FOOTBALL WORLD

zondag 28 oktober 2012

Premier League Report


Chelsea 2-3 Manchester United
Van Persie, Chicharito & card-happy Clattenburg end Blues' unbeaten run
Roberto Di Matteo's team's lead is reduced to a point as they suffer their first league defeat of the season in controversial circumstances

Javier Hernandez - Chelsea-Manchester United

On an afternoon strewn with goals, red cards, drama and controversy, Manchester United climbed to within one point of the league summit with a 3-2 victory over nine-man Chelsea.

Roberto Di Matteo's team recovered from 2-0 down to make it 2-2 early in the second half but had Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres sent off before substitute Javier Hernandez scored a 75th minute winner from what appeared to be an offside position.

A David Luiz own goal and Robin van Persie's ninth goal of the season had put United in command after 12 minutes but Chelsea responded in style, with Juan Mata's free-kick and Ramires' header either side of the break.

Just as the visitors gained control, Ivanovic and Torres were sent off within five minutes of one another midway through the second period, ensuring the hosts played the last 22 minutes with only nine men.

United took full advantage, but it needed a controversial goal from Hernandez to give Sir Alex Ferguson's team their first win at Stamford Bridge in a decade.

With John Terry serving the second match of a four-game domestic suspension, Chelsea picked the same starting XI that won so handsomely at Tottenham in their previous Premier League engagement. United brought in Tom Cleverley to partner Michael Carrick in central midfield and Ashley Young got the nod on the left flank in his first league start in two months.

Before the action began, all eyes were on the pre-match handshake. Rio Ferdinand and Ashley Cole drew a line under all that has happened over the past year by ignoring their lingering grievances to shake one another's hand.

It was Cole's defending, rather than his manners, that soon came under the microscope. Both of United's goals inside the opening 12 minutes were forged on his flank as the visitors focused on the lack of protection the left-back was getting in front of him.

After four minutes, Rooney received the ball out wide and his expert cut-back was whacked right footed against the post by van Persie but the rebound struck the helpless Luiz and bounced past Petr Cech for an own goal.

Eight minutes later, Van Persie was unerring with the accuracy of his second right-footer. Antonio Valencia spotted him unmarked in the box and, with complete concentration on the task, the former Arsenal man slotted in his sixth goal at Stamford Bridge.

The statistics suggested Chelsea had a mountain to climb. Before today, United had been two or more goals up in 346 Premier League games and never lost, winning 336 and drawing 10.

With Rooney playing more as a third central midfielder than a second striker, the home side initially found it hard to break down what was a 4-5-1 formation.

But Chelsea raised their game leading up to the break, forcing three athletic saves from David de Gea before Mata made Rooney pay for hauling down Eden Hazard outside the box with a beautiful curling free-kick after 44 minutes.

The hosts had the bit between their teeth at the start of the second half as they reminded the visitors whose house it was.

After 53 minutes, United failed to clear following more excellent play from Mata and Ramires rose above Cleverley to emphatically head in Oscar's byline cross for the equaliser.

It all unravelled for Chelsea after that point. Ivanovic deservedly received a red card for a professional foul on Young after 63 minutes, cynically clipping the winger as he raced through on goal.

Inexplicably, Fernando Torres followed the right-back down the tunnel five minutes later. The Spaniard received a second yellow for simulation, even though replays clearly showed there was contact from Jonny Evans.

Down to nine men, Chelsea struggled to contain United but the officials ensured Di Matteo's post-match press conference would be an all-ticket affair by failing to spot that Hernandez was offside when he tapped in the winner.

Everton 2-2 Liverpool
Suarez and Naismith make their mark in pulsating Merseyside derby
The Uruguayan put the visitors in the driving seat but Brendan Rodgers' side threw away a two-goal cushion as David Moyes' men responded well to claim a point at Goodison Park

EPL: Luis Suarez -  Martin Skrtel, Everton v Liverpool

City rivals Everton and Liverpool shared the points in a pulsating Merseyside derby at Goodison Park which ended in a 2-2 draw after Brendan Rodgers' side blew a priceless two-goal advantage.

Two early Liverpool goals - with Luis Suarez at the heart of them - left David Moyes' team shell-shocked, but the Toffees responded superbly with Leon Osman and Steven Naismith cancelling out a Leighton Baines own goal and Suarez's header.

The Reds were left bemoaning a controversial decision by the officials in injury time, however, when Suarez appeared to be incorrectly flagged for offside after beating Tim Howard from close range.

Marouane Fellaini returned for the hosts after recovering from a knee injury, while Kevin Mirallas took the place of the suspended Steven Pienaar on the left wing.

Brad Jones continued in goal for the visitors despite Pepe Reina being fit enough to take a place on the bench, and Jose Enrique started as the injured Glen Johnson missed out.

After a slow start the game sprang into life after 13 minutes when the visitors took a fortuitous early lead.

Raheem Sterling appeared to be pushed over by Baines as he shaped to finish an Enrique cross, but referee Andre Marriner waved play on and Suarez's fierce strike across goal hit the England left-back and ricocheted into the net.

The Uruguayan forward ran the risk of inflaming tensions further with a mock dive celebration in front of Moyes, who had criticised the striker for simulation before the match.

Suarez added a second quickly afterwards, nodding in a fine Steven Gerrard free kick to send the travelling fans into ecstasy after just 20 minutes with the home defence nowhere to be found.

The two-goal cushion was short-lived though - Fellaini went close with a deflected shot and the subsequent corner saw Osman fire the hosts back into contention. Jones could only punch the ball to the edge of the area, and the midfielder struck from 20 yards courtesy of a deflection off Joe Allen.

Suarez almost added another with a rasping 25-yard volley, but Everton drew level after 35 minutes. After winning a contentious throw-in, Kevin Mirallas' cross hit Fellaini, but the tall Belgian reacted well to hook in a low ball which Naismith tapped in unmarked from two yards out.

Mirallas' fine display continued as the winger almost put the hosts ahead after 42 minutes, spinning away beautifully from Wisdom but injuring himself as the shot was deflected wide. He was replaced by Magaye Gueye at the interval.

Sterling had a golden opportunity three minutes after the break following a delightful pass from Enrique, but the youngster got his attempted chip all wrong, leaving an unmarked Suarez waiting in fury on the penalty spot.

Gerrard could have won it for the visitors with eight minutes remaining but his drive from the edge of the area was well blocked by Jagielka. Suarez thought he had gone one better in the 93rd minute, but stabbed finish from another Gerrard free-kick was ruled out by the assistant referee.

Sebastian Coates climbed on the back of Jagielka to win the initial header but it was unclear whether the official had stopped play for a foul or for offside, with Suarez in line with the last defender.

Manchester City 1-0 Swansea City
Tevez stunner marred by injury sickener for Richards
Michael Laudrup's side gave a good account of themselves at the Etihad Stadium, but the hosts scraped through to claim all three points despite a rather unconvining performance

EPL - Manchester City v Swansea City, Carlos Tevez

Manchester City have moved into second in the Premier League after a less-than-convincing 1-0 win over Swansea at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening, leapfrogging Manchester United in the process.

The first half was a rather drab affair until a late flurry from Swansea, with Michu going close on a couple of occasions, but the scores remained level at the break.

A much more potent start to the second half saw City make the breakthrough with 60 minutes on the clock as Carlos Tevez found the net from distance.

Roberto Mancini made three changes from the side which beat West Brom last weekend with Joleon Lescott and Mario Balotelli being replaced by Matija Nastasic and Sergio Aguero, while Aleksandar Kolarov came in for the suspended James Milner. Meanwhile, Michael Laudrup opted to name an unchanged Swansea side from the team who beat Wigan last time out.

The first quarter of the match was somewhat of a non-event, but a deep free kick delivered by Jonathan De Guzman around the 15-minute mark had Joe Hart all at sea but, luckily for the England international the ball went harmlessly out of play.

A Carlos Tevez shot five minutes before the interval sparked some life into the match, and Laudrup’s side immediately sprang a marvellous counter-attack that ended with Vincent Kompany booting the ball clear ahead of the lurking Michu after good work down the right from Pablo Hernandez.

A matter of seconds later, Leon Britton threaded an inch-perfect through ball between several defenders for Michu and, after getting clear of the City backline, the Spaniard looked destined to score but Hart rushed out and blocked the shot.

City began the second half with purpose as Aguero spun away from De Guzman and curled an effort towards the far top corner, but it whistled just wide as the match started to liven up.

A couple of minutes later, half-time substitute Mario Balotelli almost got on the end of Samir Nasri’s cross, but Ashley Williams put it behind, while the Italian was soon involved again as it appeared he was brought down in the area by Williams only for the referee to wave play on.

However, the reward for City’s good start to the second half came on the hour mark as Gael Clichy burst in towards the centre before laying the ball off to Tevez, who fired into the bottom corner from 30 yards.

Despite being behind, Swansea were not giving up and could have won a penalty with 20 minutes to go as a Michu header appeared to hit Kompany on the arm, while a long-range De Guzman strike narrowly missed the top corner four minutes later.

Twelve minutes of stoppage time were given due to rather nasty looking injuries to Vorm and Micah Richards – the latter being stretchered from the field clutching his knee - but Swansea were unable to conjure up an equaliser.

Source: goal.com





donderdag 25 oktober 2012

Champions League Report


Ajax 3-1 Manchester City
Mancini's men on brink of Champions League exit
Nasri handed City the lead after a slow start at the Amsterdam ArenA, but goals from De Jong, Moisander and a deflected Eriksen effort have left their European hopes in tatters


CL - Ajax v Manchester City, Siem De Jong

Manchester City's chances of Champions League progression suffered a huge blow on Wednesday night after they were defeated by Ajax in a crucial Group D clash.

The visitors took their time to grow into the tie but made no mistake with their first opportunity - Samir Nasri slotting home. However, Siem de Jong netted a superb equaliser on the stroke of half-time to send Roberto Mancini's men into the break with a bitter taste in their mouths.

After a cautious start to the second 45, the Dutch side took the lead through Niklas Moisander before Christian Eriksen inflicted further pain with a deflected shot to bag the third, condemning City to a disappointing blow.

The result gives the Dutch giants their first victory in this year's group stage, while City have just one point from three matches and face a mountain to climb to escape this season's 'Group of Death'.

Danish playmaker Eriksen starred for the Dutch champions, with former Liverpool man Ryan Babel also among the recognised names in the starting XI.

Eden Dzeko was handed a start after his last minute winner against West Brom at the weekend, with Sergio Aguero partnering him in attack. Elsewhere, James Milner kept his place in the side despite being sent off against the Baggies. 

The hosts made the brighter start, keeping the ball with ease and working the first chance of the game just before the ten minute mark, but Eriksen fired narrowly wide of Joe Hart's post.

The dangerous Eriksen then flattened Yaya Toure with a hefty challenge, leaving the Ivorian down but not out, before the Dane made his mark in a different way, once more going close with a long-range effort after producing a delightful touch to set himself up.

However, somewhat against the run of play, Mancini's men took the lead in the 23rd minute. Micah Richards fed Milner with a beautifully weighted ball, with the midfielder passing it on to Nasri who opened his body to curl a shot past Kenneth Vermeer.

Aguero then twice found himself with space in the box, and may well have doubled the lead if it wasn't for two last ditch tackles, before, five minutes later, Vermeer made a fine save from Richards as the Premier League champions settled.

With half-time approaching City were made to pay for failing to press on, though. Ricardo van Rhijn delivered with a low cross from the right, picking out De Jong's run and allowing the midfielder to smash a first-time effort into the corner, giving Hart absolutely no chance and sending the teams into the break on level terms.

The visitors almost made the perfect start to the second period. Aguero broke into the Ajax box and, as Vermeer rushed out, tried to find a team-mate in the area but saw his chipped cross cleared.

However, after a quiet 15 minutes or so, the exact opposite happened. Eriksen whipped in a fantastic corner from the right-hand side, with Moisander then beating Joleon Lescott in the air to nod it past a helpless Hart.

Things went from bad to worse for Mancini, minutes after replacing Lescott with Aleksandar Kolarov and switching to a back three. The Dutch outfit's man of the match, Eriksen, embarked on a twisting run before unleashing a left-footed effort, the ball striking Gael Clichy on it's way into the goal - once again giving Hart no chance.

Tobia Sana then had a golden chance to put his side further ahead, Hart rushing off his line very quickly to smother the one-on-one. Then, as City rushed forward, Dzeko squandered two opportunities to give the visitors a lifeline - the Bosnian hesitating slightly on both occasions which allowed Vermeer to make the blocks.

For the final 15 minutes or so Mancini's side seemed to be playing with just two men at the back and two in midfield, with Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez both thrown into the fray. 

Nasri had a weak penalty appeal turned down and Aguero shot narrowly over, but ultimately there was no breakthrough and Ajax held firm to secure their first win of the tournament, leaving City in big trouble.

Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Real Madrid
Schmelzer the hero as Los Blancos' miserable record in Germany continues
The left-back netted the winner as BVB picked up their first ever win over the Spaniards, leaving them with one win in their previous 24 visits to the country in the process

UEFA Champions League: Borussia Dortmund - Ajax Amsterdam, Robert Lewandowski, Ivan Perisic & Marcel Schmelzer

Borussia Dortmund secured a fantastic 2-1 win over Real Madrid with an energetic display in their Champions League clash at the Signal Iduna Park.

In an evenly contested fixture it was the reigning Bundesliga champions who struck first through Robert Lewandowski but just two minutes later Cristiano Ronaldo equalised with a stunning strike.

Although being the away side, Jose Mourinho's men had a far greater ball retention but that counted for nothing come the final whistle as Marcel Schmelzer's second-half strike ensured BVB took all three points.

The attacking nature of both sides was displayed from the off as neither side sat back in a very open and stretched start. 

With five minutes played, a loose pass from Marco Reus offered Real Madrid their first chance to work the keeper.  Ronaldo charged down the left flank but Mesut Ozil was unable to connect with his cutback and steer the ball on target.

But this was by no means the start of an early Blancos onslaught as BVB proved themselves capable of linking a number of passes together in the opposing half. 

One such move in the 13th minute created space for Sebastian Kehl to try his luck with a shot from distance but a scrambling Iker Casillas managed to get across and parry the ball aside.

Sami Khedira was replaced by Luka Modric due to injury after 20 minutes and although Mourinho's side enjoyed the lion's share of possession, the hosts were relatively comfortable.

After seeing another impressive effort saved by Casillas, Kehl continued to be Dortmund's driving force and that his involvement was key when his side moved ahead. 

Having read the play to pounce on a loose pass from Pepe, he slid a first-time pass straight into Lewandowski. The striker raced through a gap in the defence and fired a low effort past the keeper with 36 minutes played.

Madrid responded to going behind magnificently and managed to restore parity just two minutes later. A long ball forward from Ozil found Ronaldo in space on the left and with Sven Bender unable to make up the ground he lifted the ball over Roman Weidenfeller for a superb finish.

The second half began in a similarly electric fashion to that of the first as Casillas was called into action within five minutes. Mario Gotze sent Lukasz Piszczek's cut back straight down the middle and, although unsighted, the keeper parried it aside.

Five minutes later Schmelzer put enough pressure on Angel Di Maria to stop the Argentine from finding the bottom corner and the BVB left-back then displayed his ability at the other end of the field. 

Casillas could only punch a cross from the left and it fell to Schmelzer 20 yards from goal and the Germany international showed fantastic technique to rifle a volley into the bottom corner in the 64th minute.

Dortmund managed to contain the Liga champions from then on, dispelling the accusations of naivety that were hanging over them following last season's premature exit.

The three points see Jurgen Klopp's men take charge of Group D as they move one point above the Spanish side and into pole position ahead of the return fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu in a fortnight.

Arsenal 0-2 Schalke
Huntelaar & Afellay gun down sloppy hosts
The visitors have leapfrogged the Gunners at the top of Group B as two second-half goals ensured a deserved victory at the Emirates on a disappointing night for Arsene Wenger's men

 Klaas Jan Huntelaar of Schalke 04

Schalke became the first foreign side to win at Arsenal in nine years as they took advantage of a pitiful display by Arsene Wenger’s side to take top spot in Champions League Group B.

Late goals from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Ibrahim Afellay settled a game that the German visitors dominated throughout, tearing Arsenal’s insipid defence to pieces, with left-back Andre Santos particularly guilty of complacency as he was torn to shreds by Schalke winger Jefferson Farfan.

As Stan Kroenke and Arsene Wenger watched from the stands and boos rung out from the few fans who stayed in the ground until full-time, you got the sense that Arsenal’s AGM on Thursday night became even more interesting with a result that leaves the Gunners second in the group with three matches to play. They remain one point behind Schalke and three above third-placed Montpellier.

It was the manner of the display that will really grate with supporters who made little attempt to hide their frustration as Arsenal fell to their second home defeat in 28 European matches at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners had just one attempt on target in the entire match, and neither of those were noteworthy. While no-one could be said to have played well, Santos was particularly dreadful at the back while Gervinho’s decision-making highlighted the lack of confidence in their attacking play.

Schalke - who have lost just once this season - took control of the game from the very start, with winger Farfan constantly exposing Santos.

In the 14th minute, the German side had a legitimate claim for a penalty when Afellay was released by Farfan and went down under a challenge from Vito Mannone, only to be shown a yellow card for simulation. Replays suggested the Arsenal goalkeeper did make contact with the Dutchman’s foot.

Schalke began to believe in their chances of becoming only the second side to win a Champions League game at the Emirates Stadium. 

Just before half-time, Huntelaar struck wide of the near post from six yards after meeting Atsuto Ushida's cross when he should have scored.

The second period started in the same manner, Farfan again breezing past Santos and squaring for Schalke captain Benedikt Howedes, who made a mess of his attempted shot and blazed over the crossbar.

As the frustration of the Arsenal fans grew, so did the desperation of the players, with Gervinho booked for an outrageous dive as he tangled with substitute Jermaine Jones.

In the 76th minute, Schalke finally scored the goal they deserved and Arsenal were punished for their carelessness. 

It was far too easy for the visitors. Afellay was allowed to head unchallenged 25 yards from goal to Huntelaar, who was played onside by Santos and smashed the ball low past Mannone.

Four minutes before full-time, Schalke again struck on the break and Santos was again left chasing Farfan’s shadow before the Peruvian crossed for Afellay to slot home from inside the six-yard box. Too easy, too good.

Malaga 1-0 AC Milan
Three wins from three for Spanish side as Allegri moves closer to exit
Joaquin was the hero for the Andalusians, atoning for an earlier penalty miss with the only goal of the game in the second half, as Milan's season goes from bad to worse

Joaquin

Malaga's perfect start to its maiden Champions League campaign continued with a 1-0 victory over AC Milan at La Rosaleda on Wednesday.

The Andalusian outfit has three wins out of three, and remains the only side in this seeason's competition yet to concede a goal after a comfortable victory over the beleaguered Italians, who see more pressure heaped on coach Massimiliano Allegri after another disappointing result. 

The scoreline could have been greater had Joaquin not missed a first-half penalty, but the Spanish winger made amends just past the hour mark as he scored the only goal of the game with a cool finish.

Malaga now has nine points from its opening three games in Group C, and holds a five point lead over Milan, which is now looking over its shoulders at Zenit St Petersburg, only a point behind. 
With Nigel De Jong sidelined through injury, Massimo Ambrosini was handed his first Champions League appearance of the season, while Alexandre Pato continued his return from a long injury layoff with a place on the bench.

Malaga, facing an Italian side for the first time in its history, carried the momentum of the first half as the play of Joaquin and Manuel Iturra in particular kept Milan perpetually on the back foot.

Milan would slowly grow into the game though, and it managed to fashion the first real chance of the match on the half hour mark, as Urby Emanualson broke free down the right and teed up Stephan El Shaarawy inside the area, who fired over from a great position.

Malaga would hit back soon after, as a slick combination between Joaquin and Isco resulted in the latter bending a shot inches over the bar from the edge of the box.

With two minutes to go until halftime, the home side was presented with a golden opportunity to take the lead, after Kevin Constant tugged down Jesus Gamez just inside the area to concede a penalty.

Joaquin took responsibility from 12 yards out, but over-hit the spot-kick, which clipped the crossbar on its way out of play.

The match remained finely poised as the second half unfolded, but Malaga continued to shade matters, and Saviola nearly had a one-on-one after latching onto Isco’s brilliant cutback, but a superb tackle by Daniele Bonera halted him at the last.

With 64 minutes gone, however, Malaga would finally find a way through. Iturra was the architect, clipping a perfectly-weighted pass over Francesco Acerbi, from which Joaquin needed no second invitation to slot into the corner.

Eliseu nearly added a second moments after the restart when he lashed towards goal from 20 yards out, but the fingertips of Amelia denied him a great goal.

Milan launched a late and desperate charge during the final minutes. El Shaarawy saw a close range shot pushed away by Caballero, and Mexes fired wide after attacking in a good position from the resulting corner.

But there was nothing more to come from the Italians, as Malaga held on for a deserved victory, and now sits within touching distance of the knockout stages, while Allegri faces fresh speculation over his future. 


Montpellier 1-2 Olympiakos
Mitroglou strikes in injury time to give Greeks valuable win
Rene Girard's side belied their woeful domestic form to boss much of an entertaining encounter, but a leveller from their captain and a late winner saw the visitors grab victory

Champions League : Younes Belhanda vs Giannis Maniatis (Montpellier vs Olympiakos)

Olympiakos secured a dramatic late victory in Group B after goals from Vassilis Torossidis and Kostas Mitroglou cancelled out Gaetan Charbonnier's first goal for Montpellier at the Stade de la Mosson.  

The home side made a blistering start to the match, but despite playing some lovely football, Charbonnier's volleyed effort was La Paillade's only effort on target in the first-half. However, the 23-year-old summer signing nabbed his first goal for his new club right after half-time to put the hosts in the driving seat. 

In an entertaining end-to-end contest, Montpellier threatened to stretch their lead only for Olympiakos' skipper Torossidis to nod home an equaliser. Late drama ensued with Mitroglou turning home a last-gasp winner to steal the spoils. 

Although they currently lie 16th in the French top flight, Girard's Montpellier started the game confidently and set the tempo early on. Younes Belhanda served warning that La Paillade were keen to put their domestic woes behind them: the midfielder flashing a fierce drive just wide on the quarter hour mark. 

French striker Anthony Mounier looked particularly lively for the Ligue 1 champions in the opening stages, but the 25-year-old blasted a decent chance over after an imaginatively-worked free-kick. 

Olympiakos, on the other hand, did not resemble a side who have strung seven back-to-back victories together domestically: Leonardo Jardim's outfit looking shell-shocked by the classy start made by their hosts.

The Greek side offered no attacking threat whatsoever in the first 20 minutes, the tricky jinkings of Leandro Greco on the left offering the only early indication that they could cause their French opponents trouble.  

It was no surprise therefore when Greco created Olympiakos' first chance of note: the former Roma winger nutmegging Benjamin Stambouli before whipping in a dangerous cross that Algerian striker Rafik Djebbour was close to converting. 

Despite Jardim's side starting to settle, Montpellier remained firmly on the front foot with the interval approaching. 

However, Montpellier coach Girard - watching from the stands due to a touchline ban received in their previous 2-2 draw with Schalke - must have been frustrated that his side were creating openings without testing Olympiakos' number one Roy Carroll. 

As the French side's early bluster started to flag, the Greek visitors appeared to grow in confidence. The Red and Whites backline looked solid and their midfield men were looking to cause problems: Portuguese midfielder Paulo Machedo firing a long-ranger over as the Greek champions trained their sights. 

After an attacking lull, however, Montpellier regained their verve and were close to taking the lead when striker Charbonnier latched onto John Utaka's cross to force a smart stop from Carroll.

The pressing question, as both sides emerged after the break, was whether Montpellier's brittle confidence would allow them to sustain the swagger they had shown first-half. 

An emphatic answer was delivered just minutes after the break by Charbonnier, who followed up his own flick-on to bury a low volley past Carroll to score his first goal for the French outfit. 

However, Charbonnier's delight was almost cut short immediately, his error near his own box aiding an Olympiakos attack that saw former Valencia midfielder David Fuster mangle a glorious headed opportunity. 

With the visitors stung into action, the game see-sawed: the Greek champions showing far more attacking intent, with Greco still to the fore, but Montpellier continuing to threaten through the outstanding Remy Cabella, Belhanda and Utaka.  

Just when the game seemed to be slipping away, however, Olympiakos' skipper Torossidis rose to the occasion: the right-back venturing forward and converting Jose Holebas' wicked inswinging free-kick at the second attempt on 76 minutes. 

A tense final quarter followed, but the game somewhat petered out with so much at stake for both clubs - only for substitute Kostas Mitroglou to win the match at the death.

The scene is set for a humdinger of a contest on November 6 when Olympiakos host the return fixture - the Greeks looking to secure a place in the Champions League knock-out phase and Montpellier realistically now playing for a Europa league spot.

Dinamo Zagreb 0-2 Paris Saint-Germain
Ibrahimovic and Menez secure Croatian cruise
The Sweden international hit home to send his side on the way to a routine victory, which puts it clear of Dynamo Kiev in the race to make the next phase

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Paris Saint-Germain

Paris Saint-Germain was given few problems in dispatching Dinamo Zagreb and taking a big step to qualifying from Group A of the UEFA Champions League, recording a 2-0 victory in the Croatian capital. Zlatan Ibahimovic opened the scoring with a neat close-range finish, before Jeremy Menez blasted home to leave Les Parisiens in the driving seat just before halftime. 

Needing a win to strengthen its chances of making the Champions League knockout stages after suffering defeat against Porto, PSG wasted no time in giving a strong sign of its intentions. With just three minutes on the clock Ibrahimovic expertly broke the Dinamo offside trap, but could not put the ball past Ivan Kelava who reacted quickly to keep out the Sweden international. 

Playing as a sole forward, Zlatan had several chances to open the scoring early on but was indecisive in front of goal, squandering several decent opportunities. Kelava was also called into action to deny Jeremy Menez, who saw his powerful effort palmed away by the young goalkeeper. Zagreb's few opportunities to get men forward invariably came from set-pieces, but an accomplished defensive display from the visitors meant Salvatore Sirigu was rarely troubled between the posts. 

The breakthrough for PSG came 10 minutes before the break. Menez did fantastically to beat Ante Puljic wide on the left, and his low cross met Ibrahimovic's outstretched boot and was diverted into the net, just out of Kelava's reach. The goal was a turning point, and ushered in a strong spell of domination for Carlo Ancelotti's charges. 

Dinamo was rapidly losing their grip on proceedings, and stared a third consecutive Champions League reverse in the face when Les Parisiens added a second. Christophe Jallet initiated a rapid counter from deep in his own half that went through Javier Pastore; the Argentine then released Menez on the left who burst into the area and smashed his effort through the legs of Kelava.

Pastore threatened to further extend the lead just after the restart, hitting into the side netting as the away team looked to pick up where it left off after its impressive end to the first period. Dinamo was also probing early on in its attempt to find a way back into proceedings, but both Thiago Silva and Jallet put themselves in the way of danger to thwart the hosts. 

The second half developed without too much goalmouth action, PSG seemingly content with the advantage and Dinamo short of ideas on how to penetrate its opponent's stout defensive line. Zlatan, however, was handed another excellent chance to add a third. The former Milan man was put clean through once more, but tried to be too cute in lobbing the ball over Kelava and drifted his effort wide with the goal at his mercy. The away team then did its best to submit its entry for goal of the season, slick passing between Menez and Jallet playing in Sissokho whose ripping volley flew just wide. 

There were to be no more goals for PSG, but the French team was left to celebrate as its recorded a comfortable victory in a potentially tricky encounter. The club stay in second place with six points from their opening three Champions League encounters, trailing Porto by three but enjoying the same margin over Dynamo Kiev at Group A's halfway point. Dinamo, meanwhile, stays at the foot of the table having failed to hit the net in any of its matches so far.

Porto 3-2 Dynamo Kiev
Jackson Martinez double maintains 100% Group A record
The Portuguese side secured maximum points in dramatic style on Wednesday evening, thanks to their Colombian attacker

Jackson Martinez - Porto

Porto produced a 3-2 victory over Dynamo Kiev to maintain their perfect record in Champions League Group A. 

Silvestre Varela’s blockbusting opener provided the first goal in a terrific match, which saw the Ukrainians respond when Oleh Gusyev glanced home a corner kick. Jackson Martinez put the Portuguese side back into the lead before the break, but Brown Ideye’s effort seemed that it may have decisive for the visitors. Nevertheless, Martinez popped up again to score the fifth goal of an enthralling encounter.

Coming into the match having already seen off Dinamo Zagreb and Paris Saint-Germain, the home side showed plenty of confidence in the early stages , yet they had offered only a limited threat in the early stages of the clash.  That changed spectacularly when Varela picked up a seemingly innocuous ball on the edge of the box and rifled home an unstoppable shot.

The Ukrainians had offered little threat to this point, aside from dangerous crosses from Miguel Veloso. From one such chance they drew level as a wicked in-swinging delivery was knocked home by Gusyev.

Although Porto struggled to puncture holes in their opponents, Martinez had already threatened with a shot off the crossbar, and it would be the attacker who broke the deadlock for them 10 minutes before the interval. James Rodriguez was the architect, sliding a neat ball through for the striker to knock home in a composed manner.

After the interval it was the erratic goalkeeping of Helton that offered Dynamo their greatest hope of a point, with the shot-stopper frequently showing nerves with slack punches from the crosses that were coming into his area. 

Nevertheless, Helton’s most painful moment came as he conceded to Ideye, whose thumping effort cracked into the net off his face.

Porto had created only a couple of chances to secure the points before that moment, so there was not great hope of them finding a winning goal, yet it arrived shortly after the leveller. Martinez was the hero with a simple finish, tapping home after Lucho Gonzalez beat a ragged offside trap and squared the ball to his colleague.

Victory was expected for Porto, but the drama surrounding this success was not. Nevertheless, head coach Vítor Pereira can be delighted with the progress of his side, who look all-but certain to progress to the knockout stages once more.

Zenit 1-0 Anderlecht
Kerzhakov penalty rescues unconvincing hosts
The Russians stole the result despite a very lacklustre performance at home, but nevertheless move off the foot of Group C thanks to a second-half spot kick

CL - ZENIT-ANDERLECHT, Viktor Fayzulin and Kanu

Zenit St Petersburg claimed the first points of their Champions League campaign after a narrow 1-0 win over Anderlecht at the Petrovskij Stadium on Wednesday.

With both sides needing a win to resurrect their failing European challenges, a penalty from Aleksandr Kerzhakov in the second half, given after a foul by Milan Jovanovic, was enough to send the Russian outfit to a victory that they barely deserved.

Anderlecht will rightfully be disappointed with the result, as they fashioned the best chances throughout the match, and fell victim to a momentary lapse at the back to leave them with one point from their opening three games. 

Zenit now move off the foot of the table with the win and sit three points behind Group C leaders Malaga, who square off with AC Milan later on Wednesday. 
With so much at stake, it was perhaps no surprise to see the match take a while to get off the ground, as both sides seemed determined to prevent a goal rather than score themselves.

The first opening went Anderlecht’s way after 12 minutes, as a delightful one-two between Tom de Sutter and Jovanovic saw the latter drag wide of the far post after going one-on-one with Vyacheslav Malafeev.

That chance seemed to spark Zenit forward, and a stinging free-kick from Hulk was whipped inches wide of the far post, with two of his team-mates close to getting a touch.

The hosts were able to sustain pressure in the opposition half for large spells, but their monopolisation of the ball did not result in any clear-cut chances, as their attack seemed woefully out of sync.

In fact, the best chance of the first half fell to Anderlecht after 26 minutes, when Guillaume Gillet turned Domenico Criscito inside out to find himself in point blank range, only to slide the ball across goal when it was begging to be hit.

That was about as close the match got to a goal before the break, as both teams were extremely laboured in their play, despite the 0-0 scoreline doing more harm than good to their flailing chances of making the knockout stages.

Anderlecht came close four minutes after the restart, after good work from De Sutter out wide saw him tee-up Jovanovic inside the area, but the Serbian, instead of attacking the cross, elected to go to ground in futile hopes for a penalty.

But the second half followed the pattern of the first, with both teams lacking any sort of initiative in attack, as goalmouth action remained elusive.

There was finally some action of note just past the hour mark, as a testing free-kick from Lucas Biglia was punched clear by Malafeev moments before Kanu was able to connect.

Not long after, substitute Vladimir Bystrov cut into space just inside the area, but his shot was fired disappointingly over the bar.

But Zenit were handed a huge stroke of luck with 18 minutes remaining, after Anyukov was hauled down by Jovanovic while attacking a free-kick, leaving the referee with little choice but to award a penalty.

Most of the players were unaware that the infraction had been called, but after matters had settled, Kerzhakov stepped up to send Proto the wrong way and give the home side a lead they scarcely deserved.

Anderlecht pressed forward in the time that remained, but despite a few spells of pressure, they could not strike a telling blow as Zenit ran off with the points, though with Malaga and AC Milan set to meet later in the day, their task in Group C remains monumental.

Source: goal.com














woensdag 24 oktober 2012

Champions League Report


Manchester United 3-2 Braga:
Chicharito double completes magnificent turnaround
The Red Devils continued their bad habit of conceding early, Alan with two first-half strikes, but the Mexican forward inspired a recovery to maintain momentum in Group H

UEFA Champions League :   Javier Hernandez ,  Manchester United and Braga


A Chicharito-inspired Manchester United recovered from an early sucker-punch to beat Braga 3-2 in their Champions League clash at Old Trafford, extending their lead at the top of Group H to five clear points.

Alan scored in the second and 20th minutes to rock the Red Devils but the Mexican's double, either side of a Jonny Evans equaliser, rescued all three points.

Sir Alex Ferguson followed through on his pre-match talk of implementing a diamond, Wayne Rooney captaining the side from its forward point and Michael Carrick beating Scott Wootton to a start at centre-back.

The makeshift nature of the defence showed, however, when Alan profited from badly disorganised marking to rise and head home within just two minutes from Hugo Viana's cross.

The visitors had arrived fearless and they doubled their lead on 20 minutes, this time exploiting Carrick. Eder skinned the England man on the left touchline and darted inside to cut a pass back into the box, where Alan stabbed home for his second.

Braga's two-goal cushion lasted all of five minutes and it was thanks to a smart piece of refereeing that United got their riposte. Serbian official Milorad Mazic indicated an advantage when Robin van Persie was fouled on the left flank but Shinji Kagawa picked up the loose ball and dinked a cross for Chicharito, who was onside at the far post to head into the net.

Both teams pushed for more, Van Persie firing wide with his right foot at one end before Alan nearly exploited more uneasy defending by volleying just past the post. Kagawa's movement saw him break past the back line but, just as he rolled it to the unmarked Chicharito, the Japanese was harshly flagged for offside.

Needing to seize control of an open contest after half-time, United had to replace the injured Kagawa with Nani, flattening their diamond formation accordingly. Possession did indeed come more easily but penetration slightly less so as the Braga rearguard held their own.

The breakthrough came from a poorly cleared corner, however, which fell to Evans. The defender scuffed his first attempt but it bobbled back to him and a scruffy finish was enough to beat Beto and send the game level.

Buoyed, United pushed for more and, after setting Nani up for a saved stinger, the excellent Chicharito got further reward for a superb performance. The Mexican powerfully headed home from a pinpoint delivery by Tom Cleverley, another bright spark in the turnaround.

Braga had looked deflated ever since Evans' euqaliser and never really threatened to get back into proceedings, even when David de Gea's risky pass to Cleverley opened things up. Ruben Amorim's first touch deserted him, however, and the opportunity fell flat. In the end, Sir Alex's men were comfortable in their victory.

Barcelona 2-1 Celtic
Heartbreak for Hoops after Alba wins it late
A disciplined defensive performance from the visitors saw them keep the Catalan giants largely at bay but they were denied a historic draw in stoppage time at Camp Nou

UEFA Champions League :   Giorgos Samaras; Mikael Lustig; Efe, FC Barcelona v Celtic FC

Barcelona overcame a spirited display from Celtic to secure a 2-1 victory courtesy of a stoppage-time winner in their Champions League group stage clash on Tuesday evening.

The Scottish champions took a surprise lead in the first half, with Javier Mascherano heading past his own goalkeeper after a superb delivery from Charlie Mulgrew wide on the right.

The hosts levelled the scores shortly before the break, though, when after an intricate move involving Xavi and Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta stabbed the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.

And, with the game nearing its conclusion, Jordi Alba was on hand to break Celtic hearts by prodding home at the far post after beating his man for pace on the outside and latching onto an Adriano ball in the box.

Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova rang the changes for the game, bringing in young centre-back Marc Bartra for the suspended Sergio Busquets, while David Villa, Cesc Fabregas, Martin Montoya and Cristian Tello dropped out of the starting eleven to be replaced by Xavi, Adriano, Pedro and Alexis Sanchez.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon made four changes for the game, with Mikael Lustig, Emilio Izaguirre, Scott Brown and Georgios Samaras coming into the side for Adam Matthews, Tony Watt, Lassad Nouioui and Beram Kayal.

The hosts should have taken the lead as early as the second minute when a cute pass in behind the back four from Messi saw Sanchez miss a one-on-one chance, dinking his effort just past the left-hand post.

It was the unfancied visitors who took a shock lead in the 17th minute, though, when Mulgrew's viciously whipped free-kick from the right wing left Mascherano red-faced as he nodded into his own net under pressure from Samaras.

After finding themselves frustrated for the majority of the half, struggling to break down a stubborn Celtic defence, Barcelona drew level right on the stroke of half-time through Iniesta, who latched onto a magnificent through ball from Xavi to poke the ball past the onrushing Forster.

With Barcelona pushing for the lead, it took a world-class save from Forster to deny Messi who looked odds on to tap home from an offside position just six yards from goal after some good work by both Sanchez and Pedro.

Moments later, another high-quality save kept out a Messi header from point-blank range after a delicately clipped ball over the top from Xavi.

With the clock ticking down and Efe Ambrose and Kelvin Wilson excellent at the heart of the back four, Celtic got a deserved stroke of luck as Villa struck the post with an angled drive from within the box.

But the Bhoys' resolve was broken in the 93rd minute when Adriano's cross allowed Alba to steal in ahead of his marker and poke home.

Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Chelsea
Holders humbled by Alex Teixeira & Fernandinho strikes
The Brazilian duo netted early in each half as the Ukrainian champions deservedly extended their 11-month unbeaten home record at the expense of the lacklustre holders

UEFA Champions League:  Alex Teixeira,  FC Shakhtar Donetsk v Chelsea FC

Alex Teixeira and Fernandinho got the goals as a hugely impressive Shakhtar side dealt Chelsea’s Champions League qualification hopes a blow with a deserved victory in Donetsk.

The Brazilian duo did the damage with a goal early in each half as the Ukrainian champions asserted themselves at the top of Group E and extended their 11-month unbeaten record at the Donbass Arena.

Oscar netted a late consolation but, for Chelsea, the path to the knockout stages now looks far more perilous - despite Juventus helpfully drawing their ninth continental match in a row against Nordsjaelland - after failing what was always likely to be a stern test of their renewed European aspirations.

Roberto Di Matteo made two changes to the Chelsea side which saw off Tottenham on Saturday. John Terry captained the team for the first time since accepting his FA punishment for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, while Frank Lampard was recalled to the midfield in place of Eden Hazard.

Shakhtar, meanwhile, were unchanged from the side which came close to inflicting a shock defeat on Juventus last time out, with the creative trio of former Blues target Willian, Henrik Mkhitaryan and Teixeira supplying Luiz Adriano up front.

The Ukrainians began with the confidence of a side unbeaten at home for almost a year, and took the lead three minutes in when Adriano’s attempted shot struck Terry and broke for Teixeira, who calmly stroked the ball low beyond a helpless Petr Cech.

Chelsea steadied the ship but Shakhtar continued to look the more incisive, and, on 16 minutes, Willian jinked inside Ramires and ripped a shot over Cech’s crossbar.

Things got worse for the European champions with the early withdrawal of Lampard through injury, and soon after the lively Willian tested Cech again with a curling drive.

The Blues goalkeeper made further good saves to deny Mkhitaryan and Tomas Hubschmann as the half drew to a close, and in truth the visitors were fortunate to reach the break only one goal behind.

Chelsea tried to rally at the start of the second half but soon found themselves in big trouble again, however, when Hazard gave the ball away cheaply on the halfway line and Adriano fed Fernandinho, who fired in from the angle.

Left with a mountain to climb, Di Matteo’s men pushed on, but were repeatedly frustrated by disciplined Shakhtar defending which limited them to hopeful shots from range.

Daniel Sturridge replaced the ineffective Fernando Torres with 20 minutes left, and the England man made an immediate impact, cleverly playing in Hazard to force a solid stop from an otherwise criminally underworked Andriy Pyatov.

But this was a rare moment of invention from a Chelsea attack uncharacteristically devoid of imagination, and it was Shakhtar who continued to look more dangerous on the counter.

Mkhitaryan and Hubschmann both went close to adding insult to injury before the Blues gave themselves hope of a miraculous comeback on 87 minutes, as Branislav Ivanovic surged to the byline and crossed low for Oscar to tap home.

But it proved to be false hope, and Shakhtar ran out worthy winners.

Spartak Moscow 2-1 Benfica
Jardel own goal puts Russians back into Group G contention
Unai Emery's men bounced back from successive 3-2 defeats to Barcelona and Celtic by claiming three points which lifts them above their Portuguese rivals in the standings

 Rafael Carioca

Spartak Moscow kept their hope of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League alive by deservedly edging out Benfica 2-1 in a crunch Group G clash at the Luzhniki Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The hosts broke the deadlock with less than three minutes played, Rafael Carioca finishing off a wonderful breakaway from deep inside their own half, but their Portuguese opponents levelled matters courtesy of a near-post header from Lima half an hour later.

However, Jardel, under pressure from Ari, put through his own goal shortly before the interval and Spartak held on to their slender advantage in the face of incessant late pressure from Benfica to register their first points of their Champions League campaign.

Spartak, who had blown 2-1 leads in their opening two games against Barcelona and Celtic, made a storming start and could easily have been ahead inside a minute, with Ari picking out Diniyar Bilyaletdinov unmarked in the area only for Artur to parry the former Everton man’s towering header away to safety. 

Still, the home fans would not have to wait much long to see their side go ahead. Bilyaletdinov pounced on a loose pass from Nemanja Matic in Spartak territory and surged forward before moving the ball onto Jurado. The on-loan Schalke attacker held it up superbly, waiting until the last possible second before slipping the supporting Rafael Carioca in on goal. The Brazilian demonstrated just as much poise and composure in drawing out Artur before coolly prodding the ball past his compatriot.

It should have been 2-0 just over 20 minutes later but Ari volleyed against the bar after being picked out at the back post by a terrific cross from Jano Ananidze. Almost inevitably, the striker’s profligacy was punished almost immediately, Lima heading home an equally inviting delivery, this time from Salvio from wide on the right after Spartak had failed to fully clear a Benfica corner.

The momentum appeared now very much with the visitors but, credit to Spartak, they first reclaimed the initiative, and then the lead when Jardel bundled a dangerous cross from Evgeni Makeev into his own net, after the latter had been released into space by a defence-splitting pass from his captain, Dmitri Kombarov.

Spartak began the second half as promisingly and menacingly as they had the first and nearly doubled their advantage on 55 minutes but Ari failed to get enough purchase on Ananidze’s low ball across the six-yard box and the former AZ forwad’s back-heeled effort was easily saved by Artur.

It was Benfica, though, who should have struck next, with the otherwise impressive Makeev gifting Salvio the opportunity to equalise by making a mess of an attempted header back to his goalkeeper. However, luckily for the Spartak right-back, the Argentine fired wide with the goal at his mercy.

Despite dominating territory and possession in the final quarter, winless Benfica would not go so close again to snatching a point, meaning they drop to the bottom of the group and must now triumph in their return clash with Spartak in Lisbon to retain any chance of reaching the last 16.

FC Nordsjaelland 1-1 Juventus
Beckmann free kick earns Danes famous draw
The Danes stunned the Bianconeri by taking the lead shortly after the interval with a sublime set-piece and then, after Mirko Vucinic's equaliser, somehow held on for a point

Pirlo in Nordsjaelland-Juventus (Champions League)

Juventus' hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League are hanging by a thread after being held to a 1-1 draw by Group E minnows FC Nordsjaelland at Parken Stadium on Tuesday night.

However, it could have been even worse for the Bianconeri, who fell behind to a stunning free-kick goal from Mikkel Beckmann early in the second half. Indeed, there were just under 10 minutes remaining when the Italian champions finally drew level, through substitute Mirko Vucinic.

Fellow replacement Nicklas Bendtner had a chance to be a hero on home soil but he headed wide late on and Juve were forced to settle for their third successive draw in this season's Champions League - and their ninth in total in European competition.

The Bianconeri had gone into the game in Copenhagen knowing that nothing less than a victory would suffice if they were to retain any real chance of progressing as winners of Group E - or perhaps even progressing at all.

Still, while the visitors, and Andrea Pirlo in particular, were undoubtedly intent on taking control of the game early on, FCN were in no mood to be pushed around and enjoyed plenty of possession in the opening exchanges. 

Indeed, with Kasper Lorentzen, Joshua John and Andreas Laudrup all impressing in support of lone frontman Beckmann, the tournament debutants carried an undeniable attacking threat. They could even have taken the lead on the half hour when John latched onto a kick-out from Jesper Hansen and looked to flick the ball past the onrushing Gianluigi Buffon only to see the goalkeeper rather fortuitously block with the side of his chest - when it could so easily have been his flailing left arm. 

However, it was Juve, with Pirlo predictably pulling the strings, who looked the more likely scorers in a tight opening 45 minutes. With one superbly-executed, first-time pass in behind the FCN defence, Pirlo put Sebastian Giovinco in on goal only for the diminutive forward to be muscled off the ball by the impressive Jores Okore. 

It was undoubtedly Giovinco who was carrying the Bianconeri’s most potent attacking threat but after seeing a smart volley saved by Jesper Hansen on 28 minutes, the former Parma man squandered a terrific chance to break the deadlock moments later after being played through by Paolo De Ceglie. Giovinco rounded the advancing Hansen with ease but allowed the acute angle to get the better of him and fired into the side netting.

The diminutive forward also tested Hansen with stinging drives either side of half-time, first after sending the scrambling FCN defence one way and then the other, and then after latching onto a fine knock-on by strike partner Alessandro Matri.

The opening goal, therefore, came as a real bolt from the blue - and Juventus only had themselves to blame, some sloppy play in midfield eventually leading to De Ceglie putting his own defence under pressure with a poor pass before an unsettled Giorgio Chiellini needlessly barged Laudrup out of the way on the edge of the area.

Beckmann, whose shooting up until this point had been tame at best, stepped up to take the resulting free kick and calmly curled the ball up and over the wall and into the top-right corner, sparking raucous celebrations from the 'home' side's supporters.

Juventus, unsurprisingly, redoubled their efforts in a bid to drag themselves back into the game and Giovinco, after rising wonderfully to meet another fine De Ceglie delivery, was only denied a long overdue goal by the most amazing one-handed save from Hansen.

The Italian champions continued to press, sending Bendtner and Vucinic on to bolster their attacking ranks. In the end, it was the latter who made the breakthrough, volleying home a fine cross from Mauricio Isla from wide on the right-hand side with just under 10 minutes remaining.

Bendtner, though, could have really kickstarted his Juventus career on 87 minutes but he headed another inviting cross from De Ceglie well wide after arriving late into the area. In truth, though, it was probably only just that FCN held on to claim the greatest result in their 21-year history.


Lille 0-1 Bayern Munich
Muller goal gets Bavarians' Champions League campaign back on track
The visitors recovered from their shock loss to BATE Borisov a fortnight ago and grabbed their second European victory of the season against the tame Dogues

Champions League : Salomon Kalou vs Thomas Muller (Lille vs Bayern Munich)

Bayern Munich claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Lille in France to get their Champions League campaign back on track.

The Bavarians were in control for much of the match without ever really getting out of first gear, and Thomas Muller's 19th-minute penalty proved to be enough on the night.

The hosts looked vulnerable from the outset, and truth be told, Jupp Heynckes' side should have been goal up within a minute of the kick-off. 

Philipp Lahm picked out Thomas Muller pefectly with a right-wing cross, but the Germany intenrational's control failed him when he was completely unmarked. Had he taken a more measured first touch, he would have surely found the target from a matter of yards.

Thereafter, the Bavarians began to take control, and Franck Ribery was looking lively, forcing untried youngster Djibril Sidibe into a string of clumsy fouls, only for Bayern's set piece taker to fail to deliver.

And, they almost paid for it. Despite Lucas Digne frequently allowing Muller and Lahm too much room on the wings, he was excellent going forward, and on one dart down the left, he found Tulio De Melo, who could only head wide under pressure from Dante.

Soon enough, though, Bayern's dominance paid off. Lahm took advantage of a drop in concentration from Digne, darted into the box, and fell, slightly softly, under a challenge from the full-back. Muller stepped up, and calmly passed the ball into the back of the net from the spot.

The match then continued in much the same manner that it had been previously. Bayern were almost unchallenged in possession, stroking the ball around harmlessly in the centre of the park without any real penetration.

Digne, eager to make up for his mistake in giving away the penalty made another charge down the wing and sent in a fantastic cross that narrowly evaded the heads of Nolan Roux and De Melo, before Marvin Martin screwed a long-range volley wide from distance with Manuel Neuer out of position.

However, all things told, Lille did not do enough to warrant an equaliser before the break, allowing Bayern to take their slender lead into the break, despite a meagre performance.

After the restart, the hosts returned with more vigour, pressing Bayern more in midfield, but spare a pop shot from Florent Balmont which was blocked by Dante's head, they were no closer to grabbing an equaliser.

At the other end, an excellent block from Sidibe forced Xherdan Shaqiri's volley well over the bar, while a Muller cross caused mayhem among the static Lille defence, who eventually managed to clear their lines with Mario Mandzukic lurking.

Shaqiri then had credible appeals for a penalty turned down after a left-wing cross struck Franck Beria on the arm from close range, while Bastian Schweinsteiger failed to play in Lahm, who had won the ball brilliantly just outside the box and attempted a give-and-go with his team-mate.

Muller missed a golden opportunity to kill off the game 14 minutes from time, trying to sweep home a Lahm cross with his right foot when he could have had a tap-in with his left.

And, within seconds, they were almost made to pay for their error. Ryan Mendes, fresh from the bench, was gifted possession by Dante inside the Bayern box, but saw his effort blocked by Schweinsteiger. 

He recovered the ball and dinked in a cross, but Lahm stood firm and stopped his attacker from getting control.

Perhaps rattled by the Lille resurgence, Heynckes brought Luiz Gustavo on for Kroos, and although the hosts continued to press, Bayern had done just about enough.

Lille now sit six points behind all their fellow Group F sides. Heynckes' side, meanwhile, can take a huge step towards progression when they host les Dogues in a fortnight's time.

BATE Borisov 0-3 Valencia
Soldado hat-trick earns superb away victory
The prolific attacker was simply unstoppable in Belarus as he single-handedly helped his side to a crucial away win

Yegor Filipenko, Roberto Soldado, BATE, Valencia

Valencia have recorded a 3-0 win over BATE Borisov in Tuesday evening's Champions League Group F encounter in Minsk.

The Spanish side did not have an easy evening against the Borisov outfit before the break, but Roberto Soldado's converted penalty in the dying seconds of the first half helped them on their way, before again Soldado made it two after the interval. The Spain international got his hat-trick in the 69th minute following a fine finish.

The away side started the match the better team of the two and came close to opening the scoring after only five minutes of play. Fernando Gago reached Soldado with a superb pass, but the 27-year-old's powerful strike was kept out by Andrey Gorbunov.

Soldado again caused the BATE defence all kinds of trouble shortly after when he nutmegged Egor Filipenko before setting up Andres Guardado. However, the Mexican winger's shot was too weak to trouble Gorbunov.

BATE then took over the initiative and created a number of dangerous situations, with Vitali Rodionov in particular threatening.

The striker hesitated just too long after being set up by Aliaksandr Hleb, allowing Ricardo Costa to make a last-ditch clearance, while Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves only just intercepted a low cross from the left before Rodionov could tap home from close range. Meanwhile, Alves was not too impressed with the striker's header after Maksim Bordachev's excellent cross.

It were the guests who eventually broke the deadlock, though, and it was the inevitable Soldado who added his name to the score-sheet. Marko Simic pulled down the attacker inside the BATE area, leaving the referee no other choice but to award a spot-kick. Soldado stepped up to take it himself, and easily slotted home.

Rodionov once more threatened only minutes into the second half, but Alves again proved to be in fine form. Valencia then broke free on the counter-attack, and Soldado doubled his side's lead with a well-taken volley after a Guardado cross from the left wing. 

Both Guardado and Soldado could have made it three immediately after the 2-0, but the former's attempt was blocked by the goalkeeper, while the latter's shot was cleared off the goal-line.

The BATE defenders were unable to contain Soldado, and the striker seemed to get his hat-trick after he slammed home a rebound from close range. However, the linesman raised his flag and the goal was disallowed for offside. 

Soldado would get his third of the evening only minutes later, though. Tino Costa managed to reach the prolific attacker despite the duo being outnumbered by the BATE defence, and the 27-year-old again showed his class with a calm finish. 

Valencia and BATE have both collected six points from three games, and share top spot with Bayern Munich. Both sides meet again at Mestalla on November 7.


Galatasaray 1-1 CFR Cluj
Yilmaz leveller can't lift Turkish side from bottom of Group H
A late strike from the Turkey international ensured that the Istanbul outfit picked up their first point in European competition this season despite an uninspiring performance

STSL: Burak Yılmaz (Galatasaray)

Galatasaray left it late to secure a 1-1 draw in the Champions League against 10-man CFR Cluj in appalling conditions at the Turk Telekom Arena.

Torrential rain before kick off meant that the fixture was played on a water-logged pitch, though this did not hinder the visitors who took the lead midway through the first half when Dany Nounkeu turned into his own net.

Cluj were reduced to 10 men soon after but Gala were unable to capitalise on their man advantage with Felipe Melo failing to convert from the penalty spot. But with 15 minutes remaining, Burak Yilmaz equalised with his side's first Champions League goal this season, also securing them their maiden point.

Proof that the sodden pitch was going to make for a turbulent match was evident within the opening two minutes. After the hosts gave the ball away, Emmanuel Eboue offered too much space to Camora on the left. He found Rafael Bastos in the area but the forward sliced his effort high and wide of the goal.

To their credit Gala attempted to play good football in the face of the adverse conditions and their first shot of goal came in the 14th minute. Hamit Altintop's 20-yard strike was parried aside by Mario Felgueiras and although Umut Bulut was first to the loose ball, the referee was unconvinced as he fell to the floor inside the box.

But Cluj, maintaining a more direct gameplan, silenced the stadium in the 19th minute. Camora once more found space down the left and he crossed for Pantelis Kapetanos. The striker got a foot on the ball but was fortunate that a wicked deflection off Nounkeu carried the ball into the back of the net.

With 28 minutes played the Istanbul outfit were given a huge boost when Matias Aguirregaray was dismissed for his second booking in the space of three minutes after bringing down Selcuk Inan.

Momentum immediately swung the way of the hosts and after Felgueiras thwarted Altintop, Laszlo Sepsi conceded a penalty for handball with 10 minutes of the first half remaining. Felipe Melo stepped up to take the spot-kick but the keeper guessed right, clawing the ball away and capping a brilliant half.

Six minutes after the restart Gala failed to take the most of yet another gilt-edged chance. The excellent Nordin Amrabat picked out Bulut in space in front of goal but he failed to connect with the ball properly as it skidded off the slick surface.

With the Cluj defence camped back on the edge of their own area, the hosts enjoyed total dominance. But Fatih Terim's men continued to rally and the Romanian resistance was finally broken with 13 minutes remaining. Amrabat's cross found Yilmaz in the area, who had replaced the injured Johan Elmander in the first half, and he beat the keeper to the ball to nod into the net.

Galatasary were unable to go a step further and find the winner meaning they remain bottom of Group H while Cluj rise above Braga and into second.



Source: goal.com