manuel Pasqual picked out Dainelli who headed just wide; Komlósi also went down with a head injury that prompted his substitution.

Mutu strike
The hosts sensed confusion in Debrecen's ranks and began to test their guests down the flanks. Juan Vargas fired a warning after skilfully chesting down Zoltán Szélesi's clearance and shooting first time from 20 metres. That attempt may have flown centimetres wide but moments later Fiorentina were ahead. Marco Donadel released Marchionni down the right and the winger crossed invitingly for Mutu, who nodded at full stretch past Djordje Pantić.

Gilardino chance
Although the away team created half-chances on the break, with Rudolf and Péter Czvitkovics troubling Vlada Avramov, Fiorentina's goalkeeper was enjoying a quiet competition debut until Debrecen equalised. Pantić had just watched Gilardino's looping header from a Vargas corner clip the top of the bar when Debrecen surged forward down the left. Leandro sent over a deep cross and Rudolf evaded Per Krøldrup to steer in at the far post.

Dainelli header
The equaliser forced Fiorentina to up the tempo and Gilardino soon elicited a fine stop from Pantić on the turn. The Italy striker threatened again shortly after the restart, directing Pasqual's assist over before teeing up Mutu, whose shot was saved, with a clever back-heel. As the Tuscan outfit turned the screw, Montolivo's strike from distance was again kept out by Pantić, yet the sustained spell of pressure told when Dainelli leapt to head in Gianluca Comotto's cross.

Quick strikes
Fiorentina now had the bit between their teeth and netted twice more in the space of three minutes. Montolivo arrived unmarked at the far post to connect with Vargas's dangerous delivery, and with Debrecen exposed Marchionni stole in to score following a quick exchange between Mutu and Gilardino. Not to be completely undone, Debrecen gave themselves hope on 70 minutes, Coulibaly heading in Péter Szakály's centre. However, Gilardino restored the three-goal cushion within four minutes, glancing in a Vargas free-kick to round off a highly enjoyable evening for the Viola.

Lyon 1-1 Liverpool FC

A last-minute leveller from Lisandro fired Olympique Lyonnais into the UEFA Champions League knockout stage for the seventh season running, cancelling out Ryan Babel's superb strike and delivering a major blow to Liverpool FC's qualifying hopes.

Late drama
It looked as though the visitors' campaign had been revived by Babel's pinpoint 20-metre shot on 83 minutes as a close game burst into life in the dying moments. Liverpool had produced a spirited performance, keeping OL quiet for long periods and forcing Hugo Lloris to make a series of fine saves. Yet with seconds remaining, Michel Bastos's flicked header sent Lisandro galloping into the penalty area, and the Argentinian supplied a cool finish over the advancing Pepe Reina. The draw means Lyon are guaranteed a top-two spot in Group E, while Liverpool fall five points adrift of second-placed ACF Fiorentina.

Attacking intent
Mindful of his side's urgent need for points, Rafael Benítez filled his midfield with attacking players, although Yossi Benayoun, Andriy Voronin and Dirk Kuyt all showed impressive defensive discipline early on as the Reds' compact formation denied Lyon space. Aside from long-range efforts from Bastos and Bafétimbi Gomis, both claimed easily by Reina, there was little threat from the home team in a tense first half shaded by Liverpool.

Insúa inspiration
Boosted by the presence of Fernando Torres despite a groin problem, the five-time European champions raided with purpose whenever an opportunity arose. Emiliano Insúa laid on the match's first chance for Torres on 12 minutes, the Spaniard meeting his cross with a low first-time strike that Lloris saved with his boot. Anthony Réveillère was struggling with an injury when Insúa found room again moments later, this time squaring for Benayoun whose control teed up Kuyt only for Lloris to tip over the Dutchman's volley.

Lloris excels
Réveillère was subsequently replaced, soon to be followed by another injury victim Miralem Pjanić, as OL's concerns grew. Fortunately for Claude Puel's charges, Lloris was very much on his game, the France goalkeeper brilliantly denying Voronin, again with his foot, after the Ukrainian had latched on to a long through pass. The contest remained tight and tactical as both sides probed but failed to find the killer pass. Aly Cissokho tried hard to stir the Ligue 1 outfit early in the second period, twice surging up the left and delivering good crosses, yet Ederson rifled the first over before Bastos's looping header sailed narrowly over the crossbar.

Fine stops
Most of the good openings were going to the Merseysiders, however, and only another wonderful Lloris stop kept Liverpool at bay when Insúa picked out Lucas, who had ghosted into space on the left of the penalty area. The Brazilian's placed attempt looked goalbound but Lloris displayed stunning reflexes by thrusting out his left hand, Cissokho clearing Kuyt's overhead follow-up effort off the line. Not to be outdone, Reina then pulled off a fine save at the other end, rushing out to foil Lisandro after Sotiris Kyrgiakos's weak back-header, and it seemed as though that save would prove crucial when Babel found the top corner with a thunderous strike. However, there was to be no denying Lisandro, and Lyon, at the last.