The UEFA Champions League schedule had a big slate of games last week and after the results all settled, a number of teams moved up and down the table in their groups and with wins, Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain all reaching the final 16 and while Arsenal also had a victory, the team did not yet secure their spot.
Manchester United had an easy win with a 5-0 score against Bayer Leverkusen and the match was never close and the team had some nice play from Wayne Rooney, while Jonny Evans also scored a goal. Barcelona lost on the schedule, while Shakhtar Donetsk ended up winning over Real Sociedad with a 4-0 victory. PSG advanced into the round of 16 with a win against Olympiakos and Real Madrid also advanced with a 4-1 win and are now in through the next round as the winners of their group.
Jack Wilshere scored twice, the first after 30 seconds, as Group F leaders Arsenal beat Olympique Marseille 2-0 on Tuesday but have yet to secure a Champions League last 16 place. Arsenal, with four wins in five matches, head the group with 12 points followed by Borussia Dortmund, whose 3-1 win over Napoli leaves both sides on nine. Marseille have none after five straight defeats. Chelsea reached the Champions League knockout stage on Tuesday despite a 1-0 defeat by Basel in Group E after a late Mohamed Salah goal shocked the 2012 title winners with Jose Mourinho saying they deserved to lose.
Wilshere put Arsenal ahead with a clever curler and added a second in the 65th minute after a superb move with the final pass exquisitely played by Mesut Ozil, who missed a first-half penalty. Arsenal's last match on Dec 11 is away to Napoli while Dortmund visit Marseille meaning Arsenal, Dortmund and Napoli could all finish with 12 points in which case results between the three would decide who advances to the last 16.
After taking such an early lead Arsenal took the game to their opponents playing with a confident swagger that should have produced more goals in a largely one-sided match. Marseille gradually played their way back into the game after the break and Baup increased his attacking options with half an hour to play with the introduction of France international Mathieu Valbuena and impressive young striker Florian Thauvin in place of midfielders Jordan Ayew and Giannelli Imbula.
Midfielder Aaron Ramsey should have doubled their lead after another fine flowing move orchestrated by Wilshere but he fired straight at goalkeeper Steve Mandanda. Then Ozil wasted a golden opportunity with a poor spot kick after 38 minutes. Barcelona, without Lionel Messi but already into the last 16, went two goals down in Amsterdam but looked a different side in the second half after Ajax's Joel Veltman was sent off.
Xavi pulled a goal back but Ajax held on to inflict Barca's first defeat this season under new coach Gerardo Martino and the Dutch side now visit AC Milan next month with all to play for.
Milan thrashed Celtic 3-0 away and have eight points to Ajax's seven in Group H after ending the Glasgow side's hopes
Three sides in Group F - Arsenal, Napoli and Borussia Dortmund - all still harbor hopes of reaching the last 16.
Arsenal have 12 points after beating visitors Olympique Marseille 2-0 thanks to a double from England midfielder Jack Wilshere, while Dortmund, last season's losing finalists, join Napoli on nine points after beating the Italians 3-1.
Arsenal travel to Napoli on December 11 while Dortmund play at Marseille, who have yet to earn a point and have now lost eight successive Champions League matches over two seasons.
In Group G, Zenit St Petersburg and Porto still have a chance of joining section winners Atletico Madrid in the last 16. Zenit drew 1-1 at home to the Spaniards to reach six points while Porto have five after a 1-1 draw with Austria Vienna.
It was debatable whether Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz called the decision correctly as Nicolas N'Koulou's foul on Ramsey appeared to be just outside the area.
Ozil though, off a three-step run-up, shot low and weakly to Mandanda's right and the keeper saved comfortably. As long as Arsenal do not lose by three goals or more they will qualify for the knockout rounds for the 14th successive season, but it means Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will have to take a strong team to Napoli next month.
Arsenal were vastly superior to a Marseille team already out of contention with coach Elie Baup fielding a number of younger inexperienced players while resting his senior men for their French League exploits. Mourinho's Chelsea side failed to manage a shot on goal in the first half against Basel who themselves could not find a way past Petr Cech to make their dominance count.
The visitors were little better in the second period and Salah made them pay in the 87th minute, the Egyptian collecting a long pass and lifting the ball over Cech for the winner.
(Reuters)
