Italian giants AC Milan booked their place in the last eight of the Champions' League today as they beat Lokomotiv Moscow 1-0 in their Group C clash.
Brazilian midfielder Rivaldo scored the only goal from the spot for the five-time European champions, gifting his side a narrow win in the 1000th Champions' League match.
The result left Milan on top of the Group C table with 12 points from four matches, regardless of the result of the other group match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid later on Tuesday, while Lokomotiv remained bottom with only one point.
The hosts, who were in a desperate need of a win to keep alive their chances of qualifying for the quarter-final stage, seized the initiative right from the start, pinning their opponents back.
But Milan's defence, well-conducted by their Brazilian 'keeper Dida, stifled the Russian champions attacks.
The visitors were the first to threaten when their Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf's close-range shot tested Lokomotiv's goalkeeper Sergei Ovchinnikov after Rivaldo's cross from the left 14 minutes into the match.
Eight minutes later Seedorf had another chance, when he fired from nine metres, but only to force Ovchinnikov into another superb save.
In the 34th minute Rivaldo put Milan 1-0 up, easily beating Ovchinnikov from the spot, after Vadim Yevseyev fouled Filippo Inzaghi in the box.
After the interval the hosts, spurred on by the home crowd, poured into the attack, searching for an equaliser, but failed again to create any serious threat to Dida as their final ball lacked penetration.
The guests replied with sharp counter-attacks and Seedorf along with Inzaghi failed to double their side's advantage early in the second half.
Lokomotiv missed their only clear chance to pull the scores level, when their skipper Dmitry Loskov fired the ball over the crossbar from the edge of the box in the 65th minute.
PA