Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea became the first teams to book their place in the last 16 of the Champions League last night.
The Spanish giants needed a goal from substitute Pedro Leon deep into injury time to rescue a 2-2 draw at Milan to ensure their place in the knock-round of the competition.
Gonzalo Higuain had given the Spaniards a deserved first-half lead but a Filippo Inzaghi brace lit up an otherwise uninspired performance from the hosts.
Leon’s last-gasp heroics saved Real coach Jose Mourinho from suffering defeat on his return to the San Siro, where he coached Inter for two years.
Real are qualified while Milan are now a point ahead of Ajax, who lost 2-1 at Auxerre.
Stand-in captain Didier Drogba led from the front as Chelsea powered into the last 16 with a 4-1 victory over Spartak Moscow.
Drogba, making his first appearance in European football this season, scored one goal from the penalty spot and set up one as the Russians were swept aside at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea’s other goals came from defender Branislav Ivanovic (2) and Nicolas Anelka.
The win left Chelsea on top of Group F with 12 points from four matches, six clear of second-placed Marseille and Spartak.
Marseille recorded the biggest ever Champions League away win in a 7-0 demolition of Group F whipping boys Zilina with France striker Andre-Pierre Gignac hitting a hat-trick.
His treble, courtesy of his knee, left foot and head, plus a brace from Lucho Gonzalez and one apiece from Loic Remy and Argentinian veteran Gabriel Heinze saw the French champions to an emphatic win in Slovakia.
It was the ideal boost ahead of Sunday’s high-octane league clash with fierce rivals Paris Saint-Germain and also sets up a potentially decisive match with Spartak Moscow on November 23 in the battle for second place.
German international striker Mario Gomez fired Bayern Munich into the last 16, netting a hat-trick during a 4-0 Group E demolition of Romanian side Cluj.
Despite a injury crisis that deprived Bayern coach Louis van Gaal of Dutch World Cup star Arjen Robben and French midfielder Franck Ribery among others, last season’s runners-up never looked in danger against a frail Cluj.
And with four wins of out four in Europe, the German champions sauntered into the knockout phase, leaving Cluj, Roma and Basel to battle it out for the second spot and throwing down the gauntlet to more high-profile teams.
Roma moved up to second in Group E of with a hard-fought victory over Basel.
Roma moved into a 2-0 lead through Jeremy Menez (16) and Francesco Totti’s 26th-minute penalty.
The home side deservedly hit back in an entertaining clash through Alexander Frei’s close-range header after 69 minutes, but Roma restored their two-goal cushion seven minutes later through substitute Leandro Greco.
Basle refused to throw in the towel and Xherdan Shaqiri made it 3-2 on 82 minutes with a smart finish, but Roma held on for the win.
Eduardo da Silva ended Arsenal’s 100 per cent start in the Champions League as the Croatian’s clinical strike gave Shakhtar Donetsk a 2-1 win over his former club.
Eduardo spent three injury-ravaged years at Arsenal before moving to Shakhtar in July and the 27-year-old forward showed his old team-mates he is still a force to be reckoned with by driving in the goal which dented their charge towards the knockout stages.
Arsene Wenger’s side had taken the lead through Theo Walcott’s superb finish early in the first half at the Donbass Arena, but Craig Eastmond’s own goal drew Shakhtar level before Eduardo won it for the Ukrainian champions.
It was a bittersweet moment for Eduardo, who retains fond memories of Arsenal for the way he was cared for in the aftermath of the horrendous injury he suffered in 2008.
But, while he refused to celebrate his winner, Eduardo was the toast of Donetsk for a goal that lifted his side level on points with group leaders Arsenal with two games to play.
Summaries
Basel 2
Frei 69; Shaqiri 83;
Roma 3
Menez 16; Totti 26 pen; Greco 76;
Red card: Stocker (B) 90;
CFR Cluj 0
B. Munich 4
Gomez 12, 24, 71; Muller 90;
Chelsea 4
Anelka 49; Drogba 62 pen; Ivanovic 66, 90;
S. Moscow 1
Zilina 0
Marseille 7
Gignac 12, 21, 54; Heinze 24; Remy 36; Gonzalez 52, 63;
Auxerre 2
Sammaritano 9; Langil 84;
Ajax 1
Anderweilder 80;
Milan 2
Inzaghi 68, 78;
Real Madrid 2
Higuain 45; Leon 90;
Partizan 0
Braga 1
Moises 35;
S. Donetsk 2
Eastmond 28 og; Eduardo 45;
Arsenal 1
Walcott 10;