Champions League round-up

Chelsea recorded a comfortable victory over Spartak Moscow at Stamford Bridge, while Shakhtar Donetsk came from behind to defeat Arsenal on Wednesday evening.

Chelsea 4-1 Spartak Moscow

Chelsea ensured qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League with a routine victory over Spartak Moscow, their fourth consecutive win in Group F.

Branislav Ivanovic netted twice for the hosts, while Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba also added goals for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

There were no goals in the first half and Spartak certainly deserved to be on level terms after looking the more likely side to break the deadlock in the opening 45 minutes. Chelsea, however, should have scored in the opening half, but central defender Alex somehow missed from a yard out from an Ivanovic flick on.

Chelsea were far better after the break and took the lead less than five minutes into the second half when Nicolas Anelka finished superbly to the net after exchanging passes with Salomon Kalou.

Didier Drogba added Chelsea’s second from the penalty spot just after the hour mark after he was fouled in the area by Makeev and Branislav Ivanovic made the game safe after 66 minutes when he headed home Drogba’s free kick.

Spartak grabbed a consolation goal four minutes from time when Bazhenov converted Welliton’s cross, but there was still time for Ivanovic to score his second and Chelsea’s fourth goal of the night; the Serbian slamming home after a scramble in the Spartak area two minutes into injury time.

Following tonight’s game, Chelsea top Group F on 12 points, six points ahead of both Spartak Moscow and Marseille, and need only a point from their final two games to progress as group winners.

Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Arsenal

Arsenal dropped their first points in this year’s Champions League after Shakhtar Donetsk came from behind to defeat the Gunners in the Donbass Arena.

Arsenal hammered Shakhtar 5-1 at the Emirates only two weeks ago, but had failed to win in the Ukraine on four previous visits before tonight’s encounter.

Theo Walcott opened the scoring for Arsenal after ten minutes with a strong run and finish after Jack Wilshere had put him in on goal.

The hosts were level two minutes before the half-hour mark, however, when Craig Eastmond deflected Dmytro Chygrynskiy’s header into his own net.

Shakhtar took the lead on the stroke of half time through former Arsenal player Eduardo, who finished clinically after Srna had robbed Clichy and fed the Croatian in front of goal. Showing that he still has a lot of respect for his former club, however, Eduardo refrained from celebrating the goal that would eventually prove to be the winner.

Wilshere and Squillaci both had chances for Arsenal in the second half, but Shakhtar held on for a victory that sees them go level with Arsenal on top of Group H on nine points, although Arsenal lead by virtue of a vastly superior goal difference.

Results:

Group E:

CFR Cluj-Napoca 0-4 Bayern Munich

Basle 2-3 Roma

Group F:

Chelsea 4-1 Spartak Moscow

MSK Zilina 0-7 Marseille

Group G:

AC Milan 2-2 Real Madrid

Auxerre 2-1 Ajax

Group H:

Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Arsenal

Partizan Belgrade 0-1 Braga