EURO WRAP: Liverpool's miserable Champions League campaign has finally ended with yet another dismal deafeat, losing 2-1 at home to Fiorentina this morning.
The visitors grabbed a late winner through Alberto Gilardino in the second minute of added time to clinch top spot in Group E.
Looking at the positives, Liverpool started with Alberto Aquilani at last - and Fernando Torres returned from a groin injury for the final 25 minutes.
Yossi Benayoun's first-half header gave Liverpool hope in a game it largely controlled, but defensive uncertainty gave Martin Jorgensen the chance to drive home the equaliser in the second period.
Fiorentina, aware that Lyon was hammering Debrecen, realised it needed to win to make sure of top spot in the group, and it piled on some belated pressure.
It paid off and Liverpool was to suffer yet another late goal disaster.
It had happened in both games against Lyon, and now Fiorentina struck to steal its win in injury time.
Substitute Juan Vargas set up Gilardino for a fierce finish that sent the Fiorentina fans wild, and the club's coaching staff into delirious jigs of delight.
Arsene Wenger's young Gunners put on a brave display but were defeated 1-0 by Olympiacos in their final Champions League Group H clash in Athens.
With safe passage to the last 16 already secured, Wenger chose to rest most of his first-team regulars - with 18-year-old left-back Tom Cruise handed a debut and reserve captain Kyle Bartley playing alongside Mikael Silvestre, 32, in central defence.
It was, though, the display of Aaron Ramsey, still only 18 but already a full Wales international, which caught the eye, the teenager relishing in the role of midfield playmaker filled so well by rested captain Cesc Fabregas.
Indeed, but for some better finishing from England forward Theo Walcott - fit again following a hamstring problem - and the wasteful Mexican Carlos Vela, Arsenal's youngsters would have taken a deserved result from the game.
Walcott went close for Arsenal early on with a strike that was parried by Antonis Nikopolidis, while Luciano Galletti volleyed wide for the hosts.
It was Olympiacos which took the lead after 47 minutes, when after Bartley had upended Oscar Gonzalez, play was allowed to continue and Leonardo latched onto the loose ball and slotted through Lukasz Fabianski's legs. Vela went close again for Arsenal as he worked the keeper with a low drive, while Ramsay had a close-range effort cleared off the line late on.
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho breathed a sigh of relief as his side beat Rubin Kazan 2-0 to reach the last 16.
Knowing a win would be enough to see it advance from Group F, Mourinho named an attack-minded side and his gamble paid off when Samuel Eto'o scored his first goal in the competition this season on the half-hour mark.
Mourinho, who was sent to the stands during the weekend Serie A defeat to Juventus, then watched as Mario Balotelli fired home an audacious swerving free-kick in the 64th minute to ensure his side's progress.
Barcelona had to come from behind to win 2-1 at Dynamo Kiev and guarantee its progress as Group F winner, extinguishing the Ukrainians' slim hopes of advancing in the process.
Artem Milevsky put Dynamo ahead when his second-minute header squirmed under Barca keeper Victor Valdes, but Xavi equalised and Lionel Messi grabbed the winner with a stunning late free-kick.
Barca's late winner saw Rubin pip Dynamo to third spot and a place in the Europa League.
Christian Gross enjoyed a stunning start as Stuttgart's new coach as the German side blew away Romanians Unirea Urziceni 3-1 and guaranteed the runners-up spot in Group G behind Sevilla.
Knowing nothing less than a win would do, Stuttgart went ahead through Ciprian Marica on five minutes. Three minutes later Eric Trasch made it 2-0 and by 11 minutes Stuttgart was home and dry through Pavel Pogrebnyak.
Sevilla wrapped up pole position in the group by beating already-eliminated Rangers 1-0, the winning goal coming from Frederic Kanoute's eighth-minute penalty after Steven Whittaker fouled Fernando Navarro.
Lyon's 4-0 hammering of pointless Hungarians Debrecen was inconsequential as it had to settle for second place in the group. Bafetimbi Gomis, Michel Bastos, Miralem Pjanic and Aly Cissokho grabbed its goals.
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