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Liverpool, Inter and Atletico through
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-27 15:57 LONDON -- Five-time winners Liverpool, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid advanced into the Champions League last 16 while Chelsea must wait for the final group match after a 1-1 draw at Girondins Bordeaux on Wednesday.
Captain Steven Gerrard scored the only goal at Anfield against Olympique Marseille to send Liverpool through. Atletico Madrid grabbed the other berth in Group D after a 2-1 home win over PSV Eindhoven behind closed doors. Inter safely progressed from Group B despite a surprise 1-0 home defeat to Panathinaikos. Chelsea still have to work to join fellow Premier League sides in the last 16 as a 83-minute Alou Diarra header cancelled out Nicolas Anelka's goal for Chelsea. Roma went top of Group A on nine points after a 3-1 win at CFR Cluj but still have to secure a draw facing Bordeaux, now on seven, to get through. Chelsea, a point behind Roma, will host Cluj. Group C produced two big-scoring matches. Barcelona beat Sporting 5-2 in a game of qualifiers to seal the top spot while Shakhtar Donetsk secured a UEFA Cup place, available to the eight third-placed teams, after a 5-0 home rout of Basel thanks to a Jadson hat-trick. Panathinaikos scored a shock winner against Inter on 69 minutes when Josu Sarriegi pounced from close range after Giannia Goumas' header had been parried by Julio Cruz. Inter had its best chance in the 11th when Adriano hit the post on a sharply angled shot. They created little else afterwards until the final minutes when coach Jose Mourinho had four strikers on the field and his team laid siege to the Panathinaikos goal. The loss left Mourinho fuming although they still progressed with eight points, one more than Panathinaikos and two clear of Anorthosis, who squandered a 2-0 lead at home to draw 2-2 with Werder Bremen. "Panathinaikos deserves this win and we deserved to lose," said Mourinho. "We played a slow game and in the first half basically didn't create anything. We didn't fight for the lose balls. I think the players were tired, that's the explanation I prefer." The unlikely win put Panathinaikos in a better position for a knockout stage slot as they need only a draw in their final game against Anorthosis Famagusta in Athens. Liverpool only rode their luck to advance as Marseille dominated possession for long periods but were made to pay for a a temporary reprieve. Gerrard, restored to Liverpool's line-up from a groin injury, provided the highlight of a poor Liverpool display after 23 minutes. He stole in unmarked on the end of Xabi Alonso's ball to the far post to head powerfully in. Chelsea failed to complete a clear sweep of English teams but are expecting little trouble against eliminated Cluj in their final game. Luiz Felipe Scolari's side struggled with Petr Cech forced to make excellent early saves before Frank Lampard put Nicolas Anelka clean through to score with a low finish on 60 minutes. An unmarked Alou Diarra headed in from a corner to equalise with seven minutes to go. Chelsea were under further pressure as Lampard was dismissed for a second yellow card three minutes later but the hosts were unable to take the advantage. |
