Waiting game pays off

Arsenal soak up sustained pressure from Dortmund before Ramseys winner.

An Aaron Ramsey header gave patient Arsenal an important 1-0 win at last seasons runners-up Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday,allowing them to take control of Group F with two games left to play. Arsenal,who grabbed swift revenge for a 2-1 loss to Dortmund in London last month,bided their time for more than an hour in pouring rain,soaking up Dortmund attacks before striking with their first effort on goal.

The visitors scored against the run of play with midfielder Ramsey,who netted his 11th goal of the season when he nodded in after good work by Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud. We were mature in our tactics,we made no major mistakes and had patience, Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger said.

We had problems creating chances and we had a brief difficult period early in the second half but then we scored and were not so much under pressure.

The result lifts Arsenal to nine points from four games,ahead on goal difference of Napoli who beat Olympique Marseille 3-2. Juergen Klopps side lie third on six points and find themselves fretting. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid led a Spanish Armada into the Champions League last 16 with home wins.

Messi brace for barca

Barca met seven-times winners AC Milan at the Nou Camp but the stock of the faltering Italians has fallen so much that even an average display from the hosts sealed a 3-1 success in Group H,Lionel Messi scoring a penalty and a cheeky third.

La Liga rivals Atletico put on a better display in their 4-0 cruise past Group G whipping boys Austria Vienna to glide into the knockout stages after four wins from four with two matches to spare.

Miranda grabbed Atleticos opener after 11 minutes before Raul Garcia rose athletically to head home the second,with Filipe Luis making it three for this terms potential surprise packages on halftime.

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Diego Costa missed a penalty but added a fourth goal on 82 minutes as Diego Simeones men made sure they reach the knockout stages for the first time since 2008/09. Zenit St Petersburg stayed as favourites to take second place and qualify after Hulk scored the equaliser but also missed a spot kick in a 1-1 home draw with his former side Porto.

Totally unmarked

Chelsea8217;s first goal in a 3-0 home win over Schalke 04 was hardly a classic in contrast,with keeper Timo Hildebrand blasting his clearance against Samuel Etoo and the ball flying in.

The Cameroonian slotted in a cool second after the break and Demba Ba also scored to put the Group E leaders on the verge of qualification,with the Germans second and Basel third after a late equaliser in a 1-1 home draw with Steaua Bucharest.

Jose Mourinho said he had told Etoo to close down the keeper.

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I know the keeper from Portugal and Spain because he was there and we know Schalke likes to play back passes and play from the back with the keeper so Samuel was clever in the way he closed him down, the Chelsea coach said.

Barca took the lead on the half hour after Ignazio Abate clumsily pulled back Neymar and Messi did the rest from the spot. Sergio Busquets then headed in Xavis free kick Messi snuffed them out when the Argentine ran through on 83 and finished with a deft chip.

Despite the Nou Camp defeat,Milan remained second in Group H after Ajax Amsterdam beat Celtic 1-0.

Eight police officers needed hospital treatment and more than 15 fans were arrested following violent clashes ahead of the match in the Netherlands.

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European champions Bayern Munich and Manchester City,for the first time,qualified for the last 16 on Tuesday.