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Milan, Marseille advance in Champions League

AC Milan and Marseille secured spots in the Champions League knockout phase with a game to spare Tuesday as Arsenal's progress was stalled by a surprise loss at Braga.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ronaldinho scored to give Milan a 2-0 victory over Auxerre in Group G, which will be topped by Real Madrid after the nine-time champions routed Ajax 4-0.

Group F was also settled by Marseille beating 10-man Spartak Moscow 3-0 and Chelsea taking top spot by rallying to beat Zilina 2-1.

Arsenal had thrashed Braga 6-0 earlier in Group H but Matheus' late double secured a 2-0 win for the Portuguese side. Shakhtar Donetsk went top with a 3-0 win at Partizan Belgrade.

In Group E, AS Roma beat Bayern Munich 3-2 to take a big step to joining last season's beaten finalists in the next phase.

Milan, the seven-time champions, had only won one of its last four Champions League matches before traveling to Auxerrre.

But Ibrahimovic set about improving that dismal run by scoring his 11th goal of the season in the 64th minute.

Clarence Seedorf's cross for Robinho was deflected into the Sweden striker's path on the edge of the penalty area and he struck powerfully into the net.

Ronaldinho replaced Ibrahimovic in the 85th and struck with a curled shot at the far post in stoppage time.

"We keep getting stronger," Ibrahimovic said. "It was important to advance with a game to spare so we can rest. At the end I was so tired I couldn't move my head."

Four-time champion Ajax won't be joining Milan in the draw for the knockout phase after Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to pile the pressure on coach Martin Jol with an emphatic victory.

Karim Benzema fired into the roof of the net from the edge of area to put group winner Madrid ahead in the 36th after Mesut Oezil skillfully laid the ball into his path.

Alvaro Arbeloa doubled the Spanish side's advantage with a fierce shot in the 44th.

Arbeloa then set up Ronaldo to make it 3-0 with a close-range shot and the Portugal winger made it 18 goals in 19 games by scoring from the penalty spot in the 80th.

 

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