Euro-zone crisis for Villarreal

It was a case of the haves, the have nots and the might still haves for Spanish teams in the Champions League this week as the competition moved into the decisive second phase of group-stage matches.

Real Madrid and Barcelona both eased through to the last 16, the former with a little bluster against Lyon, which kept Iker Casillas uncomfortably busy at Stade Gerland, and the latter with almost effortless ease against a Viktoria Plsen side that has not bothered the points column in Group G since its opening match against BATE Borisov.

The Belarusian champion held AC Milan to a 1-1 tie in the other match in Barça's group, leaving the Italian giant trailing Pep Guardiola's side by two points ahead of the game between the two in Milan later this month, where a win would secure Barça the top spot and a supposedly easier draw for the last 16. Leo Messi netted his second hat-trick in as many games to lead his side to a 4-0 win, and in doing so eased past the 200-goal mark for his club. With 202 in 268 games, the Argentinean is closing in fast on the club record of 235 in all competitions set by César Rodríguez.

Guardiola, also overseeing his 200th competitive match in charge of the team, recognized that early qualification was a considerable boon ? not least because he will be able to field a second-string team in the final group match in December, which precedes the first clásico of the season at the Bernabéu.

As too will Real Madrid, which left Lyon as victor for the first time in European competition courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo brace, one a thunderous free-kick and the second from 12 yards. Those strikes took the Portuguese forward's tally for Real to 100 in just 102 games and sealed the capital club's passage to the knockout phase with two games to spare and practically assured José Mourinho's side will finish top of Group C; its next match is at home to Dynamo Zagreb, which has yet to even score in the competition, and Ajax lies in second, five points adrift.

Villarreal, meanwhile, crashed out of the Champions League after a 0-3 loss to Manchester City at El Madrigal, and now faces a mammoth task to take the wooden spoon of a berth in the Europa League. Villarreal coach Juan Carlos Garrido had few cards to play against the Premier League leader and was forced to field B team striker Juanlu, who has yet to feature in Primera, in the absence through injury of all of his first-team forwards.

"I can't deny that so many injuries made the game even more difficult against a big team in an important competition," Garrido said. "I congratulate them because they worked well and showed determination until the end. The base for the future is there." Whether or not Garrido will be there to see that future, or even long enough to hang a bauble on the club Christmas tree, is open to question after a demoralizing European foray and a return of just two wins from 10 in the league.

In slightly better fettle after a 3-1 win against Bayer Leverkusen is Valencia, which would have joined its near neighbor on the elite league's scrap heap in the case of defeat. Genk also lent Unai Emery's team a hand, holding Chelsea to a tie and opening up Group E. The London-based team leads on eight points, two ahead of Bayer with Valencia in third on five. Chelsea and Leverkusen square off in the next round of fixtures, where one or both will drop points, while Valencia hosts Genk. If it overcomes the erratic Belgian side a three-way battle could ensue for the two qualification spots, with Emery's side facing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the final match.