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Manchester City guaranteed their progression from Group A with an impressive 2-0 victory over Schalke at the Veltins Arena in Gelsinkirchen.

After Racing Santander's 2-2 draw at Paris St-Germain, City cannot finish any lower than third in their group as they have six points with two matches to play.

Schalke, second on four points, and Racing, fourth on two points, have only one game remaining.

Benjani got the opener against the run of play just after the half-hour before the impressive Stephen Ireland (pcitured) scored his seventh goal of the season on 67 minutes to secure the win.

It was a fine victory for City, following up on their defeat of Arsenal at the weekend and coming against the meanest defence in Bundesliga - and all this without injured talisman Robinho, somewhat quashing talk of Hughes's side being a one-man team.

Schalke had the first effort on goal after a cagey start to the match when Jermaine Jones was found after making a run between the two City centre-backs, although his low effort from a tightening angle was tipped around the far post by Joe Hart's fine save.

With the home side gradually beginning to look more composed on the ball, they began to threaten in attack.

Vincent Kompany was moved to centre-back with Micah Richards at right-back and the Belgian was forced to block a fierce Ivan Rakitic volley from the edge of the box before Richards headed clear with Hart caught in no-man's land when he failed to meet a cross from the right.

But it was City who took the lead thanks to an incisive counter-attack just after the half-hour.

Kompany started the move when he won the ball in midfield before Daniel Sturridge attacked his man down the left: the youngster's low cross-shot looked to have missed everyone, until Benjani popped up at the back post to sidefoot into the roof of the net.

And the visitors almost doubled their lead eight minutes later. Sturridge and Ireland launched a two-man counter attack, with Ireland's first-time effort palmed clear by Neuer. Sturridge picked up the rebound and scuffed an effort goalwards, and Ireland turned the ball into the net - although the linesman correctly spotted that he had drifted a yard beyond the final defender.

City were content to allow Schalke to have all of the ball at the start of the second half, the Premier League side content to counter-attack when they could.

Shaun Wright-Phillips, playing in a central role, tested Neuer with a fizzing effort from distance before almost surprising the young keeper with a free-kick at goal from a very tight angle on the hour-mark.

City did double their lead on 67 minutes when man-of-the-match Ireland played a one-two with Benjani, the return pass looping up in the air off a deflection before the midfielder bravely stabbed the ball underneath the on-rushing Neuer.

Joe Hart was called upon to make a fine save in the final ten minutes, somehow getting an arm to substitute Gerald Asamoah's close-range header from an inswinging free-kick, but City closed out the victory in some comfort.

In the other Group A clash, La Liga side Racing came back from two goals down to earn a point at PSG.

Former PSV, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Fenerbahce striker Mateja Kezman put the hosts ahead after five minutes and Peguy Luyindula doubled their lead on 32 minutes.

But an own-goal by Sammy Traore five minutes before half-time got Racing back into it and midfielder Gonzalo Colsa completed the fightback 10 minutes into the second half.

Alex Sharratt / Eurosport