Malaga make knockout stages

Alexandre Pato netted AC Milan's equaliser against Malaga in Group C
7 November 2012

Malaga, in their maiden campaign, and Porto became the first teams to progress through to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Both Malaga and Porto boasted 100% records from their opening three games, and although neither side were able to win on Tuesday night, respective away draws against AC Milan and Dynamo Kiev were enough to secure top-two berths for both clubs.

Group C pacesetters Malaga took the lead at the San Siro through Eliseu's 40th-minute goal but were pegged back by Alexandre Pato's 73rd-minute effort - the Brazilian's first Milan goal since last December and the first the Spanish side had conceded in the Champions League.

Also in Group C, Anderlecht moved into third place, a point behind Milan, with a 1-0 home win over Zenit St Petersburg, Dieumerci Mbokani scoring the only goal in the 17th minute.

Porto, meanwhile, moved on to 10 points in Group A following a goalless draw away to Dynamo Kiev. The Portuguese outfit look set to be joined in the last 16 by Paris St Germain, who remained just one point behind following a Zlatan Ibrahimovic-inspired 4-0 thrashing of Dinamo Zagreb.

Ibrahimovic did not manage to get on the scoresheet but was involved in all four goals scored by Alex, Blaise Matuidi, Jeremy Menez and Guillaume Hoarau as PSG moved five points clear of third-placed Kiev with two games remaining.

In Group D - undoubtedly the toughest pool in the competition - Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid shared the points from a 2-2 draw at the Bernabeu with the Spanish giants twice fighting back from deficits thanks to Pepe (34) and Germany international Mesut Ozil (89).

Dortmund had taken the lead through goals from Marco Reus (28) and an own goal from Alvaro Arbeloa (45).

In Group B, Schalke also battled back from 2-0 down to salvage a point at home to Arsenal and remain one point clear of the Gunners at the summit, while - closing the gap on the top two were Olympiacos, who moved onto six points - one behind Arsenal - after claiming a second successive victory over Montpellier.

While Malaga and Porto earned their spots in the knockout stages,defeats for Montpellier and Dinamo Zagreb mean neither of those sides can now reach the last 16. Montpelier are five points adrift at the bottom of Group B while Zagreb have no goals and no points from four games in Group A.

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