APOEL Nicosia became the first Cypriot team to reach the Champions League last 16, Arsenal was the first English side through this season and Chelsea's woes increased when Bayer Leverkusen snatched late qualification Wednesday. Holder Barcelona, which had already sealed its berth, secured top spot in Group H with a 3-2 win at AC Milan where Lionel Messi scored from the spot but only after being cautioned for stopping in his run-up on his first attempt. Manuel Friedrich's 90th-minute goal for Leverkusen took the Germans through with a 2-1 home triumph over faltering Chelsea, which now needs to beat Valencia at home or draw 0-0 in the last match to go through. Didier Drogba had handed the visitors the lead with a top-class goal just after the break but Eren Derdiyok's header with almost his first touch and Friedrich's winner out of the blue sent home fans and ex-Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack wild. Valencia warmed up for the final Group E clash with a 7-0 thumping of bottom side Racing Genk in which Roberto Soldado bagged a first-half hat-trick. APOEL's 0-0 draw at Zenit St Petersburg, halted twice because of heavy smoke from flares, followed an onslaught from the Russians but the Cypriot champion clung on to complete a stunning achievement for the island nation. APOEL remains the only unbeaten team in Group G where twice champion Porto won 2-0 at bottom side Shakhtar Donetsk to keep alive its hopes of overhauling second-placed Zenit when they meet in the final group game in Portugal on Dec. 6. Goal machine Robin van Persie scored another brace in a 2-1 home victory over Borussia Dortmund as Arsenal finished top and did what Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea have so far failed to do and qualified for first knockout round. Inconsistent Olympique Marseille was also going through from Group F until Giannis Fetfatzidis struck eight minutes from time to give Olympiakos Piraeus a 1-0 victory at the Stade Velodrome to rekindle its last-16 hopes. Several permutations are possible for the second group berth but Marseille knows a win at the surprisingly weak German champions in two weeks would put them through to the knockout stages starting in February. Viktoria Plzen won 1-0 at Bate Borisov in the fog to boost their chances of finishing third and taking Group H's Europa League berth with Milan having already at least guaranteed second spot before the heavyweight clash with Barca. A Mark van Bommel own goal against his former side gave the holder a 14th-minute advantage in the San Siro but Zlatan Ibrahimovic, also formerly of Barca, leveled soon after before the palaver of Messi's penalty. A neat finish from Kevin-Prince Boateng after the break handed seven-time winner Milan parity only for Xavi to have the last laugh and make sure of first place. Inter Milan, Bayern Munich and Benfica reached the last 16 Tuesday while Manchester United slipped up and need a draw in their last match in Basel to progress. Premier League leader Manchester City lost to Napoli and qualification is out of their hands.
