Schalke 04 have finished top of Champions League Group B despite being held to a draw at Montpellier HSC.

© AP Photos

The German side needed only to match Arsenal's result at Olympiacos in order to go through as group winners and, with the Gunners losing 2-1 in Greece, this fixture eventually became a dead rubber.

However, Schalke began the game fully determined to claim maximum points and they almost took the lead after just 25 minutes when Teemu Pukki fired wide from 10 yards.

Benedikt Howedes eventually made the breakthrough on 56 minutes, heading home from very close range following Christoph Metzelder's clever flick-on.

Schalke's lead lasted just three minutes, as Emanuel Herrera levelled the scores with a simple tap-in.

Montpellier dominated the game in the final 30 minutes and were almost rewarded with three points, but Herrera was denied by Romain Pitau's save in the dying seconds.