Celtic joined AC Milan in the Champions League last 16 despite a 1-0 defeat at the Group D leaders on Tuesday, thanks to Shakhtar Donetsk's loss to Benfica.

 

The Scot side finished second on nine points in the group, trailing holders Milan with a deficit of four points, while Portuguese Benfica beat Ukraine's Shakhtar 2-1 to qualified for the UEFA Cup.

 

Shakhtar had needed a victory at home while hoping for a defeat from Celtic to keep their chance alive, but Oscar Cardozo's double sent them home without realizing their dream of reach the Champions League knockout stages for the first time.

 

Celtic only needed a point and they had only one effort on goal in the first half, before Filippo Inzaghi turned in Cafu's cutback midway through the second half for Milan's winner.

 

Milan, to get a better draw for the first knockout stage after topping the group, will shotly travel to the Club World Cup in Japan, which brought forward the last round of matches in the Champions League Group D by a week.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 5, 2007)