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 them squeeze through in second spot in Group H.
Shakhtar kept Braga at bay before striking twice in the second half themselves 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.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The draw for the last 16, to be held on Friday, will feature the might of European club soccer, which may be a worry for Arsenal given that their second-place finish means they 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 onto 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.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Chelsea, going through a sticky patch in the Premier League, were beaten 1-0 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.
The English side were already assured of qualifying top ahead of their French opponents.
On the other side of the draw, FC Copenhagen claimed the last available place by beating Panathinaikos on Tuesday.
PHOTO: EPA
Already qualified for the last 16 from Groups A-D were Tottenham Hotspur, holders Inter, Schalke 04, Olympique Lyon, Manchester United, Valencia and Barcelona.
Arsenal’s victory over Partizan, who finished bottom of the group without a point, was surprisingly nervy considering they got a good start with a Robin van Persie penalty.
Cleo’s equalizer rocked them, but two neat finishes from Walcott and Nasri meant they 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 winners on the final night of Champions League of the year were Real Madrid, who helped themselves to a 4-0 win over Auxerre in Group G with a hat-trick from Karim Benzema and one from Cristiano Ronaldo.
The result snuffed out Auxerre’s hopes of a Europa League place. Ajax Amsterdam clinched that with a 2-0 win away to AC Milan.
Bayern also enjoyed themselves in a 3-0 win over Basel as the Bavarians underlined their superiority in Group E.
The competition returns with the last 16 knockout stage from February, by which time UEFA will hope to have seen the last of the problems that held up Spartak Moscow’s 2-1 win at Zilina.
The trouble, which resulted in no apparent injuries, came less than a week after Russia was elected 2018 World Cup hosts.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely