Raúl leads the way as Real secure safe passage

Raúl scored his 64th goal in European competition to send Real Madrid into the Champions League knockout rounds with a 1-0 win away to BATE Borisov last night. The Spain striker, who has drawn level with Filippo Inzaghi’s continental tally, converted a cross by Royston Drenthe in the seventh minute to ensure that his side qualified along with Juventus from group H.

Juventus, who had already secured their place in the last 16, held Zenit St Petersburg to a 0-0 draw in Russia earlier in the evening. Olof Mellberg and Vincenzo Iaquinta hit the post for the Italian team in the first half and Pavel Pogrebnyak struck an upright after the interval for the hosts. The outcome means that Zenit are likely to finish third in the group, which would give them the chance to defend the Uefa Cup trophy they won last season.

The match was overshadowed by an explosion in the city earlier in the day that killed three people, including a child, near a metro station close to the Russian team’s training ground. A grenade went off in a taxi, killing all three passengers and seriously injuring the driver. The Minister for National Emergencies stepped up security in St Petersburg amid suggestions the match might be postponed, but it was decided that it should go ahead.

Lyons and Bayern Munich have qualified from group F after recording victories last night. The French side maintained their unbeaten record with a 2-1 win against Fiorentina in Italy, with Karim Benzema heavily involved. First the forward showed great awareness to roll the ball to Jean Makoun, who scored from close range, and later Benzema added the second goal after collecting a pass by Juninho.

Miroslav Klose scored twice to give Bayern a 3-0 win at home to Steaua Bucharest, with all three goals coming in the second half. The forward broke the deadlock in the 57th minute before Luca Toni, his strike partner, dived to head in the second. Klose completed the scoring after receiving a pass by Franck Ribéry.

Real Madrid captain Raul joined AC Milan's Filippo Inzaghi as a leading scorer in European club competition after he scored the only goal against Belarus side BATE Borisov to take the Spanish giants through to the last 16.

Raul's seventh-minute strike helped his side qualify out of Group H: it was his 64th goal in European competition and 62nd in Europe's premier club competition.