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Chelsea slumps, Leverkusen through
Source: Agencies |
November 25, 2011, Friday
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APOEL Nicosia became the first Cypriot team to reach the Champions League last 16, Arsenal was the first English side through this season and Chelsea's woes increased when Bayer Leverkusen snatched late qualification on Wednesday.
Holder Barcelona, which had already sealed its progression, secured top spot in Group H with a 3-2 win at AC Milan where Lionel Messi scored from the spot but only after being cautioned for stopping in his run-up on his first attempt.
Manuel Friedrich's 90th-minute goal for Leverkusen took the Germans through with a 2-1 home triumph over faltering Chelsea, which now needs to beat Valencia at home or draw 0-0 in the last match to go through.
Didier Drogba had handed the visitors the lead with a top-class goal just after the break but Eren Derdiyok's header with almost his first touch and Friedrich's winner out of the blue sent home fans and ex-Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack wild.
"We thought we had the game in our hands at 1-0 because we were compact and solid," under pressure Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas, who has also lost three out of his last four Premier League matches, told Sky Sports.
"We are improving our work and determination but at the moment it is not sufficient."
Valencia warmed up for the final Group E clash with a 7-0 thumping of bottom side Racing Genk in which Roberto Soldado bagged a first-half hat-trick.
APOEL's 0-0 draw at Zenit St. Petersburg, halted twice because of heavy smoke from flares, followed an onslaught from the Russians but the Cypriot champion clung on to complete a stunning achievement for the island nation.
"We have good players who try hard every single game and they also have a great desire to achieve something really important," APOEL's Serbian coach Ivan Jovanovic said.
"I think these factors have been the key to our success on the pitch."
APOEL remains the only unbeaten team in Group G where twice champion Porto won 2-0 at bottom side Shakhtar Donetsk to keep alive its hopes of overhauling second-placed Zenit when they meet in the final group game in Portugal on December 6.
Inconsistent Olympique Marseille was also going through from Group F until Giannis Fetfatzidis struck eight minutes from time to give Olympiakos Piraeus a 1-0 victory at the Stade Velodrome to rekindle its last-16 hopes.
Surprisingly weak
Several permutations are possible for the second group berth but Marseille knows a win at the surprisingly weak German champion in two weeks would put it through to the knockout stages starting in February.
Viktoria Plzen won 1-0 at Bate Borisov in the fog to boost its chances of finishing third and taking Group H's Europa League berth with Milan having already at least guaranteed second spot before the heavyweight clash with Barca.
A Mark van Bommel own goal against his former side gave the holder a 14th-minute advantage in the San Siro but Zlatan Ibrahimovic, also formerly of Barca, levelled soon after before the palaver of Messi's penalty.
A neat finish from Kevin-Prince Boateng after the break handed seven-time winners Milan parity only for Xavi to have the last laugh and make sure of first place.
Inter Milan, Bayern Munich and Benfica reached the last 16 on Tuesday.
Holder Barcelona, which had already sealed its progression, secured top spot in Group H with a 3-2 win at AC Milan where Lionel Messi scored from the spot but only after being cautioned for stopping in his run-up on his first attempt.
Manuel Friedrich's 90th-minute goal for Leverkusen took the Germans through with a 2-1 home triumph over faltering Chelsea, which now needs to beat Valencia at home or draw 0-0 in the last match to go through.
Didier Drogba had handed the visitors the lead with a top-class goal just after the break but Eren Derdiyok's header with almost his first touch and Friedrich's winner out of the blue sent home fans and ex-Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack wild.
"We thought we had the game in our hands at 1-0 because we were compact and solid," under pressure Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas, who has also lost three out of his last four Premier League matches, told Sky Sports.
"We are improving our work and determination but at the moment it is not sufficient."
Valencia warmed up for the final Group E clash with a 7-0 thumping of bottom side Racing Genk in which Roberto Soldado bagged a first-half hat-trick.
APOEL's 0-0 draw at Zenit St. Petersburg, halted twice because of heavy smoke from flares, followed an onslaught from the Russians but the Cypriot champion clung on to complete a stunning achievement for the island nation.
"We have good players who try hard every single game and they also have a great desire to achieve something really important," APOEL's Serbian coach Ivan Jovanovic said.
"I think these factors have been the key to our success on the pitch."
APOEL remains the only unbeaten team in Group G where twice champion Porto won 2-0 at bottom side Shakhtar Donetsk to keep alive its hopes of overhauling second-placed Zenit when they meet in the final group game in Portugal on December 6.
Inconsistent Olympique Marseille was also going through from Group F until Giannis Fetfatzidis struck eight minutes from time to give Olympiakos Piraeus a 1-0 victory at the Stade Velodrome to rekindle its last-16 hopes.
Surprisingly weak
Several permutations are possible for the second group berth but Marseille knows a win at the surprisingly weak German champion in two weeks would put it through to the knockout stages starting in February.
Viktoria Plzen won 1-0 at Bate Borisov in the fog to boost its chances of finishing third and taking Group H's Europa League berth with Milan having already at least guaranteed second spot before the heavyweight clash with Barca.
A Mark van Bommel own goal against his former side gave the holder a 14th-minute advantage in the San Siro but Zlatan Ibrahimovic, also formerly of Barca, levelled soon after before the palaver of Messi's penalty.
A neat finish from Kevin-Prince Boateng after the break handed seven-time winners Milan parity only for Xavi to have the last laugh and make sure of first place.
Inter Milan, Bayern Munich and Benfica reached the last 16 on Tuesday.
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