2 Nov 2011

Arsenal and Chelsea stutter while AC Milan and Barcelona advance

1:19 pm on 2 November 2011

Arsenal squandered their chance to qualify for the last 16 of European football's Champions League with two matches to play when they laboured to a nil-all draw with Olympique Marseille in another dour Group F match at the Emirates.

Despite failing to ensure progress on the night, Arsenal are still well placed to advance though as they top the standings with eight points from four games, with Marseille second on seven.

Group E leaders Chelsea let two points slip as Belgian side Racing Genk pulled back from a goal down to draw 1-all in their Champions League clash.

Chelsea have eight points, Leverkusen are on six and Valencia have five.

Meanwhile Spanish and Italian giants Barcelona and AC Milan succeeded where their English counterparts couldn't with both sides qualifying for the last 16 with room to spare.

Unstoppable Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick for holders Barcelona, the first of which was his 200th goal for the club, as they beat Viktoria Plzen 4-0 in Prague to move top of Group H above Milan who were held 1-1 at BATE Borisov.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was on target for Milan and, although the Serie A side conceded a second-half goal from the penalty spot, Barca's result ensured the two giants of European football will be in the knockout rounds which start in February.