Champions League Group A wrap: Inter finish second after Bremen loss

Tottenham has finished on top of Group A with a 3-3 draw at Twente, while Inter Milan stumbled with a 3-0 loss at Werder Bremen on Tuesday.

Inter’s loss, their second of the group stages, handed first place to Spurs after the English Premier League club shared the spoils in Group A’s other fixture.

The Italian champions, coming off a stuttering league campaign that has seen the proud club drop three of the past four games, heaped more pressure on under-fire boss Rafa Benitez with another lacklustre performance that handed Werder their first win of the group stages.

Benitez did little to help himself, however, making the questionable decision to field an inexperienced side at Bremen despite top spot still being up for grabs.

Inter, who looked devoid of inspiration, went behind on 39 minutes when towering Austria international Sebastian Proedl rose unchallenged to head a corner kick from the left home.

Proedl’s international team-mate Marko Arnautovic made it 2-0 four minutes after the break, one-timing Hugo Almeida’s cross with a fierce left-footed volley past Inter goalkeeper Paulo Orlandoni.

Former Chelsea and Bayern Munich striker Claudio Pizarro iced the win two minutes from injury time, turning and firing a low ball wide of Orlandoni from outside the area.

Meanwhile, a Jermain Defoe brace was not enough for Spurs to finish their group stage campaign with a win, with Tottenham thrice conceded tying goals to the Dutch champions.

Morocco international Nacer Chadli was the hero for Twente, converting a free kick on 64 minutes to tie the game up 3-3 and ultimately seal a point and a Europa League berth for the Dutch outfit.

Spurs finish first in Group A with 11 points, one ahead of Inter in second.

Twente’s six points were enough for third place and a place in Europe’s second-tier tournament, while last-placed Werder exit the Champions League with five points.