INTER, BAYERN AND REAL TOP CL GROUPS

Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich all sealed top spots in their Charmpions League groups on Tuesday night.

Real Madrid wrapped up Group D in emphatic fashion, thrashing Dinamo Zagreb 6-2 at the Bernabeu.

The Spanish giants stormed into a 3-0 lead inside nine minutes with goals from Karim Benzema, Jose Callejon and Gonzalo Higuain, and Mesut Ozil made it four before 20 minutes were up.

Callejon and Benzema struck again after the interval and Madrid could have had even more goals, while late strikes from Dinamo's Fatos Beqiraj and Ivan Tomecak gave a merely cosmetic effect to the scoreline.

Bayern Munich beat Villarreal - who have now lost all five of their Group A games - 3-1 to move unassailably clear of their Group A rivals after Napoli beat Manchester City.

Franck Ribery and Mario Gomez netted in the opening 23 minutes to give Bayern a flying start and Ribery then wrapped up the scoring with his second after Villarreal had pulled a goal back through Jonathan De Guzman.

Inter Milan bagged top spot in Group B with a 1-1 away draw with Trabzonspor on Tuesday.

The result lifts Inter to 10 points from five matches, four more than their Turkish hosts who move into second spot thanks to their hard-earned point.

Inter had already progressed to the knockout stage of the premier European club competition prior to the game because of Lille's 2-0 victory over CSKA Moscow in Russia, but the Nerazzurri headed into the clash in Trabzon to garner maximum points.

And Claudio Ranieri's side went ahead at the Huseyin Avni Aker after 18 minutes when Ricardo Alvarez slotted the ball past Tolga Zengin from close range after playing a brilliant one-two with Diego Milito.

However, the Turkish hosts came back strongly and restored parity just five minutes later when Halil Altintop's ferocious effort from distance took a deflection off Walter Samuel and beat Julio Cesar.

Both sides had chances to add to their respective tallies during the remainder of the game, with Adrian Mierzejewski heading against the Inter post in the second half, but eventually had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Ajax all but booked their place in the last 16 after a battling goaless draw on the road at Lyon.

Both sides had opportunities to win an entertaining encounter at Stade Gerland but at the final whistle it will have been the French side who were the more aggrieved, with the visitors indebted to two superb Kenneth Vermeer saves late on.

The result means the sides remain separated by three points heading into the final round of fixtures, with second-placed Ajax needing to avoid defeat at home to Group D winners Real Madrid on matchday six to be sure of progressing.

Lyon can still go through if Ajax lose against Madrid and they beat group minnows Dinamo Zagreb by a hatful.

Basle kept their qualification hopes alive with a 3-2 win overOtelul Galati.

And should they beat Manchester United on December 7 at St Jakob-Park, Basle will pip the English champions to a last-16 spot.

That is the remarkable position which Heiko Vogel's team are in, after first-half goals from Fabian Frei, Alexander Frei and Marco Streller at the National Stadium in Bucharest kept up their Group C challenge.

A late rally from Otelul Galati brought about two goals, but an equaliser was beyond the home side, who remain without a point after five matches of their first Champions League campaign.