Group C |
P W D L F-A Pts |
| Bayern Munich | 6 4 1 1 13-8 13 |
| Real Madrid | 6 3 1 2 11-12 10 |
| Dynamo Kiev | 6 3 1 2 10-8 10 |
| Rosenborg | 6 0 1 5 5-11 1 |
| Group D | P W D L F-A Pts |
| Lazio | 6 3 2 1 10-4 11 |
| Chelsea | 6 3 1 2 8-5 10 |
| Feyenoord | 6 2 2 2 7-7 8 |
| Olympique Marseille | 6 1 0 5 2-11 4 |
Lazio, who began the season by
winning the European Super Cup, kept alive their hopes of ending
it winning the one that really matters when they beat Chelsea
2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
The victory was the first ever by an away team against
Chelsea in 34 European matches stretching back to 1958 and it
not only gave Lazio top place in Group D of the Champions League
but a valuable seeded place as group winners in Friday's
quarter-final draw.
"I told them to play the game of their lives and that's what
happened," said Lazio's Swedish coach Sven Goran Eriksson
afterwards.
"Even when Chelsea scored I was not worried because I knew
Lazio would have more chances and we were still alive."
Chelsea had taken the lead just before halftime with a
thunderous 30-metre drive from Gustavo Poyet but Lazio came
storming back in the second half and won with second half goals
from Simone Inzaghi (54) and a blistering free-kick from Sinisa
Mihaljovic (66).
Lazio won the group with 11 points, followed by Chelsea on
10, Feyenoord on eight and Marseille with four.
Lazio were joined in the last eight by seven-times European
Cup winners Real Madrid, who beat Rosenborg Trondheim 1-0 in
Norway to clinch second place in Group C behind Bayern Munich.
Raul scored the only goal of the game after only three
minutes.
Coincidentally both Lazio and Real came through their
respective tests with only 10 men on the field at the final
whistle.
Lazio had Portuguese defender Fernando Couto sent off six
minutes from time for a second bookable offence, while Real lost
Guti who was red-carded after his second yellow after 52
minutes.
Both players automatically miss the first leg of the
quarter-finals on April 4 or 5.
While Lazio and Real were celebrating on Wednesday there was
no joy for either Feyenoord or Dynamo Kiev, who both started the
night hoping they would also reach the last eight.
Dynamo scored a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich in Ukraine but
that victory was not enough to see them through. Although they
finished on 10 points, the same as Real Madrid, the Spanish team
qualified as they had the better head-to-head record against
Kiev.
Two Georgians, winger Kakha Kaladze and striker Georgi
Demetradze scored for Dynamo but the victory was ultimately only
a consolation.
And the club's gloom was completed after the match when
their 61-year-old coach Valery Lobanovsky, who has frequently
suffered with health problems, was taken ill again.
Bayern, who played a largely reserve side, topped Group C
with 13 points, followed by Real on 10, Kiev on 10 and Rosenborg
on one.
Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, whose team was already sure
of qualification, fielded mostly reserves and took a squad of
only 15 players to Ukraine -- with just four men on the bench.
He justified it afterwards by saying Bayern faced a number
of difficult matches in the Bundesliga.
The only thing for certain is that he won't be able to relax
again if his team are to go one better than last season when
they were beaten in the final by Manchester United.
Feyenoord's dreams also ended in disappointment after the
Dutch club were held to a 0-0 draw at Olympique Marseille. That
result would have been enough for them to qualify if Chelsea had
beaten Lazio, but in the event it left them in third place.
Marseille also ended the night with 10 men, having had
Richard Martini sent off after 76 minutes. With Marseille
already eliminated, only 10,000 fans turned up at the Stade
Velodrome to see them salvage some pride from their last game.
The complete line-up for the quarter-finals comprises group
winners Barcelona, reigning champions Manchester United, Bayern
Munich and Lazio and runners-up Porto, Valencia, Real Madrid and
Chelsea.
The draw will be made on Friday, with group winners drawn to
play runners-up, although they will not play the team that ended
second in their group. The group winners will be at home in the
second leg.