Arsenal, Roma secure last 16
Source: Agencies |
December 10, 2010, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ARSENAL, Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk completed a heavyweight line-up for the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday, shrugging off closing-night nerves as the final round of matches was marred by crowd trouble in Slovakia.
Arsenal flirted with trouble at 1-1 at home to Partizan Belgrade but a group phase that featured few surprises ended predictably as Theo Walcott and Samir Nasri struck to secure a 3-1 win that saw it squeeze through in second spot in Group H.
Shakhtar kept Braga at bay before striking twice in the second half itself for a 2-0 home win that clinched first place ahead of Arsenal, while Roma held on for a drab 1-1 draw at CFR Cluj to qualify behind Bayern Munich in Group F.
The draw for the last 16, to be held on December 17, will feature the might of European club soccer, which may be a worry for Arsenal given that its second-place finish means it could face Barcelona or Real Madrid among the group winners.
Absent from the draw will be Zilina and Spartak Moscow, whose Group F game in Slovakia was held up for 20 minutes when fans launched a firecracker on to the pitch from an end populated by Spartak fans.
Bayern, Chelsea, Olympique Marseille, Real Madrid and AC Milan had already secured their places heading into Wednesday's final matches.
Chelsea, going through a sticky patch in the Premier League, was beaten 0-1 at Olympique Marseille through a Brandao goal nine minutes from time but while the result may provide further concerns for coach Carlo Ancelotti it had no bearing on Group F.
On the other side of the draw, FC Copenhagen claimed the last available place by beating Panathinaikos on Tuesday.
Already qualified for the last 16 from Groups A-D were Tottenham Hotspur, holders Inter Milan, Schalke 04, Olympique Lyon, Manchester United, Valencia and Barcelona.
Arsenal's victory over Partizan was surprisingly nervy considering it got a good start with a Robin van Persie penalty. Cleo's equalizer rocked it but two neat finishes from Walcott and Nasri meant it survived the sending-off of Bacary Sagna five minutes from time with equanimity.
England's Premier League will have the strongest presence going forward with four of the 16 teams - three of them from London and sharing the same dream of a "home" final at Wembley next May.
Spain and Italy have three qualifiers each, Germany and France two and Ukraine and Denmark one apiece.
The most emphatic winner on the final night of Champions League action before 2011 was Real Madrid, which helped itself to a 4-0 win over Auxerre in Group G with a hat-trick from Karim Benzema and one from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ajax Amsterdam advanced with a 2-0 win away to a second-string AC Milan in Frank de Boer's first game in temporary charge.
Bayern also enjoyed itself in a 3-0 win over Basel, Franck Ribery getting two of the goals as the Bavarians underlined their superiority in Group E.
Arsenal flirted with trouble at 1-1 at home to Partizan Belgrade but a group phase that featured few surprises ended predictably as Theo Walcott and Samir Nasri struck to secure a 3-1 win that saw it squeeze through in second spot in Group H.
Shakhtar kept Braga at bay before striking twice in the second half itself for a 2-0 home win that clinched first place ahead of Arsenal, while Roma held on for a drab 1-1 draw at CFR Cluj to qualify behind Bayern Munich in Group F.
The draw for the last 16, to be held on December 17, will feature the might of European club soccer, which may be a worry for Arsenal given that its second-place finish means it could face Barcelona or Real Madrid among the group winners.
Absent from the draw will be Zilina and Spartak Moscow, whose Group F game in Slovakia was held up for 20 minutes when fans launched a firecracker on to the pitch from an end populated by Spartak fans.
Bayern, Chelsea, Olympique Marseille, Real Madrid and AC Milan had already secured their places heading into Wednesday's final matches.
Chelsea, going through a sticky patch in the Premier League, was beaten 0-1 at Olympique Marseille through a Brandao goal nine minutes from time but while the result may provide further concerns for coach Carlo Ancelotti it had no bearing on Group F.
On the other side of the draw, FC Copenhagen claimed the last available place by beating Panathinaikos on Tuesday.
Already qualified for the last 16 from Groups A-D were Tottenham Hotspur, holders Inter Milan, Schalke 04, Olympique Lyon, Manchester United, Valencia and Barcelona.
Arsenal's victory over Partizan was surprisingly nervy considering it got a good start with a Robin van Persie penalty. Cleo's equalizer rocked it but two neat finishes from Walcott and Nasri meant it survived the sending-off of Bacary Sagna five minutes from time with equanimity.
England's Premier League will have the strongest presence going forward with four of the 16 teams - three of them from London and sharing the same dream of a "home" final at Wembley next May.
Spain and Italy have three qualifiers each, Germany and France two and Ukraine and Denmark one apiece.
The most emphatic winner on the final night of Champions League action before 2011 was Real Madrid, which helped itself to a 4-0 win over Auxerre in Group G with a hat-trick from Karim Benzema and one from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ajax Amsterdam advanced with a 2-0 win away to a second-string AC Milan in Frank de Boer's first game in temporary charge.
Bayern also enjoyed itself in a 3-0 win over Basel, Franck Ribery getting two of the goals as the Bavarians underlined their superiority in Group E.
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