Rafael Benitez should live to fight another day as holders Inter secured their place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday with a nervy 1-0 home win over Dutch side FC Twente.
Inter were joined in the next round by a host of clubs, among them 2008 winners Manchester United, for whom England striker Wayne Rooney marked his return to the starting line-up for the first time since last month with a late penalty in a 1-0 win at Scottish champions Rangers.
Valencia’s 6-1 humbling of Turkish whipping boys Bursaspor ensures they join United from that group and consigns Rangers to the Europa League.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Champions League debutants Tottenham Hotspur’s dream campaign continued as they defeated German side Werder Bremen 3-0 to leave them above Inter on head-to-head results.
Barcelona reached the next stage with a convincing 3-0 win away at Panathinaikos thanks to a double from Pedro Rodriguez and one from Lionel Messi.
Danish side FC Copenhagen could have joined them and become the first side from their country to reach the knockout stages but they lost 1-0 at Rubin Kazan, leaving the runners-up spot still up for grabs — the only qualifying place not to be resolved on Wednesday.
Esteban Cambiasso lifted the tension surrounding holders Inter and coach Benitez in the 55th minute at San Siro, though his goal was a fortunate one.
A Wesley Sneijder free-kick took a double deflection and fell kindly to the unmarked Cambiasso to swivel and fire home inside the post.
Benitez’s position had been in jeopardy after three defeats and two draws in their previous five games and the Spaniard was a relieved man at the final whistle.
“It’s always important to win, especially in the Champions League,” he said. “If the coach is in difficulty it’s because the team is in difficulty but we wanted to win, we scored and in the end it was this character that made the difference.”
Schalke’s disciplinarian coach Felix Magath has ridden a storm of criticism for a disastrous opening part of the season but he took delight in reaching the last 16 after a 3-0 win at home to Lyon.
“It’s a nice feeling, because for weeks we have been written off, but now we will play in the knockout stages,” Magath said.
In the other Group B game Hapoel Tel Aviv beat Benfica 3-0.
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