Real Madrid took full advantage of a first-half sending-off for Inter Milan's Arturo Vidal with a 2-0 away win to leave the Serie A side close to a Champions League exit on Thursday (NZ time).
Eden Hazard put Real ahead with a seventh-minute penalty and Inter's hopes of a fightback effectively ended when Vidal was booked twice in quick succession for dissent just after the half-hour after having a penalty appeal waved away.
Real Madrid added a second in the 59th minute when substitute Rodrygo's shot was deflected in by Achraf Hakimi.
Real stayed second in Group B with seven points from four games, one behind leaders Borussia Moenchengladbach. Shakhtar Donetsk are third with four and Inter bottom with two, leaving them with only a remote chance of going through.
Meanwhile, Atalanta's Josip Ilicic and Robin Gosens scored quickfire second-half goals to give them a comfortable 2-0 win over a toothless Liverpool in their Champions League Group D clash.
After the home side fielded an experimental lineup featuring three teenagers in Rhys Williams, Neco Williams and Curtis Jones, Ilicic put the visitors ahead on the hour mark with a deft volley from an inswinging cross from Alejandro Gomez.
Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp reshuffled his pack, bringing Roberto Firmino, Fabinho, Diogo Jota and Andy Robertson off the bench, but his side quickly conceded a second as Gosens volleyed home Hans Hateboer's knockdown from close range in the 63rd minute.
Liverpool could not bounce back and though they still lead the group on nine points, both Atalanta and Ajax Amsterdam, who beat bottom side Midtjylland 3-1, are now two points behind with two games left to play.
Elsewhere, holders Bayern Munich failed to hit top form but did enough for a 3-1 win over visitors Salzburg to book their spot in the Champions League knockout stage with two games to spare.
Porto comfortably beat Olympique de Marseille 2-0 away to move to the brink of qualifying for the Champions League knockout phase.
Zaidu Sanusi's goal and Sergio Oliveira's penalty put Porto on nine points from four games in Group C while Marseille, who became the first team to lose 13 straight games in the competition since it was launched in 1992-93, were eliminated with zero points.
Manchester City advanced with a perfect four wins from four group games with a 1-0 victory at Olympiakos, who with three points have a remote chance of leap-frogging Porto into second place.
Reuters
