By IAN HOLLIDAY
Tottenham Hotspur went into its final match of the group stage knowing that it needed a win to ensure a first-place finish. Though they played with the sense of urgency that comes from such a situation, taking the lead on three separate occasions against hosts Twente, Spurs were unable to secure the needed result, settling for a 3-3 draw.
The result didn't end up making a difference, however, as Inter Milan limped to a 3-0 defeat at Werder Bremen, handing group A to Tottenham. Playing for nothing but pride, Bremen earned a comprehensive victory over the defending European champs, who looked totally punchless, especially in the second half.
The only other place in the knockout stage to be determined Tuesday was in group D, where Russian club Rubin Kazan needed to defeat Barcelona at Camp Nou and get help in order to avoid dropping to the Europa League for the second season in a row. The club was unable to accomplish this daunting task, falling 2-0 to a less-than-full-strength Barca side. A victory wouldn't have mattered anyway, as FC Copenhagen defeated Panathinaikos 3-1 to secure second place in the group.
In Group C, Manchester United held on to top spot in the group by securing a 1-1 draw with Valencia on Anderson's 62nd minute equalizer. The Red Devils could easily have won the game, generating 19 shots, nine of which were on goal.
Group B went to Schalke, which has been miserable in the Bundesliga this season, but won its fourth Champions League match 2-1 at Benfica Tuesday.
Here is a rundown of all the scores from Tuesday's Champions League matches:
GROUP A
Twente 3, Tottenham 3
Werder Bremen 3, Inter Milan 0
GROUP B
Benfica 1, Schalke 04 2
Lyon 2, Hapoel Tel Aviv 2
GROUP C
Bursaspor 1, Rangers 1
Manchester United 1, Valencia 1
GROUP D
Barcelona 2, Rubin Kazan 0
FC Copenhagen 3, Panathinaikos 1
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What did you think of the day's results? Happy for Tottenham? Hoping for Real Madrid v. Inter Milan in the round of 16?
Share your thoughts below:
yes. they have the depth it takes to make a deep run and an in-form striker(defoe) to lead them there. oh and this guy named garreth bale whos been playing well lately
Correction, the ref handed equalizing opportunities to Twente for any dive or slight breeze, then Spurs showed class and equalized.
Milan would not be a bad draw–Gareth seemed to enjoy his stay.
Why? The game was meaningless.
Everyone except Milan. But yeah, winning the group, especially one with Inter in it, was huge.
Twente hit the scorer’s sheet three times first, then spurs equalized
I have not been impressed with Rafa’s Inter.
Likelihood the Inter drop benitez? Pretty high after today
All of the teams Spurs could face in the first knock-out games are winnable. Could they be setting the table for a deep run?