AC Milan 2 - 2 Wolfsburg

VfL Wolfsburg twice came from behind to earn a draw against AC Milan and seal top spot in UEFA Cup Group E. As group's top side, Wolfsburg are now guaranteed a tie against a third-placed side from another group in Friday's last 32 draw while seven-times European champions Milan must face a third-place finisher from the UEFA Champions

The Bundesliga club started the game with three wins from as many matches in the section yet they were soon behind when Massimo Ambrosini headed in a corner from Clarence Seedorf. The teams then traded goals early in the second half as Italian international Cristian Zaccardo levelled, only for Pato to restore the Rossoneri's lead 49 seconds later. Wolfsburg's efforts were rewarded, though, nine minutes from time when a shot from Jacek Krzynówek was deflected in by fellow substitute Mahir Sağlık to consign Milan to second place in the section.

Milan suffered an early setback when the injured Philippe Senderos was replaced by Kakha Kaladze after nine minutes and shortly after, Christian Gentner had a shot blocked by Dida. At the other end, Gianluca Zambrotta's effort was saved by Diego Benaglio though Milan soon forged ahead when Ambrosini headed powerfully in after 17 minutes.

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Portsmouth 3 - 0 SC Heerenveen

Portsmouth FC vented their frustration at missing out on a Round of 32 place on SC Heerenveen, with Peter Crouch striking twice in a comfortable 3-0 home win.

On Wednesday, Portsmouth should have taken the lead after Armand Traoré's storming run from halfway but Crouch stabbed his first-time shot across the goal and wide of the far post. The England striker then contrived to hit the crossbar after Mark Wilson had picked him out in the box with a brilliant cross-field pass. The ball bounced up invitingly for Crouch but he could only poke it onto the woodwork.

Portsmouth were looking slick in attack but the number of wasted chances was beginning to cause concern before Crouch finally reaped the dividends. Arnold Mvuemba cut the ball back to Wilson, who floated another cross towards the far post and this time Crouch connected well with his downward header to put Portsmouth 1-0 up in the 40th minute.

Two minutes later, it was 2-0, with Nwankwo Kanu tricking his way into the box with a mazy run and Crouch pouncing to finish after the Nigerian's shot was saved. The game petered out as a contest in the second half, but Portsmouth added a third at the very end after Nadir Belhadj was fouled and Hreidarsson headed home Glen Little's free-kick.


Hamburger SV 3 - 1 Aston Villa


Hamburger SV guaranteed themselves a tie against one of the third-placed sides from the other UEFA Cup groups in the Round of 32 draw as they took an inexperienced Aston Villa FC side apart, with Ivica Olić on target twice.

Only three of the players who started Villa's 4-2 win against Bolton Wanderers FC on Saturday - Luke Young, Carlos Cuéllar and Steven Sidwell - kicked off in Germany, but while Martin O'Neill's stand-ins defended steadily in numbers, they were undone on the break after 18 minutes. Bastian Reinhardt's long diagonal ball found Petrić, and the Croatian brought the ball down before sending a sweet swerving drive across Bradley Guzan and into the net.

Hamburg were 2-0 up 12 minutes later, Olić squirming past his marker to head in off the post following a fine Dennis Aogo cross, and Piotr Trochowski tested Guzan with another shot four minutes later before Craig Gardner fired just over with Villa's first meaningful effort of the game. However, the English team were relieved to go in just 2-0 down at the break as Marcell Jansen cracked an effort against the bar.

Undeterred, Hamburg made it 3-0 on 57 minutes, with Joris Mathijsen's ball from inside his own area turning Olić loose to scamper beyond the covering defenders and drive brilliantly past Guzan. Villa looked finished, but got a goal in bizarre style late on, with Moustapha Salifou's wildly miscued shot redirected in by Nathan Delfouneso. However, their joy was short-lived, with Sidwell dismissed for a second bookable offence soon after.


Saint-Etienne 2 - 2 Valencia

AS Saint-Etienne held on to top spot in Group G after playing out an exciting 2-2 draw with second-placed Valencia CF in testing conditions at a snow-covered Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

Brazilian forward Ilan gave St Etienne the lead twice, with contrasting first-half goals, but Valencia fought back on each occasion thanks to strikes from Fernando Morientes and substitute Nikola Žigić. The result kept the French Ligue 1 strugglers two points clear of their nearest rivals at the group summit, and might have been even better for a home team who created several good chances to win.

Valencia carved out the first opportunity of the night when David Albelda side-footed the ball wide, yet the first goal fell to Alain Perrin's men close to the half-hour. Ilan latched on to Dimitri Payet's pass through the heart of the Valencia back line and raced into the visitors' penalty area before cleverly scooping the ball over goalkeeper Vicente Guaita. The Spanish side took just four minutes to get their retaliation in, however, as the experienced Morientes pounced to turn in a low Joaquín cross from close range.

Unai Emery's charges were not off the hook so easily, though, and Ilan struck again after 44 minutes, by which time he had already had another goal ruled out. The Brazilian finished comfortably after Guaita spilled a harmless-looking centre from Geoffrey Dernis. The keeper made amends for that mistake with crucial saves early in the second half from Dernis and Kevin Mirallas, at a time when St Etienne were rampant. Guaita caught the eye in particular with a one-handed stop from Dernis, shortly after which Payet rounded the keeper but shot against the woodwork. Valencia eventually made the hosts pay for their profligacy with 18 minutes left. Substitute Miguel delivered a deep cross from the right which Asier del Horno headed back into the six-metre box where the lurking Žigić ducked to nod in the second equaliser.

Current results;
Group E
AC Milan 2 - 2 Wolfsburg
Portsmouth 3 - 0 SC Heerenveen

Group F
Ajax Amsterdam 2 - 2 Slavia Prague
Hamburger SV 3 - 1 Aston Villa

Group G
Club Brugge 0 - 1 FC Copenhagen
Saint-Etienne 2 - 2 Valencia

Group H
Deportivo La Coruna 1 - 0 Nancy
Feyenoord Rotterdam 0 - 1 Lech Poznan

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