Cruise as Bayern and Inter reach last 16

BAYERN MUNICH and Inter Milan joined Benfica in the Champions League knockout stages last night as the qualification picture became clearer.

The Germans secured top spot in Group A with a 3-1 win over Villarreal, Inter did likewise in Group B with a draw at Trabzonspor, while Benfica’s draw with Manchester United meant they too progress to the last 16.

Franck Ribery scored twice for Bayern, either side of a Mario Gomez effort, while Jonathan De Guzman netted Villarreal’s consolation.

A 1-1 draw away to Trabzonspor was enough for Inter to assure themselves of the number one spot in Group B. Ricardo Alvarez gave the Nerazzuri the lead but Halil Altintop quickly equalised.

Lille, with Joe Cole impressive, re-ignited their hopes of progressing through to the last 16 after claiming a deserved victory over CSKA Moscow earlier in the evening.

The French champions had only picked up two points from their opening four games but they recorded their first win in Group B thanks to second-half goals via CSKA defender Vasili Berezutsky, who put into his own net, and Moussa Sow.

The victory on the artificial pitch at the Luzhniki Stadium lifts Lille level on five points with CSKA, who visit Milan next, and Trabzonspor.

Group C is more tightly poised, but United’s clash with Basle in a fortnight now represents a straight fight for qualification.

Basle held off Otelul Galati’s late fightback to win 3-2 in Romania and move within a point of the leading pair.

Already-qualified Real Madrid kept up their 100% record with a 6-2 hammering of Dinamo Zagreb to set the seal on top spot in Group D.

The Spanish giants rested a number of key players but stormed into a 3-0 lead over Dinamo Zagreb inside nine minutes with goals from Karim Benzema, Jose Callejon and Gonzalo Higuain — Mesut Ozil made it four before 20 minutes were up.

Callejon and Benzema struck again after the interval and Madrid could have had even more goals, while late strikes from Dinamo’s Fatos Beqiraj and Ivan Tomecak gave a merely cosmetic effect to the scoreline.

Ajax are as good as certain of following Madrid after a goalless draw with Lyon left them three points ahead of their French opponents, with an identical head-to-head record and a goal difference superior by seven.