The chances of Barcelona qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League remain in doubt after Rubin Kazan, the Russian title-holders, followed up their remarkable victory at the Nou Camp a fortnight ago by holding the European champions to a goalless draw in the return fixture in group F last night.

Pep Guardiola’s side play Inter Milan at home next, two weeks on Tuesday, before finishing the league stage away to Dynamo Kiev after a night of high drama in the most intriguing group section of the competition. Inter went from bottom place in the group to top in the final four minutes of their game away to Dynamo Kiev, after Andriy Shevchenko looked to have undermined José Mourinho’s ambitions with the opening goal.

The Ukraine striker, who finally ended his humbling spell at Chelsea in August on a free transfer, achieved what he managed so seldom in his time under Mourinho at Stamford Bridge by scoring what looked set to be the winning goal in the 21st minute. The former AC Milan striker dispatched a half-volley from just outside the penalty area that, with a hefty deflection off Esteban Cambiasso, looped over Júlio César.

But in the 86th minute, Diego Milito equalised when he was slipped in on goal by Wesley Sneijder, to save Mourinho’s embarrassment — and there was still time for the Holland playmaker to claim the winning goal in the penultimate minute. Stanislav Bogush could not gather Sulley Muntari’s low effort, or Milito’s follow-up, and Sneijder bundled in the rebound. It was Inter’s first win in the Champions League for more than a year.

Earlier in the evening, in Kazan, a city that just six years ago had never witnessed top-flight football, Rubin followed up their 2-1 victory at the Nou Camp by staging a resolute rearguard action to defy the European champions, who had enjoyed 75 per cent of possession by half-time.

With Lionel Messi cutting a sluggish figure in the freezing conditions, the Catalan side’s efforts in front of goal were epitomised late on when Thierry Henry, a substitute, lost his footing when through on goal and shot horribly wide. So Barcelona are left in third place, level with Rubin on five points.

In group G, Rangers remain on the verge of elimination after they were cruelly denied a victory away to Unirea Urziceni when Marius Onofras equalised two minutes from time. With Allan McGregor, their goalkeeper, in stupendous form that had to be seen to be believed, Lee McCulloch gave Rangers the lead with a deflected shot in the 79th minute, but Onofras finally broke the Glasgow team’s resistance with a brilliant shot into the top corner.

Seville secured their qualification for the last 16 from the group with a 1-1 draw at home to Stuttgart, for whom Zdravko Kuzmanovic equalised after Jesús Navas’s opening goal.