Liverpool knocked out despite winning on the night; Barca provide a masterclass in 2-0 victory over Inter.
Five-time champions Liverpool were thrown out of the Champions League in the group stages despite a 1-0 win at Debrecen on Tuesday while Fiorentina and Arsenal qualified for the last 16.
Barcelona, the defending champions, revived their campaign with a surprisingly comfortable 2-0 triumph over Inter Milan in Tuesday’s top match, scoring twice in the first 26 minutes through Gerard Pique and Pedro.
Arsenal reached the last 16 for the 10th season in-a-row thanks to a 2-0 home win over Standard Liege.
Fiorentina went through by beating already-qualified Olympique Lyon 1-0 with a penalty by Peru’s Juan Vargas to join Girondins Bordeaux, Manchester United, Chelsea, Porto and Sevilla in the next round.
Barcelona can now be more upbeat about defending their title.
They had faced a risk of elimination but newly crowned Russian champions Rubin Kazan could only draw 0-0 at home to Dynamo Kiev and then the Catalan giants thoroughly outclassed Inter Milan.
They now lead Group F with eight points, two clear of Inter and Rubin who play each other in Milan in a fortnight. At least Liverpool have the consolation of the Europa League, whereas Scottish football plumbed new depths as Rangers lost 0-2 at home to Stuttgart in Group G.
Liverpool got the start they needed when they took an early lead through David Ngog but were unable to make much of an impression after the news filtered through that Fiorentina had taken the lead via a Juan Vargas penalty.
Barcelona — whose shamed French star Thierry Henry made his 100th appearance for the club — got off to a dream start by taking the lead through Gerard Pique and added a second as youth academy graduate Pedro shot home. Inter coach Jose Mourinho was generous in defeat.
“Barcelona were the only team that played and they played very well,” said Mourinho, who used to work as a translator for the late Sir Bobby Robson at the Catalan club.
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