UCL : Gerrard return from injury in style

Liverpool 1 - 0 Marseille

Steven Gerrard celebrated his return from injury by firing Liverpool into the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 win over Marseille on Wednesday. The Liverpool captain's first-half header from Xabi Alonso's cross proved enough to secure a victory over opponents who deserved better after a display every bit as spirited as the one that had seen them become the first French club to win at Anfield 13 months ago.

Ultimately it was the sloppy marking that allowed Gerrard to claim his fifth goal in as many games in this season's competition that snuffed out Marseille's last chance of progress to the last 16. But Erik Gerets' men could also count themselves unfortunate not to have enjoyed the breaks that would have enabled them to capitalise on a string of good chances as they put Liverpool under intense pressure after the interval.

It was a night of milestones for Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez. His 66th European match in charge of the club eclipsed Bill Shankly's record while a 39th victory on the European stage saw him draw level with Bob Paisley's mark. The Spaniard, though, could scarcely have been satisfied with another lacklustre display from his side which, even with Gerrard returning at the expense of Robbie Keane, lacked the attacking intensity he had promised in the wake of Saturday's sluggish display against Fulham.

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Sporting Lisbon 2 - 5 Barcelona

Barcelona coasted to a 5-2 victory over 10-man hosts Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday to win UEFA Champions League Group C after running riot at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon on Wednesday. Both sides had already ensured their passage to the last 16 inside their first four games, leaving makeweights Shakhtar Donetsk and Basel trailing in their wake.

Henry, starting out as a lone spearhead with fellow former Arsenal man Alex Hleb and Messi foraging wide, put them ahead on the quarter hour. Messi, a candidate for the prestigious Ballon d'Or awarded by French magazine France Football in December, tore down the right flank and set Henry up on a plate barely three metres out. Three minutes later Gerard Pique bundled in the second after Eidur Godjohnsen unwittingly deflected a loose ball to him in a melee.

Four minutes after the restart Messi poached the third, gliding in to score unmarked following a Daniel Alves freekick to all but end the contest. Barca then endured a sloppy few moments as Miguel Veloso smacked home a ferocious freekick in the 65th minute and Liedson then netted almost straight after the restart. But within a minute Caneira screwed the ball into his own net under pressure and the roof then fell in on Sporting as Rui Patricio was red-carded for fouling Krkic, who coolly dispatched the resulting penalty in the 73rd minute.

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Bordeoux 1 - 1 Chelsea

Chelsea must wait on a seventh straight appearance in the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League after Bordeaux held them 1-1 while the Blues also had Frank Lampard sent off on a night of European drama. Alou Diarra headed home from a corner with seven minutes remaining to cancel out Nicolas Anelka's opener as the French side carved out a well-deserved point to send Group A down to the final round of action on 9 and 10 December.

It was not a virtuoso performance from last season's finalists and they were somewhat fortunate to escape with a point despite taking the lead on the hour mark. The West Londoners had to wait until the 60th minute for their first shot on goal but when it came, Anelka made Bordeaux pay for all their wasted first half chances in the most clinical fashion. It was harsh on the French runners-up, who had given their more illustrious opponents a torrid time up to Anelka's strike. The goal rattled Bordeaux as Scolari's side sensed the perfect away win that would send them into the next round and they settled back into their possession game, assuming the hard work had been done.

But Diarra sent the Bordeaux faithful home happy with his near post header that also keeps Laurent Blanc's side in the chase for a place in the last 16. Chelsea must now get a result at home to CFR Cluj in their final match while Bordeaux travel to Roma to determine who claims the top two spots in the pool. However, the London side will be without Lampard who was sent off for a second bookable offence with four minutes left.

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CFR Cluj 1 - 3 AS Roma

A resurgent AS Roma moved to the top of UEFA Champions League Group A with a 3-1 win at CFR Cluj that eliminated the Romanians from the competition. The result, coupled with Chelsea's 1-1 draw at Bordeaux, means Roma can book their place in the knockout phase with a draw against the French side in their remaining group game.

Cluj claimed a shock 2-1 win when the sides met in the reverse fixture in September but it was Roma who drew first blood at the Dr Constantin Radulescu stadium when Simone Perrotta galloped onto a pass down the inside-right channel and centred for midfielder Matteo Brighi to convert from close range. Eugen Trica should have restored parity 10 minutes later, but somehow contrived to place the ball wide from eight yards after being picked out at the back post by Sebastian Dubarbier.

And within minutes his side were 2-0 down. Cluj conceded a free-kick 25 yards from goal in a central position and Roma skipper Francesco Totti stepped up to shape a superb strike into the top-right corner.But just as Roma were beginning to look assured, Cluj responded on the half-hour mark. Roma keeper Doni made a real mess of Alvaro Pereira's tame toe-poke and Burkina Faso striker Yssouf Kone was on hand to nod home the rebound and halve the deficit.

Kone then spurned two chances to level either side of half-time, but in the 64th minute Brighi put the game beyond the hosts when he controlled Rodrigo Taddei's square pass before finishing into the bottom-left corner. fifa

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Other results;

Group A
Bordeaux 1 - 1 Chelsea
CFR Cluj 1 - 3 AS Roma

Group B
Anorthosis 2 - 2 Werder Bremen
Inter Milan 0 - 1 Panathinaikos

Group C
Shakhtar Donetsk 5 - 0 Basel
Sporting Lisbon 2 - 5 Barcelona

Group D
Atletico Madrid 2 - 1 PSV Eindhoven
Liverpool 1 - 0 Marseille