Inter regain their winning touch

Troubled Liverpool conceded a last-gasp goal in a 1-1 draw at Olympique Lyon on Wednesday,leaving them in danger of an...

Troubled Liverpool conceded a last-gasp goal in a 1-1 draw at Olympique Lyon on Wednesday,leaving them in danger of an early Champions League exit,while Inter Milan were on the right end of late drama.

The Italian champions scored twice in the last five minutes to beat Dynamo Kiev 2-1 away and claim their first win in nine European matches. Lyons point was enough to send them into the last 16 along with Sevilla,who were held 1-1 at home by VfB Stuttgart,as the duo joined Manchester United,Chelsea,Girondins Bordeaux and Porto in the knockout stages.

European champions Barcelona,beaten 2-1 at home by Rubin Kazan two weeks ago,were held to a goalless draw away to the Russians in freezing conditions,leaving them in an uncomfortable position in their group. Arsenal,inspired by two goals from Cesc Fabregas,thrashed AZ Alkmaar 4-1 and virtually ensured their place after becoming the only Premiership side to manage a win this week.

Five-times champions Liverpool travelled to Lyon having lost six of their last seven games in all competitions,including a 2-1 loss to Lyon at Anfield,and were missing injured captain Steven Gerrard. Ryan Babel fired them ahead from 25 metres in the 83rd minute,but former Racing Club and Porto forward Lisandro Lopez slotted home the equaliser in the last minute.

Liverpool,third in Group E with four points,dropped five behind Italys Fiorentina,who thrashed pointless Hungarian debutants Debrecen 5-2.

Shevchenko strikes

Serie A leaders Inter,who drew their first three games in Group F,finally brought their winning domestic touch to Europe,although victory looked unlikely for a long time. Former AC Milan forward Andriy Shevchenko opened the scoring in the 21st minute. Argentina striker Diego Milito scuffed in the equaliser and Wesley Sneijder poked in the winner in the 89th minute. The win catapulted Inter from bottom to top in the group with six points,one ahead of Barcelona and Rubin Kazan. Kiev are bottom with four but still in the hunt.

Arsenals win over another debutant team took them four points clear of Zicos Olympiakos at the top of Group H. Alkmaar coach Ronald Koeman had never lost to Arsenal as coach,first with Ajax and then with PSV Eindhoven. Elsewhere,Olympiakos lost 2-0 at Standard Liege while Sevilla drew with Stuttgart.