Despite a big scare for AC Milan, they safely made it through to the last 16 after a draw in Zurich, as Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Real Madrid to an impressive 3-1 win over Marseille at the Stade Velodrome.

Going into the final round of fixtures the possible outcomes were complicated and plentiful, with Real knowing only a big loss in the South of France and a Milan win in Switzerland would put them out.

Milan on the other hand, knew they just had to better Marseille's result to make sure of their place in the knockout phase, but the night did not go entirely according to plan for the Rossoneri as they struggled to a 1-1 draw with FC Zurich.

The Swiss outfit had caused one of the shocks of the tournament when they beat the Italian giants in the San Siro on Matchday 2, and came close to doing the double over the seven-time European Cup winners.

It was the visitors who started the stronger, with strike pairing Marco Borriello and Alexandre Pato both going close in the opening ten minutes.

Milan were to suffer a setback, however, as Brazilian defender Thiago Silva was forced off with an injury after twenty minutes, being replaced by Kakha Kaladze.

That blow seemed to affect the visitors as just ten minutes later they were behind, as the appropriately named Milan Gajic smashed a free kick round the wall and into the bottom left hand corner, giving Dida no chance.

Leonardo's men tried to turn the game back around, knowing that if they lost there was a good chance Marseille would leapfrog them and the San Siro would play host to Europa League action come February.

As the game entered the second half they began to up the tempo, with Massimo Ambrosini and Ronaldinho both going close.

Then just after the hour mark came the turning point, as Borriello was scythed down in the box by Zurich's Alain Rochat, who was subsequently sent off, and Ronaldinho duely stepped up and tucked the penalty away to bring the scores level.

Milan continued to press for the winner as they had a man advantage, but it was not to be and they had to cross their fingers and hope that Marseille had failed to beat Real Madrid.

They need not have worried though as a Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Los Blancos to a 3-1 win.

Real boss Manuel Pellegrini gave a rare start to outcast Rafael Van Der Vaart, and the Dutchman won a free kick roughly 30-yards from goal in the fourth minute.

Ronaldo stepped up, took his trademark deep breath, and then fired the ball like a rocket into the top left hand corner of the net, with home keeper Steve Mandanda only able to get a weak hand to it.

However, in typical Real fashion they conceded a soft equaliser just seven minutes later, Raul Albiol making a sloppy attempt to clear a Taye Taiwo cross from the left, only for the ball to come to Lucho Gonzalez, who duly netted to level things up.

L'OM had looked pumped up for the game, believing they could progress ahead of Milan, but Real soon took control and it was always they who looked the more likely to go back in front.

Albiol had been at fault for the equaliser, but made up for it on the hour mark when Pepe set him up from a corner, and the former Valencia man powered a left foot shot past Mandanda to restor Real's advantage.

Marseille fought back to try and level things once again, winning a series of corners but were unable to puncture an unusually resolute Los Merengues defence.

However, Didier Deschamps side were soon handed a golden chance to equalise after Iker Casillas brought down Mamadou Niang in the box, but Gonzalez missed the resultant spot kick - smashing against the bar.

Then ten minutes later the game was put to bed, as Lassana Diarra played a through ball to Ronaldo, and despite colliding with the keeper and a defender, the Portuguese winger clambered to his feet before slotting the ball home to grab his second and Real's third.