Man. Utd reach KO stage after 3-1 win

Manchester United stormed back from a goal down to book a place in the Champions League knockout phase with a 3-1 win over Benfica yesterday.

Also through are Porto and Arsenal who drew 0-0. The teams finished level on 11 points in the top two positions in Group G with Arsenal, losing finalists last season, taking first place on their head-to-head record.

Manchester United, who were knocked out at this stage of last season's competition, were trailing to a superb 27th minute strike by Nelson before Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic headed an equaliser in first-half stoppage time.

The home side came out fighting after the break and capitalised on some poor defending as Ryan Giggs headed them in front in the 61st minute and Louis Saha sealed the victory with their third goal.

Defeat for Benfica dumped a stylish team out of the competition, with United finishing top of Group F and joined in the next round by Celtic who were beaten 3-1 at the Parken stadium by FC Copenhagen.

Atiba Hutchinson opened the scoring for the Danes in the second minute after rounding a defender and powering home a shot past Celtic keeper Artur Boruc.

Winger Jesper Gronkjaer scored Copenhagen's second goal after 27 minutes with a close-range shot as they dominated the first half before Celtic looked better in the second.

Marcus Allback put the result beyond doubt with Copenhagen's third in the 57th minute before Celtic's Jiri Jarosik scored a consolation goal 15 minutes from time.

The match between Porto and Arsenal began with both sides knowing a draw would see them go through but a win for one could have eliminated the other if CSKA Moscow, who go into the UEFA Cup in third place, had won their final match at Hamburg. In the event, the Germans won 3-2 to pick up their first points in the competition.

There was some fine attacking play by Arsenal and especially Porto, whose winger Quaresma hit the base of Jens Lehmann's right-hand post twice in the second half, but the match lacked the urgency of teams needing to win.

In Hamburg, CSKA Moscow took the lead with a penalty from Ivica Olic in the 23rd minute.

Hamburg levelled through Besart Berisha five minutes later but Yuri Zhirkov scored a fabulous solo goal to restore the Moscow lead.

Hamburg were heading for a sixth defeat from six matches before Rafael van der Vaart struck the second equaliser with six minutes to go.

The Germans kept pushing forward and were rewarded when Boubacar Sanogo crashed into the roof of the net in the final minute.

In Ukraine, Ronaldo scored two goals in the last four minutes to earn Real Madrid a 2-2 draw against Dynamo Kiev.

Kiev were cruising to their first Champions League victory following a first-half double by Maxim Shatskikh before Ronaldo fired the first from close range off a David Beckham corner, then added the second with an 88th-minute penalty.

The match, played in a nearly empty 83,000-seat Olympic stadium, lacked the usual Champions League intensity with both teams already assured of their finishing places in the group.

The Spaniards finished second behind group winners Lyon on 11 points to qualify for the knockout round, while Dynamo ended bottom with two points.

Real coach Fabio Capello rested several first-choice players, including captain Raul, Fabio Cannavaro and midfielder Emerson while leaving number one goalkeeper Iker Casillas and strikers Robinho and Ruud van Nistelrooy on the bench.

Lyon were held to a dull 1-1 draw by Steaua Bucharest. The five-times French champions conceded their first goal on home turf in Europe's premier club competition this season.

Steaua were sure to finish third and go into the last 32 of the UEFA Cup. Lyon fell behind after two minutes when Nicolae Dica volleyed home for the visitors.

The Ligue 1 leaders, who were without several key players, struck back 10 minutes later when Alou Diarra headed home a cross.

It was double joy for France as Lille reached the Champions League knockout stage for the first time after a 2-0 win over already-qualified Milan at the San Siro.

Lille's victory came thanks to goals from Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie and Ivory Coast midfielder Kader Keita which saw them finish second above AEK Athens and Anderlecht in Group H behind the Italians who were already sure of top spot.

The French side went ahead in the seventh minute when Milan's Australian keeper Zeljko Kalac failed to hold Mathieu Bodmer's drive and Odemwingie slotted home the loose ball.

Bodmer had a hand in Lille's second goal after 67 minutes when he played a neat return pass to Keita who confidently beat Kalac.

It was Milan's first defeat at home to French opposition.

The six-times European champions had also won 15 of their previous 17 European home games, losing just once - in last season's Champions Cup semi-final against Barcelona.