Inter Milan vs Rubin Kazan Highlights: UEFA Champions League

Samuel Eto’o fired Inter Milan to a 2-0 win over Rubin Kazan that puts them in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Eto’o ended his goalscoring drought in the competition this season when he scored in the 31st minute to give the Italians the lead.

Mario Balotelli’s powerful free-kick made it 2-0 shortly after the hour mark. Rubin never gave up and were unfortunate not to come back into the game in a dominant display in second half, but just could not find their way to goal and have to settle for a place in the Europa League as consolation.

Inter finished second in Group F, two points behind leaders Barcelona, who won 2-1 at Dynamo Kiev.

Highlights:

FC Zürich vs AC Milan Highlights: UEFA Champions League

AC Milan joined Real Madrid in the Champions League inot the last 16 despite an unconvincing performance at FC Zurich.

After 20 minutes, the visitors lost Thiago Silva to injury and eight minutes later they conceded to Milan Gajic’s spectacular free-kick.

But Alain Rochat was dismissed for a professional foul and Ronaldinho converted from the penalty spot after 63 minutes as the Rossoneri progressed, while nearest rivals Marseille were eliminated by a 3-1 home loss to group leaders Real Madrid.

Highlights:

Juventus vs Bayern Munich Highlights: UEFA Champions League Highlights

Italian giants Juventus crashed out of the Champions League with a miserable performance in front of the home crowd as they capitulated to a rampant Bayern Munich.

Bayern goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt had little to do at his own end, but he leveled from the penalty spot on the half-hour mark after David Trezeguaet had given Juve an early lead against the run of play in Turin.

Ivica Olic then put Bayern ahead in the 51st minute, before Mario Gomez and substitute Anatoliy Tymoschuk scored to give the scoreline a one-sided look which did not flatter the visitors.

The win saw Bayern claim second place in Group A behind Bordeaux and a place in the last 16, while Juve, who were undefeated in the last 16 home European games until this evening, dropped into the Europa League.

Highlights:

Leonardo not keen to see Gattuso leave

Rino Gattuso has been linked with a move away from the club recently as early as January as he becomes more unsettled at the club but Leonardo has come out and said he wants the midfielder to stay.

The Rossoneri veteran has failed to earn a regular spot in Leonardo’s side because of injuries and coach’s squad rotation policy.

Gattuso, a near-certain selection for Italy’s World Cup squad, said last week he could leave Milan before the end of his contract in June 2011 if his playing time did not increase.

“If Gattuso has this idea in his head, I will try to make him change his mind,” said Leonardo.

“I know Rino (Gattuso) well. I played with him.

“I always speak to Gattuso and try to be very clear. Now the most important thing is that he recovers from the muscular injury.”

Gattuso has been a reported target of Manchester City but AC Milan club administrator Adriano Galliani said: “The other day I showed him (Gattuso) the midfield of the top five teams in Europe and he would not have been a starter in any of those.

“Why leave, only to be relegated to the bench somewhere else?”

The 31-year-old has been with the Rossoneri since 1999 and was a crucial member of the Italy squad which won the 2006 World Cup.

He has made seven league appearances in an AC Milan jersey this campaign.

Written by Danny Watson, a sports writer who blogs about soccer shirts