Liverpool's Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah reacts at the end of the UEFA Champions League Group E match between RB Salzburg and Liverpool on Tuesday in Salzburg, Austria. Photo: AFP

 

Holders Liverpool safely negotiated Tuesday's trip to Salzburg to take their place in the last 16 of this season's UEFA Champions League while Chelsea are also through, but Ajax suffered a shock group-stage exit.

Six clubs secured spots in the draw for the first knockout round in their final group games, with Ajax and Inter Milan the big names to miss out.

Jurgen Klopp's side just needed to draw in Austria to keep alive their bid to retain the European Cup, and they duly beat Salzburg 2-0 thanks to two goals in two second-half minutes, by Naby Keita and Mohamed Salah.

The result allowed Liverpool to progress as Group E winners, with Napoli ­going through in second place, while Salzburg are out and drop into the ­Europa League instead.

Napoli made sure of their progress by trouncing Genk 4-0 in Italy with Arkadisuz Milik scoring a first-half hat trick, the third goal coming from the penalty spot.

There was high drama in Group H as Valencia beat Ajax 1-0 in Amsterdam, Rodrigo Moreno's strike taking the Spaniards through to the last 16 at the expense of last season's semifinalists, and leaving their hosts stunned.

Ajax had again been impressive this season but were left to rue their inability to win either of their two matches against Chelsea, as Frank Lampard's team progressed in second place, a point ahead of the Dutch giants, thanks to a 2-1 victory against Lille.

Chelsea, the 2012 Champions League winners, finish level on points with ­Valencia but come second due to their inferior head-to-head record.

Ajax drop into the Europa League along with Inter, as Antonio Conte's team contrived to lose 2-1 at home to a makeshift Barcelona.

A win would have taken Inter Milan through, and they were fancied to get the result they required as Barcelona left out a host of senior players, including Lionel Messi, with top spot in Group F already secured.

Carles Perez gave Barcelona the lead midway through the first half, but Romelu Lukaku fired in the equaliser.

Inter then missed chances to score a second and Ansu Fati showed them the way, the substitute netting an 86th-minute winner to stun the home side and become the youngest-ever goalscorer in the Champions League at 17 years and 40 days.

That record had been held since 1997 by Ghana's Peter Ofori-Quaye.

Borussia Dortmund needed to better Inter's result and they did so, beating Slavia Prague 2-1 to progress in second.