Real Madrid and coach Manuel Pellegrini were on the wrong end of damning newspaper headlines on Wednesday after their humiliating exit from the King’s Cup at the hands of third-tier Alcorcon.

Real managed to win only 1-0 on the night at the Bernabeu and crashed out 4-1 over two legs to the tiny Segunda B club, who play in the same division as Real’s youth team and have an annual budget more than four hundred times smaller than the La Liga giants.

Even the Madrid-based sports papers showed no mercy, as club and fans woke up to the fact that their expensively assembled squad can no longer match the title treble of Champions League, La Liga and Cup achieved last season by arch-rivals Barcelona.

“Complete disaster,” screamed the headline in As. “Unprecedented farce,” bellowed Marca above a picture of the celebrating Alcorcon players. The paper said it refused to put any photos of Real on the front page as they did not deserve it.

Fans chanted for Pellegrini to quit when he brought on defender Marcelo for midfielder Lassana Diarra with around 20 minutes left and the Madrid papers focused much of their ire on the Chilean.

Why were the uninspiring midfield pair of Mahamadou Diarra and Fernando Gago included in the starting lineup and striker Karim Benzema and creative midfielders Xabi Alonso and Guti left out of the squad altogether, asked Delfin Melero in Marca.

“The final whistle made possible an unprecedented situation,” Melero wrote. “The Bernabeu booed its own team and coach and gave an ovation to Alcorcon, a team with spirit that demonstrated to Madrid that without pride and without a plan you’re going nowhere.”

FESTERING WOUNDS

Tomas Guasch, writing in As, said it was “completely unacceptable” that Pellegrini had changed the starting lineup he had used for the previous three matches and that was beginning to gel.

“And that there wasn’t a single forward on the bench is absolutely unacceptable too,” he added.

Club captain Raul said the squad needed time to adapt to the influx of new players, including record signing Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema.

“Sometimes it’s difficult for a new project to go well right from the start,” the striker told a news conference after training on Wednesday.

“Maybe it’s taking too long but we have confidence in the coach and we cannot throw in the towel,” he added. “We have to continue working as there is room for improvement.”

El Mundo columnist Orfeo Suarez noted that Real president Florentino Perez was not known for his loyalty to coaches and said the spectacle of the fans calling for Pellegrini’s head did not bode well for the Chilean.

“Madrid will make an effort to back the coach and quickly turn the page but wounds left behind can fester,” he wrote.

Many papers did not miss the irony of an appearance by Perez on television earlier on Tuesday in which he played down the club’s trophy expectations this season.

“We are at the start of a new project; we are giving it stability,” the construction magnate, who spent around 250 million on players in the close season, told Cuatro.

“We aren’t going to get nervous because it hasn’t all come together perfectly in the first year.”

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Steven Gerrard’s controversial penalty earned Liverpool a 2-2 Premier League draw with Birmingham City here at Anfield on Monday after the visitors had earlier fought back to take the lead.

Gerrard, who came off the bench following a groin problem, rescued a point from the penalty spot after David Ngog went down under Lee Carsley’s challenge in the penalty area, with the furious Blues insisting the striker had dived.

But the Reds remain seventh in the table with manager Rafael Benitez still facing intense pressure.

Newly-promoted City had led at the break after goals from Christian Benitez and Cameron Jerome cancelled out Ngog’s opener.

The Reds went into the game on the back of six defeats in eight matches but Ngog looked to have set them on their way to victory with his early effort.

But Ecuador international Benitez pulled Birmingham level with a close-range header – his first goal in English football – before Jerome gave the visitors a shock lead with a superb strike.

With Gerrard only being on the bench and Fernando Torres not making the squad, it was City who were the first to threaten with Lee Bowyer’s shot flying over the bar.

Soon though Liverpool’s possession started to tell with Glen Johnson playing Yossi Benayoun in behind in the defence only for goalkeeper Joe Hart to gather after a scramble.

And then Dirk Kuyt’s pass found Ngog and the young Frenchman’s stab at goal was held by Hart.

However, 12 minutes in, and despite two fine Hart saves, Liverpool took the lead.

The on-loan Manchester City man saved from Ngog and Kuyt before Albert Riera lobbed back into the area and Ngog fired in a powerful left-foot volley.

But midway through the first half, Birmingham drew level from a simple free-kick knocked into the area. James McFadden floated the ball in and Roger Johnson and Scott Dann both won headers before Benitez headed past Jose Reina from close range. Hart pulled off another fine save just after the half hour when he pushed Javier Mascherano’s long-range effort just over the bar.

Riera summed up Liverpool’s frustration as he cut in from the right flank and hit a drive high into the stand.

But just before the interval, Jerome slipped the ball through and Benitez went around Reina only to send his shot wide of goal.

Riera limped off to be replaced by Gerrard in the final stages of the opening period but it was the visitors that took a shock lead.

And after two minutes of added time Jerome thumped in Birmingham’s second from 30 yards after latching on to Dann’s headed clearance.

Kuyt drove well over the bar from a narrow angle and Insua also failed to hit the target from distance as the hosts grew ever more desperate.

And Gerrard almost made a dramatic impact, meeting Johnson’s cross only for his header to glance the outside of the post.

But he made no mistake when a better chance came along after Ngog went down under Carsley’s challenge.

Gerrard shrugged off the tension and beat Hart from the spot to equalise for Liverpool.

Ngog almost stole a winner with a near-post effort from Gerrard’s cross but failed to hit the target from close range before his captain lobbed over from the edge of the area.

Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo won “substantial” libel damages on Monday over a newspaper report saying he went on a drink-fueled “bender” in a Hollywood nightclub.

The Daily Mirror reported in July last year that Ronaldo, who does not drink alcohol, had gone on a drinking binge despite the fact that he was on crutches, recovering from an ankle operation.

Under the headline “Ron the Lash,” it said the then Manchester United player had spent £10,000 on champagne and vodka for friends and models, having drunk four glasses of red wine himself earlier in the evening.

“It described how one clubber claimed to have seen him throw his crutches down on the floor and try to dance on his uninjured foot,” his lawyer Ronald Thwaites told the court.

But a lawyer for publishers MGN Limited told London’s High Court the newspaper “offers its apologies to the claimant for the distress, embarrassment and offence caused by this article.

“The defendant accepts that the allegations are false and ought never to have been published. It is therefore happy to set the record straight and to apologise to the claimant.”

Thwaites said that, although Ronaldo was in the nightclub in question, he did not drink any alcohol at all whilst there.

“He does not drink alcohol because he takes his health, fitness and recovery from injury very seriously. Nor did he throw his crutches to the floor and try to dance.

“He sat in a private corner under the care and supervision of the respected Portuguese national team physiotherapist, Antonio Gaspar.”

In a statement issued by his lawyer, the injured Real Madrid striker said: “I am delighted with this outcome.

“I take training and recovery from injury very seriously and would never have ‘gone on a bender’ and danced in a nightclub without my crutches as the Mirror falsely claimed,” Ronaldo added.

Captain John Terry headed Chelsea five points clear at the top of the Premier League on Sunday when his 76th-minute goal secured a 1-0 home victory over champions Manchester United.

The eagerly-awaited showdown had been meandering towards a disappointing goalless draw until Terry was left unmarked to glance in a Frank Lampard free kick — with striker Nicolas Anelka claiming he got the final touch.

The victory took Chelsea to 30 points, five clear of Arsenal, who won 4-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, and United, who also lost to Liverpool last month.

Tottenham Hotspur are fourth on 22 after they beat Sunderland 2-0 on Saturday. Liverpool host Birmingham City on Monday.

Earlier on Sunday, Hull City beat visitors Stoke City 2-1 with a stoppage-time goal, Everton won 2-1 at West Ham United while Wigan Athletic drew 1-1 at home to Fulham.

However, all eyes were on Stamford Bridge this weekend, even though for the most part the big game failed to deliver.

WEAKENED DEFENCE

United were without first-choice centre-halves Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic but stand-ins Wes Brown and Jonny Evans were barely tested in a game high on errors and short on goalmouth action.

Chelsea’s defence was similarly comfortable, despite the willing running of United striker Wayne Rooney, and the first hour passed without either goalkeeper seriously troubled.

Peter Cech stretched to keep out a Rooney curler after 68 minutes as United applied some pressure but it remained tight.

The absence of Ferdinand and Vidic proved key, however, eight minutes later when United’s defence got hopelessly confused defending a straightforward Lampard free kick from the left.

Terry reached it first but Anelka and his strike partner Didier Drogba were also in the vicinity — unlike any United defenders.

The champions upped the tempo after that but, with forward Dimitar Berbatov also absent through injury, too much fell on Rooney’s shoulders and the Chelsea defence was able to crowd him out.

TERRY’S DELIGHT

Terry, whose day began with some unwelcome tabloid headlines about his family, was delighted.

“I want it (the goal) because I’ve never scored against Manchester United home or away, but Nicolas was brilliant today so he can have it,” he told Sky Sports.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti added: “We did what we had to do. We beat a very good opponent, the best opponent, and we’re five points clear but we know this is a very long (season). We have to maintain this gap.”

United manager Alex Ferguson was left complaining about the free kick that led to the goal and claimed his defenders were impeded defending it.

“That goal shouldn’t have been allowed,” he said. “The referee’s position to make the decision was absolutely ridiculous, he can’t see anything.

“It was a bad decision, but there’s nothing we can do about it. You lose faith in refereeing sometimes, that’s the way the players are talking in there — it was a bad one.

“We have dominated the game and had great chances to win the match and that’s our fault.

“We should be finishing it off and we have only ourselves to blame in that respect but we never got the break we needed. We did play well and were the far better team.”

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Arsenal swept Wolves aside to climb to second place in the Premier League on Saturday as a fifth consecutive draw resulted in Manchester City being ejected from the top four.

The Gunners’ 4-1 win at Molineux lifted them above Manchester United on goal difference ahead of the champions’ meeting with leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Arsenal had ended their contest with Wolves by half-time as own goals from Ronald Zubar and Jody Craddock were followed by Cesc Fabregas finishing off a trademark passing move on the stroke of the interval.

Andrey Arshavin made it 4-0 after the interval before Craddock claimed a late consolation side for Wolves, who slipped into the relegation zone.

Arsenal have now scored 36 goals in 11 league matches this season –eight more than Chelsea — and manager Arsene Wenger believes his squad is starting to look like a title-winning outfit.

“I don’t know what other people think — the most important is what we believe and our belief if there,” the Frenchman said. “I know we have great potential and we go from strength to strength.”

Manchester City surrendered their coveted spot in the top four to Tottenham after being held to a 3-3 draw at home to Burnley.

It was a fifth consecutive draw for City, who slip back to fifth after a run that has cast doubt on their ability to break into English football’s Champions League elite.

“I said before the season that there will be times when we look like what we are, a team coming together and trying to gel,” said City’s manager, Mark Hughes.

“And on other occasions it will happen for us and we will look an outstanding team but I am frustrated, and disappointed as well.”

Robbie Keane and Tom Huddlestone were on the mark for Tottenham as Harry Redknapp’s side moved up to fourth with a 2-0 win over Sunderland at White Hart Lane.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa overran struggling Bolton in a 5-1 rout at Villa Park while Blackburn lifted themselves out of the relegation zone with a 3-1 win over bottom side Portsmouth.

Burnley’s draw at Manchester City was their first point on the road since their return to the top flight.

An even better outcome had looked on the cards when a Graham Alexander penalty and a Steven Fletcher strike gave the visitors a 2-0 lead.

But Shaun Wright-Phillips reduced the deficit two minutes before the break and second half strikes from Kolo Toure – his first league goal for City – and Craig Bellamy had City on track to claim the points before Kevin McDonald snatched an 87th-minute equaliser for the visitors.

Sunderland striker Darren Bent’s return to Tottenham proved to be an unhappy one with the England striker having a second-half penalty saved by Heurelho Gomes.

That would have cancelled out Keane’s 12th-minute strike for Spurs and been just reward for Sunderland’s long periods of domination.

Instead Tottenham finished comfortable winners after Huddlestone smashed a 68th-minute shot in off the bar.

Redknapp admitted his side had been lucky, but insisted there was no reason they could not stay in the top four.

“We were very fortunate, the keeper’s had a fantastic day but that’s how it goes,” he said.

“We got three points, you can play well and get nothing. We’ve got Aaron Lennon and Luka Modric to come back and when they come back we’ll play differently again.”

England duo Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor put Villa in control against Bolton.

Johan Elmander gave the visitors hope on the stroke of half-time but Villa were too slick after the break with John Carew, James Milner and Carlos Cuellar all finding the net in the final 20 minutes.

On-loan Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara gave Portsmouth a 15th-minute lead against Blackburn, raising the prospect of a win that would have lifted Pompey out of the drop zone themselves.

Instead it was Blackburn who took the points with Jason Roberts scoring twice either side of a strike from New Zealander Ryan Nelsen.

Tests in Amsterdam have shown Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo needs two more weeks of treatment on his injured ankle, the La Liga club said on Thursday.

Ronaldo, who has not played since aggravating the problem in Portugal’s 3-0 win over Hungary on October 10, was due to return to action around now.

But Real said tests conducted on Wednesday by a doctor in Amsterdam who treated the same ankle last year had confirmed he would require another two weeks of treatment.

He would return to consult the doctor, Niek van Dijk, in Amsterdam in 15 days, they added on their website (www.realmadrid.com).

Ronaldo is set to miss Saturday’s trip to city rivals Atletico Madrid as well as their attempt to overturn a 4-0 deficit against third-tier side Alcorcon in Tuesday’s King’s Cup last 32 second leg at the Bernabeu.

The Portuguese Football Federation on Thursday played down a report in Spanish sports daily Marca that said the injury will take at least another month to heal, forcing Ronaldo out of the two-legged World Cup playoff against Bosnia.

He could be sidelined for three months if he needs surgery, the paper said.

“Even Marca gets it wrong,” federation chief Gilberto Madail said, adding that he was hopeful Ronaldo would play against Bosnia in Lisbon on Nov. 14 and in Zenica four days later.

“Ronaldo wants to play, he will join the squad and will be examined by the medical team.

“The situation is under control as there have been contacts between our coach, the Real Madrid coach, the player and the medical departments.”

An in-form Didier Drogba is capable of ruffling the feathers of even the most confident defences.

So it will be with some trepidation that Manchester United, whose back four has been looking decidedly shaky of late, pitch up for Sunday’s Premier League summit meeting with a Chelsea side whose confident start to the season has been underpinned by Drogba’s return to his battering-ram best.
The Ivorian’s late double in the Champions League win over Atletico Madrid in Spain took his tally for the season to 12 in all competitions and team-mate Florent Malouda has never seen the striker looking more driven. “Didier is really happy and enjoying his form at the moment,” Malouda said. “He always believed in himself, even in the second division in France he was dreaming about it and preparing himself. Even at this level he is working harder and harder.” United have not won at Stamford Bridge since April 2002 and the manner in which Sir Alex Ferguson’s side capitulated at Liverpool last month and then conceded three goals to CSKA Moscow at Old Trafford on Tuesday will not have encouraged fans to believe that particular seven-year itch is about to be scratched. Chelsea have won all nine of their domestic and European fixtures at home this season, scoring 25 goals in the process while conceding only one. But Ferguson is counting on the chastening impact of the defeat at Liverpool to act as a galvanising force for his players. “It’s always a hard game at Chelsea, but we’ll deal with it better than we did at Anfield, I’m sure of that,” the Scot predicted. With Rio Ferdinand unlikely to be involved because of the latest recurrence of a troubling a calf injury, Ferguson will be relieved to have Serbian centreback Nemanja Vidic available again. Dimitar Berbatov and Ryan Giggs, who also missed the 3-3 draw with CSKA, are also on track to return from injury while Wayne Rooney, who started on the bench in midweek, will return to the starting line-up looking for a goal to celebrate the birth of his baby boy, Kai Wayne. With either one or both of the top two destined to drop points on Sunday, Arsenal will seek to close the gap on them by taking maximum points from Saturday evening’s trip to Wolves. “If we want to challenge for the title this is the kind of game we have to win,” acknowledged Robin van Persie, whose form has been every bit as significant for the Gunners this season as Drogba’s has for Chelsea. Manchester City, whose early season momentum has been stalled by a run of four draws, will welcome back Emmanuel Adebayor for the visit of Burnley to Eastlands, much to the relief of manager Mark Hughes. “You always want players that can produce moments of magic when the team is not dominating proceedings as you would like,” Hughes said. “Those type of players have the ability to change the game in your favour. Ade has that capability and having the option of him this weekend will be a bonus for us.” Liverpool have to wait until Monday, when Birmingham visit Anfield, to try and bounce back from a week which has left the club’s chances of progressing in the Champions League looking extremely slim, and placed manager Rafael Benitez under more pressure than at any time in his five-year reign. Benitez however is not under quite as much pressure as the Hull manager Phil Brown, who knows he could find himself out of a job if his players fail to produce a positive result in Sunday’s home clash with Stoke. In Saturday’s other games, Tottenham entertain Sunderland, Aston Villa are at home to Bolton on Saturday and bottom side Portsmouth travel to Blackburn, who slipped into the relegation zone as a result of West Ham’s midweek win over Villa. Wigan take on Fulham at the DW Stadium on Sunday, which will also see West Ham attempt to build on the win over Villa, their first at home this season.

Fixtures Saturday

Aston Villa v Bolton Blackburn v Portsmouth Manchester City v Burnley Tottenham v Sunderland Wolves v Arsenal Sunday Chelsea v Manchester Utd Hull v Stoke West Ham v Everton Wigan v Fulham Monday Liverpool v Birmingham

Atletico Madrid winger Simao Sabrosa has mixed feelings about his Portuguese compatriot and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of Saturday’s La Liga clash between the city rivals.

Ronaldo has been sidelined for almost a month with an ankle injury and Simao said he hoped Real’s world record signing would miss the match at the Calderon but be fit in time for Portugal’s two-legged World Cup playoff against Bosnia later this month.

“Cristiano was the best player in the world last year but Real Madrid can’t just depend on one man,” he said on the club’s website (www.clubatleticodemadrid.com).

“It’s important for my country that he recovers from his injury but I hope it’s after Saturday.”

Second-placed Real’s form has dipped in Ronaldo’s absence and coach Manuel Pellegrini looks likely to be without him on Saturday after the club said he would seek a second opinion in the Netherlands after tests in Madrid had shown the injury had not completely healed and he was unable to return to training.

“It’s clear that we need Cristiano because he is a very important player for us,” Real defender Marcelo said on the club’s website (www.realmadrid.com).

“I hope he recovers as quickly as possible but we have other players that can help the team a lot.”

BATTLING DRAW

Atletico, who replaced coach Abel Resino with Quique Sanchez Flores on Oct. 23, are mired in the relegation places with just one win in nine matches.

Simao, however, said Tuesday’s 2-2 Champions League draw at home to Chelsea had given the squad heart.

“Against Chelsea we did everything, we fought and the fans were on our side,” he said.

“Together we are stronger and even though we are in a difficult period we believe in ourselves and we know we have what it takes to win on Saturday.”

Real will also be without Spain international central defender Raul Albiol after their appeal against his red card in last week’s 2-0 win over Getafe was rejected.

Marcelo admitted that Real’s focus has not always been at 100 percent but said problems with concentration had been ironed out.

“In some matches we have been asleep at the start,” he said. “But we have talked a lot and we have realised that without the spirit we have shown in the last few matches you can’t win.”

On Saturday, leaders Barcelona face fifth-placed Real Mallorca, who have surprised with impressive results this term.

Barca’s lead over Real was trimmed to one point last week when they drew 1-1 at Osasuna and need to pick themselves up after a disappointing 0-0 Champions League draw at Rubin Kazan on Wednesday and the long trip back from Russia.

“We are playing our next game at home in front of our fans,” Gerard Pique said after the Rubin match. “There is no reason for people to be concerned.”

In Sunday matches, third-placed Sevilla host Villarreal and fourth-placed Valencia entertain promoted Real Zaragoza.

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AC Milan and Real Madrid took a small step towards qualification for the Champions League knock-out rounds following a 1-1 draw at the San Siro on Tuesday.

Ronaldinho’s penalty cancelled out Karim Benzema’s opener for the visitors as the stalemate left both teams a point clear of Marseille, who thrashed FC Zurich 6-1, at the top of Group C.

There was no revenge for Madrid for their 3-2 defeat to the Italians at the Bernabeu two weeks ago but they were the better side, particularly before the break.

It was all Real at the start of the first half as the visitors dominated, much like they did in the early stages of the home match.

On six minutes a deflected Benzema shot was tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Dida while Sergio Ramos fired just wide in the 13th minute.

Just after that Gonzalo Higuain made space for himself on the edge of the box but curled his effort over before Benzema held off Alessandro Nesta in the area after latching onto Marcelo’s pass in the 20th minute but fired wide of the far post.

Milan finally came to life in the 24th minute with a quick break as Clarence Seedorf fed Alexandre Pato who cut inside Alvaro Arbeloa but Iker Casillas came out and spread himself well to block the Brazilian’s shot.

Real deservedly went in front in the 29th minute as former Milan star Kaka beat Seedorf on the edge of the area and fired in a fierce daisy cutter that was too hot for Dida to handle, allowing Benzema to fire the rebound into the far corner for his first goal in seven matches.

But ten minutes from the break Ronaldinho equalised from the spot after Pepe was harshly penalised for handball when he slid in rashly to block Zambrotta’s cross, the ball hitting his arm from barely a yard away.

Moments later Pato brilliantly took a long ball from Andrea Pirlo on his chest, held off Raul Albiol and shot past Casillas and in off the far post but he was penalised for a foul that was not clear, although the Brazilian didn’t protest.

The first clear chance of the second period went to Milan but captain Massimo Ambrosini somehow headed Pirlo’s free-kick miles wide from five yards out.

Just as they had done in Madrid, Milan were giving a much better account of themselves in the second half and Marco Borriello rose highest in the box but glanced his header from Pirlo’s corner well wide.

In the last ten minutes Filippo Inzaghi came on for Borriello and he came within inches of scoring a winner when Pato’s right wing cross found him eight yards out but falling over he directed the ball up and onto the roof of the net.

And another sub, Raul of Real, was denied in the last minute as Dida, making up for his gaffe in Spain, made a stunning one-handed save to deny the Spaniard,

English giants Chelsea and Manchester United made hard work of it but ended up coming from behind to both qualify for the Champions League knockout stages on Tuesday.

French champions Bordeaux joined them as they earned an impressive 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in Munich, while Porto can also look forward to Champions League football in the spring after winning 1-0 at APOEL Nicosia.

Chelsea came from 1-0 down to draw 2-2 with Atletico Madrid – Didier Drogba scoring both goals on his return from a three-match Champions League suspension.

United had to come from even further behind as they trailed 3-1 late into the match against CSKA Moscow at Old Trafford before two goals levelled matters and pushed them through.

United were always on the back foot against the Russians, having trailed 1-0 before levelling at 1-1 through Michael Owen.

However, they went into the break 2-1 down and just after Sir Alex Ferguson had called for better defending at half time they were 3-1 down after Vasili Berezutski nodded in.

Veteran midfielder Paul Scholes, though, gave the hosts hope with a header from Gary Neville’s cross and Russian heartbreak was confirmed as Georgy Shchennikov deflected in Antonio Valencia’s shot in injury time.

CSKA were reduced to ten men shortly before the final whistle when Deividas Sembreras was sent-off.

Chelsea had failed to make the most of their chances in the first half and were made to pay as Diego Maradona’s son-in-law Sergio Aguero volleyed the Spaniards ahead shortly after coming on as a substitute.

The visitors levelled with the clock running down for half time when Drogba met Florent Malouda’s cross and the Ivory Coast star looked set for a fairytale comeback when he added a second, only for the hosts to equalise through an exquisite Aguero free-kick at the death.

AC Milan and Real Madrid’s group has become one of the tightest as the two giants fought out a 1-1 draw in Milan, while rivals Marseille thrashed FC Zurich 6-1 to stand just a point behind the duo.

Milan and Real shared the spoils at the San Siro, with both goals coming in the first half.

Karim Benzema got his first goal in seven matches for the visitors before Ronaldinho drew Milan level from the penalty spot.

Marseille had wrapped things up shortly after half time as captain Mamadou Niang was on hand to round off a nicely worked move by the French side to make it 3-1 against FC Zurich.

Marseille had left the blocks brilliantly, leading 2-0 after 11 minutes through an own goal from Silvan Aegerter and a Fabrice Abriel free-kick that stood despite several of the home side appearing to be offside.

They capped a fine evening’s work when Hilton stroked home a delightful right-footed effort from outside the box with less than ten minutes remaining and added two more for good measure late on to complete the rout.

Marseille’s fellow French side Bordeaux qualified after securing a splendid 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich after French international Yoann Gourcuff netted in the first half and Moroccan international Marouane Chamakh sealed victory late on in the second half.

Bayern’s position is even more precarious given that Juventus beat Maccabi Haifa 1-0 in Israel — World Cup winner Mauro Camoranesi scoring in the first half — to move onto eight points, four clear of Bayern with two matches remaining.