Manchester City and Tottenham edged closer to the UEFA Cup knockout stages on Thursday with crucial away wins.
City made it two wins out of two in Group A with an assured 2-0 victory over Germany’s Schalke 04 in Gelksenkirchen which followed their opening 3-2 victory against FC Twente.
City took the lead on the half-hour mark when Daniel Sturridge’s cross-cum-shot was sidefooted home at the far post by Zimbabwean striker Benjani Mwaruwari to stun the majority of the 60,000-strong crowd.
In-form midfielder Stephen Ireland coolly tucked away the second in the 65th minute.
Tottenham enjoyed a 1-0 win at Dutch side NEC Nijmegen with Jamie O’Hara’s 14th-minute header proving the clincher after Fraizer Campbell had hit the bar.
Harry Redknapp’s side now have six points from three Group D games, which should be enough to get them through ahead of their final match against Spartak Moscow.
“It was difficult. The pitch wasn’t particularly good,” said Redknapp.
“It was difficult to really pass the ball but we were strong and solid and I never felt in any danger. Six points is job done.”
In Group H, CSKA Moscow beat Lech Poznan of Poland 2-1 to make sure of their place in the knockout stages.
Alan Dzagoev and Yuri Zhirkov’s first-half goals secured CSKA’s third successive win with Semir Stilic hitting a late consolation.
In the later game, AC Milan’s veteran striker Pippo Inzaghi netted a last-minute equaliser to deny Tony Adams a first home win as Portsmouth manager in a 2-2 draw in the UEFA Cup.
Inzaghi, who had earlier hit the woodwork three times, pounced on a loose ball with less than a minute on the clock to earn a point and ensure Milan’s safe passage into the knockout stages of the tournament.
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