Chelsea 2-0 Porto, Olympiakos 0-3 Arsenal: Uefa Champions League as it happened
So, we have our 16 teams for next Monday's draw for the Champions League last 16 stage. Arsenal and Chelsea have joined Manchester City there, they avoid the humiliating elimination that befell Manchester United on Tuesday. We also say goodbye to Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen and Porto, who failed to qualify this evening.
Group winners: Real Madrid, Wolfsburg, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Zenit St Petersburg
Group runners up: Paris Saint-Germain, PSV Eindhoven, Benfica, Juventus, Roma, Arsenal, Dynamo Kiev, Gent
Gary Neville's night has taken a turn for the worse. He looks to be heading to defeat in his first game in charge with Lyon now 2-0 ahead thanks to a goal from Alexandre Lacazette. That result could see Gent become the shock inclusion in the last 16, the Belgian side ead 2-1 against Zenit St Petersburg, who had previously won all of their games in the group stage.
Nick Howson at Stamford Bridge
On the list of teams who have qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League you may begin to inscribe the name of Chelsea after Willian doubles the lead with an emphatic finish. The Blues have produced their best performance of the season at the crucial time to give their season the shot in the arm it required. Their manager Jose Mourinho has been as active on the touchline as in any game this season; a display which shows he has lost none of his fight.
Nick Howson at Stamford Bridge
Thibaut Courtois attacked those questioning Chelsea's commitment this season before the game, but there can be no faulting the home side this evening after a bullish first half performance. Marcano's own goal might represent a wafer-thin advantage but the Blues have been intense with their pressing and have hunted down Porto in packs. A slice of what Chelsea produced in swathes last season in the opening 45 minutes. Porto have been kept at arms length and the longer Yacine Brahimi is kept with his back to goal the better the 2012 champions' hopes are of progressing.
Arsenal are ahead! They have been making more and more use of the wide areas in the last 10 minutes and it has paid off with Mesut Ozil clipping a wonderful cross in from the left into the six yard area. Giroud adjusts himself and nuts one towards the bottom corner which squirms past Roberto and into the back of the net.
Nick Howson at Stamford Bridge
You could feel the relief all around Stamford Bridge as Bruno Martins Indi's own goal gave Chelsea an early lead against Porto. Hazard and Costa combined to deadly effect in the build-up as Porto were powerless to prevent going behind. The Portuguese club must come from behind to keep alive their Champions League hopes - assuming Dynamo beat Maccabi - but their former manager has struck the first blow.
Chelsea have the first goal of the night! Diego Costa works a yard of space but sees his shot on goal blocked by Casillas. It rebounds off Marcano and, despite Maicon's efforts to clear it off the line, rolls over to give Jose Mourinho's side the lead. As is stands, they will go through as group winners.
Nick Howson at Stamford Bridge
There are plenty of statistics which will reinvigorate even the most pessimistic Chelsea supporter ahead of tonight's game. The Blues have lost just one of their last 37 home group stage matches in the Champions League while FC Porto travel to England with a daunting record. The Portuguese giants have never won in England, losing 13 of their 15 visit to these shores and only twice against the Premier League champions in seven meetings home and away.
"The only thing seemingly more unerring than Roman Abramovich's steadfast support of Jose Mourinho has been the backing of the Stamford Bridge faithful. There were sporadic boos heard at full-time in the first sign of animosity towards recent results. How might they accentuate should results tonight go against the home team?
"A visibly emotional Mourinho labelled the atmosphere for the win over Dynamo Kiev as the best of either of his spells at the club but will the Chelsea following be as keen to herald their most successful-ever manager should they crash out of Europe's elite competition? It could be the vote of no confidence which triggers a swift departure.
15 minutes to kick off. Only three teams, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Zenit St Petersburg have confirmed their qualification from the 16 teams in action this evening. Five more will join them, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Wolfsburg, PSV Eindhoven, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Manchester City and Juventus in the last 16.
Nick Howson at Stamford Bridge
It feels just like yesterday that Chelsea faced do or die in the Champions League against Dynamo Kiev, a call they responded too with a late win through Willian's splendid free-kick. Fast forward a month and the Blues' plight has barely improved either domestically or in Europe.
"Defeat to AFC Bournemouth was the club's eighth in the Premier League as their title defence continues to fail, while on the continent they lie on the precipice of a group stage exit. Failure to take even a point from their final group game against FC Porto will likely see the west Londoners join Manchester United in dropping through the Europa League trapdoor.
"Porto are not guaranteed of a place in the last 16 either and if the atmosphere being created by their support on the way into Stamford Bridge is any indicator, they are keen to see their side plunge a knife into the future of their former manager. Jose Mourinho insists he has the backing of Roman Abramovich, but that devotion could be truly tested tonight.
Olympiakos vs Arsenal and Porto vs Chelsea will be the focal point of our coverage tonight but we will have goal updates from tonight's six other matches across Europe this evening.
Wednesday's Champions League fixtures.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Barcelona
Roma vs BATE Borisov
Dinamo Zagreb vs Bayern Munich
Olympiakos vs Arsenal
Chelsea vs Porto
Dynamo Kiev vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Gent vs Zenit St Petersburg
Valencia vs Lyon
Nick Howson at Stamford Bridge
If this is to be Jose Mourinho's final match in charge, he has made several big calls which could come back to haunt him. Out go Spanish duo Cesc Fabregas and Pedro, while Gary Cahill is also dropped from the defeat to Bournemouth.
"John Terry and Ramires are back from the injury wilderness, while Diego Costa starts for the first time since November.
And monsieur Wenger.
Our midfield is important in games like this, so Ramsey and Flamini will be important and must play well. I am confident they will. "It is important that we focus on the performance and the goals will come.
"When the goal will come, I do not know. But when we play well we have a chance to score. We might need to be patient. We must go into the game with the desire to win, knowing that we have to get both parts of the game – attacking and defending – well.
Confirmed line ups are expected in the next five minutes. In the meantime, here is what the respective coaches have been saying in the build up to tonight's match. First, Jose Mourinho.
There are no ifs. Win, draw or lose, no ifs. I am an optimistic guy. There are no ifs. I think I have done a lot of good things in this club for the owner to know the quality I have.
"I know the wind of the results is strong because the results in the Premier League are really bad. "The owner knows who I am, what I give for the club and he believes that I am the right person to do the job. You can read these bad results and focus on the manager.
"You can look at the results and look to the players with performances below acceptable and you can look to the unlucky decisions that we are having in every competition. You can look in my direction and you can decide that it is not a one man responsibility.
Arsenal: The Gunners are without Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin for their biggest game of this season tonight. Arsene Wenger suggested in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday he will opt for the midfield partnership of Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini. With the exception of Calum Chambers filling in, there is no one else. Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere and Danny Welbeck also remain absent.
Chelsea: Skipper John Terry is available again after recovering from the ankle problem suffered a fortnight ago against Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Ramires also suffered a knock in that match but is once again available for selection. Radamel Falcao returned to training this week, but is still unavailable.
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