Giroud heads Chelsea into Europa League knockout stages

Olivier Giroud headed Chelsea into the Europa League knockout stages as they beat BATE Borisov 1-0 in Belarus.

The Frenchman’s 53rd-minute goal secured a fourth successive Group L win for the Blues, although they rode their luck as the home side hit the frame of the goal on three occasions.

Group rivals Vidi kept their qualification hopes alive with a 1-0 home victory over PAOK Salonika.

Arsenal made it into the last 32 despite surrendering their 100 per cent record after a 0-0 home draw with Sporting Lisbon, who had defender Jeremy Mathieu sent off for a professional foul on substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with three minutes remaining.

Gunners forward Danny Welbeck was carried off on a stretcher after suffering a potentially serious ankle injury.

Sporting are four points clear in second place in Group E after Qarabag opened their account with a 1-0 win at Vorskla.

Steven Gerrard’s hopes of guiding Rangers out of Group G suffered a blow in a seven-goal thriller in Moscow.

The Scots led Spartak Moscow three times through Roman Eremenko’s own goal and efforts from Daniel Candeias and Glenn Middleton, but eventually went down 4-3 after Luiz Adriano and Sofiane Hanni struck inside a minute after the break.

That allowed Villarreal to leap to the top of a now wide-open group with a 0-0 draw at Rapid Vienna.

Scottish champions Celtic remain alive in Group B after a 2-1 victory over RB Leipzig courtesy of goals from Kieran Tierney and Odsonne Edouard.

The visitors, who were level briefly through Jean-Kevin Augustin’s 78th-minute strike, saw substitute Kevin Kampl rattle the crossbar with four minutes remaining.

RB Salzburg enjoy a six-point lead at the top of the group after a 5-2 demolition job at Rosenborg in which Japanese midfielder Takumi Minamino scored a first-half hat-trick.

Ever Banega’s 87th-minute penalty spared 10-man Sevilla’s blushes as they squandered a 2-0 lead at Akhisarspor before winning 3-2 despite having Sergi Gomez sent off 11 minutes into the second half.

However, Russia’s Krasnodar top Group J after a 2-1 home victory over Standard Liege.

Bayer Leverkusen and Zurich progressed from Group A despite the Swiss side going down 1-0 in Germany after Ludogorets and AEK Larnaca drew 0-0 in Bulgaria.

Eintracht Frankfurt secured qualification from Group H with a 3-2 win at Apollon Limassol, and Lazio will join them after beating Marseille 2-1.

Zenit St Petersburg remain a point clear at the top of Group C after a 1-1 draw in Bordeaux, although Slavia Prague passed up a chance to leapfrog them after being held 0-0 at home by Copenhagen.

FC Astana and Dynamo Kiev are locked together at the top of Group K after victories over Jablonec and Rennes respectively.

Anderlecht are out of the competition after losing 2-0 at Fenerbahce, while in Group I, the games between Genk and Besiktas and Malmo and Sarpsborg both finished 1-1.

Dinamo Zagreb are through from Group D after a 3-1 win over Spartak Trnava, but Group F looks set to go down to the wire.

Dudelange are out after a fourth successive defeat, a 5-1 drubbing by Olympiakos, who are level on seven points with AC Milan after their 1-1 draw at Real Betis, who head the group by a single point.