Bayern Munich, Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven and Valencia reached the knockout round of the Champions League on Tuesday with two group matches to spare.
Valencia and PSV Eindhoven also book their spots in the pre-quarters
LONDON: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven and Valencia reached the knockout round of the Champions League on Tuesday with two group matches to spare. The fate of Barcelona hangs in the balance, though, after Chelsea equalised deep in stoppage time to force a 2-2 draw at the Nou Camp and leave the European champions in third place in Group A with five points from four matches.
While Barcelona are still some way off qualifying, Bayern are in the knockout phase after a 0-0 home draw with Sporting Lisbon means they must finish first or second in Group B. Inter Milan increased their chances of joining them from Group B after a 1-0 win in Moscow over Spartak where a first minute goal from Julio Cruz separated the teams.
Bayern have 10 points, Inter six, Sporting five and Spartak one — after equalling AEK Athens’s unwanted record of 21 Champions League matches without a win. Nothing went right for Spartak who had to reach the ground by metro after being stuck in traffic and conceded a goal within a minute of the kickoff to Julio Cruz, who also scored in the first minute when the teams met in Milan two weeks ago.
Liverpool and PSV advanced from Group C after the Merseysiders beat Girondins Bordeaux 3-0 at Anfield and the Dutch beat Galatasaray 2-0 at the Phillips Stadium.
Liverpool and PSV have 10 points, Galatasaray and Bordeaux, who ended their games with 10 men, have a point each. Bordeaux played for almost half-an-hour a man short after Brazilian Fernando was sent off for a headbutt but by then Liverpool were well in command.
Luis Garcia opened the scoring with an angled, bouncing volley past Ulrich Rame in the 23rd minute. Fernando was dismissed in the 67th for butting John Arne Riise and Steven Gerrard took advantage of the space to sidefoot home the second four minutes later for his first goal of the season. Garcia broke free to score the third and ensure Liverpool’s progress from Group C. It was the first time for 100 matches that coach Rafa Benitez had kept the same starting lineup.
PSV also made it through to the last 16 against 10 men beating Galatasaray 2-0. Second-half goals by Timmy Simons and Arouna Kone gave the Dutch victory. Valencia also made it through after their 2-2 draw at Shakhtar Donetsk.
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