Euro Football Highlights

Champions League Last 16 Draw

2010-12-17T13:36:00.000+02:00

AS Roma - Shakhtar Donetsk

AC Milan - Tottenham Hotspur

Valencia CF - Schalke 04

Internazionale - Bayern München

Olympique Lyon - Real Madrid

Arsenal - FC Barcelona

Olympique Marseille - Manchester United

FC København - Chelsea

Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid

2010-11-30T00:04:00.000+02:00

Barcelona showed their class with a resounding 5-0 win over Real Madrid at the Nou Camp in a memorable El Clasico to usurp their rivals in style at the top of the La Liga table.

Xavi gave the hosts a 10th-minute lead as Pep Guardiola's side seized the initiative from the off, before Pedro doubled their lead eight minutes later as the visitors were made to look sluggish in the face of Barcelona's scintillating attacking play.
The second half followed a similar pattern of dominance from the hosts with Real humbled into submission as David Villa unleashed a clinical three-minute brace before substitute Jeffren Suarez added a fifth in stoppage time to crown an imperious display from Guardiola's side.
There was a surprise inclusion for Karim Benzema in place of the injured Gonzalo Higuain, while Jose Mourinho resisted the temptation to effectively asphyxiate Barca - as he did last season in charge of Inter - with an additional holding midfielder, sticking with Mesut Ozil in his usual creative berth.
A vociferous atmosphere was created at the Nou Camp as the 98,000 Barca fans were handed placards to form a mural in the Catalunya colours and eventually the hype gave way to a frenetic opening as Barcelona stamped their authority on the clash from the outset.
The hosts dominated the early possession, and almost found a sublime seventh-minute opener through a predictably inspired source: Lionel Messi unfurled an audacious chip from out on the right which beat Iker Casillas, but not the far post.
Guardiola's side were in front three minutes later, however, albeit in slightly fortuitous fashion as Messi combined with Andres Iniesta outwide, before the latter's through ball deflected off Marcelo into the path of Xavi, who kept his composure to poke the loose ball beyond Casillas.
Barcelona continued to stroke the ball around with consummate ease as they held their opponents firmly under the cosh, and the hosts doubled their lead in the 18th minute. A mesmerising 25-pass move culminated in David Villa hurtling to the left byline before cutting a precise delivery back into the path of the onrushing Pedro, who was able to simply tap home from just a yard out.
Amid all the exhilarating exchanges, the first half was littered with petulance from both sides. First, an exasperated Cristiano Ronaldo pushed Guardiola on the touchline to spark off an absurd melee, then a stray elbow from Ricardo Carvalho saw Lionel Messi mysteriously booked for diving.
Real were desperate to muster any kind of a resurgence, and Ronaldo took a tumble under a challenge from Victor Valdes just before half-time which provoked merely a withering look from the referee, but represented a source of grievance in the eyes of a few visiting players.
Mourinho acted swiftly at the break as he introduced Lassana Diarra at the expense of Ozil, but it was Barcelona who almost made an immediate impact after the restart as Carvalho was forced to make a sliding block to deny Villa from close range.
Xavi then squandered a glorious opportunity to grab his brace in the 52nd minute as he surged down the right but, after Casillas parried away his initial snap shot, could only turn the rebound into the side netting with the goal gaping at his mercy.
But Barcelona were three up minutes later as Messi slid an incisive through ball beyond Pepe, and Villa beat the offside trap with a perfectly timed run before planting an emphatic finish beyond the helpless Casillas.
It was quickly turning into a rout, and the same combination made a mockery of the visitors' static and beleaguered defence once more as Messi picked out Villa, who thundered in another clinical strike just before the hour mark.
Carvalho could quite easily have been dismissed for a deliberate handball to deny Villa a goalscoring opportunity late on, but in an extreme case of leniency, the referee appeared to take pity on the defender and brandished the yellow card.
A disgraceful passage of play ensued on the stroke of the final whistle as tempers flared following a rash challenge by Carvalho on Messi, and Sergio Ramos was shown a second yellow card in the aftermath.
The comprehensive victory not only sees Barcelona leapfrog their rivals to the top spot in the La Liga table, but the Catalan club now have a superior goal difference to Mourinho's side.

Lyon screw Real Madrid Dreams

2010-03-10T23:49:00.004+02:00

Cristiano Ronaldo could not prevent Real Madrid from crashing out of the Champions League after a 1-1 draw in the Bernabeu saw Lyon progress to the last eight 2-1 on aggregate.

The Portuguese lashed in an early opener as Real went on the attack for the remainder of the first half.
However a half-time reshuffle by Claude Puel paid dividends as Miralem Pjanic crashed home to leave the home side needing two goals in the final 15 minutes they barely threatened to score.
The first chance of the evening arrived less than a minute in, Kaka's shot from an angle on the right blocked close up by Lyon keeper Hugo Lloris.
Lyon barely touched the ball before Ronaldo hit the back of the net. Guti, recalled to the starting XI due to the absence of Xabi Alonso, sent a long raking ball down the left for the jet-heeled attacker to chase into the box.
From quite a wide position he shot low and hard and the otherwise imperious Lloris suffered the ignominy of the ball flying through his legs as he went to ground at the near post.
Real, who executed a stunning comeback against Sevilla in Madrid on Saturday, went looking for more. Kaka bent a shot from the left that stung Lloris's palms and Esteban Granero sent in cross after cross as Lyon struggled to get a touch, but managed to shore up their backline.
Los Merengues were in one of those moods and should have made it two through striker Gonzalo Higuain. The Argentina star, flawless at times this season, went past Lloris and into the box following a through-ball; with Jean-Alain Boumsong unable to get back, he contrived to strike the near post with his effort.
Three minutes on Higuain was denied by Lloris from inside the box with Ronaldo free square of him for an open goal. Kaka had laid on the chance with a lovely flick inside.

Jean Makoun flailed at a cross when Lyon orchestrated a rare attack and Les Gones were fortunate to go in at the break only a goal down and level on aggregate.
That result would have led to extra time, and for most of the second half that seemed the most likely outcome. However at its beginning question marks hung over Lyon's chances as the impressive Boumsong was withdrawn, with Jeremy Toulalan dropping back to sweep up behind the dominant Cris.
It was like watching two entirely different sides playing the second 45 minutes. Cesar Delgado, tireless in his defensive duties in the first half, began to get forward more and more, while substitute Kim Kallstrom also worked well out wide.
Twenty-year-old Maxime Gonalons, also a half-time introduction, headed the first chance over while soon after frustrated striker Lisandro Lopez unleashed a fearsome drive that Iker Casillas beat away.
Whenever Madrid ventured towards the box the ball was taken from them, while Lyon built patiently from deep to unnerve home fans mindful that their club had been knocked out at this stage for each of the past five seasons.
The apprehension morphed into full-blown anxiety when Lyon snatched the vital away goal. Delgado played a pass to the feet of Lisandro, lurking in the area, and his tee-up for Pjanic was not left disappointed by excellent control and a thunderous finish.
There was an aborted fightback as Lyon cleared a couple of corners following the arrival of Champions League record scorer Raul for Kaka, and as Real became increasingly undisciplined, Lisandro raced through only to screw his shot wide with all the time in the world.
Delgado then skied a further one-on-one in injury-time, but it did not matter: Real were down and out as Lyon recorded a famous European triumph.

Manchester United demolish Milan by four

2010-03-10T23:45:00.003+02:00

A brace from Wayne Rooney sealed a 4-0 victory and an emphatic 7-2 aggregate scoreline as Manchester United romped past Milan at Old Trafford to clinch their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Rooney gave United the lead in just the 13th minute with a sublime glancing header, and the England forward netted his 30th goal of the season with a deft finish seconds after half-time to stun the visitors.
David Beckham was confined to the Milan bench from the outset, but the former United midfielder had to wait until his side were 3-0 down before he was introduced after Park Ji-Sung slammed a fierce shot beyond Christian Abbiati just before the hour-mark.
Darren Fletcher capped an imperious display from the English champions with a fourth goal in the 88th minute, and Milan and Beckham were left utterly shell-shocked at the final whistle.
Rooney almost gave the hosts the lead in the fourth minute as he swivelled on the edge of the Milan box to latch on to Antonio Valencia's cut back and fired a low shot which he dragged narrowly wide of Christian Abbiati's near post.
Milan were hardly subdued at the other end, as Andrea Pirlo whipped over a devilish delivery in the eighth minute which Nani inadvertently flicked over to Ronaldinho, but the Brazilian's header drifted narrowly wide.
Two minutes later, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who flanked Marco Borriello along with Ronaldinho, stole in at the back post beyond Patrice Evra to receive Thiago Silva's raking diagonal pass from the back, but his first touch was sloppy as the ball evaded him.
Neville was preferred to Rafael at right-back for United, and Sir Alex Ferguson's decision was vindicated as the skipper picked out Rooney with a pinpoint cross from the right as United stamped their authority on the match in the 13th minute.
Rooney's exquisitely-timed run caught Daniele Bonera napping as the forward climbed above his marker to glance a deft finish beyond a helpless Abbiati and score his third headed goal in the tie.

Milan looked devoid of ideas in attack as they sought to redress the balance of the tie and, as Ronaldinho and Huntelaar were dragged outwide to gain possession, Borriello was left increasingly isolated and stifled for space.
Veteran midfielder Clarence Seedorf was introduced at half-time as the Rossoneri looked to inject some impetus into their midfield, but it was United who began the half in sparkling fashion.
Nani surged down the left wing at blistering pace before the Portugese's precise cut back was dabbed past the onrushing Abbiati by Rooney with the utmost swagger and composure.
Milan were left horribly exposed as their three-pronged attack offered about as much defensively as they did in forward areas, and United capitalised in the 59th minute to kill the tie.
Paul Scholes found Park in behind Marek Jankulovski, and the midfielder's low shot fizzed into the bottom corner to make it three in the 59th minute as the hosts were rampant.
Then ensued a procession of substitutions as both managers recognised that the tie had been effectively decided, and the first to make his entrance was Beckham, to a standing ovation from the Old Trafford crowd.
Rooney was withdrawn to a rapturous reception as the forward was denied a potential second hat-trick, and Paul Scholes and Neville departed swiftly afterwards.
The evening was capped off by Fletcher in the 88th minute as the midfielder capitalised on more shoddy defending by the visitors to turn home Rafael's deep cross and make it four.
United swagger through to the quarter-finals after humbling Milan over the two legs, as Rooney yet again established himself as one of the world's most potent attacking forces.

Robin helps Bayern to progress

2010-03-09T23:47:00.002+02:00

Fiorentina won 3-2 but still crashed out of the Champions League as Bayern Munich sealed their quarter-final spot on away goals at the Artemio Franchi.

Bayern suffered their first defeat in 19 games, but thanks to stunning strikes from Arjen Robben (pictured) and Mark van Bommel, the German side progressed at the expense of a valiant effort from the Viola as the tie ended 4-4 on aggregate.
Bayern assumed a slender 2-1 lead from the first leg at the Allianz Arena as Miroslav Klose's controversial offside winner separated the sides, but the German side's advantage was eroded as early as the 28th minute.
Vargas unfurled an emphatic finish from a tight angle on the left after Marco Marchionni's speculative drive from range stung the palms of Hans-Jorg Butt, who parried the ball away poorly into the path of the midfielder.
Stevan Jovetic made it two in the 54th minute with a clinical finish from Alberto Gilardino's exquisite flick, but Mark van Bommel unleashed an impeccably-struck shot which arrowed into the bottom corner on the hour mark to reduce the deficit.
Jovetic played a slick one-two with Gilardino before he netted his brace to restore the hosts' two-goal cushion in the 64th minute, only for Arjen Robben to curl a sublime finish into the top corner of the net from 25 yards just 74 seconds later.
Cesare Prandelli's side dominated the early possession in Florence as the Gigliati sought to exploit a howling gale which was in their favour in the first half, which they duly did through Vargas's clinical finish.
Butt was entirely at fault for gifting the opener to the Peruvian, but the goalkeeper saved superbly in the 15th minute as the midfielder's cross took a vicious deflection off Daniel Van Buyten's hand. The hosts appealed vehemently for a penalty, but to no avail.
Arjen Robben had a glorious opportunity to equalise in the 34th minute, but Sebastien Frey tipped the Dutchman's close-range volley over the crossbar to preserve the hosts' lead.

Bastian Schweinsteiger was booked for fending off Jovetic with a flailing arm in the 23rd minute, but it could easily have been a red card as the midfielder shrugged off his opponent in a reckless fashion.
Robben was made to pay for his profligacy as Vargas surged down the left and capitalised on some shoddy keeping by Butt to locate the top corner of the net and open the scoring.
Bayern striker Mario Gomes was anonymous in the opening half-hour before he was forced to depart after sustaining an injury, and Klose was handed another opportunity to make an impact in the tie.
Robben, who adopted a strarting berth on the right wing, should have restored the visitors' aggregate advantage as he stole in at close range to latch on to Van Bommel's through ball, but his volley was wild and straight at Frey who made a fine reflex save.
Fiorentina's 14-goal marksman Gilardino should have doubled his side's lead in the 50th minute after he latched on to Cristiano Zanetti's cross from the right, only for Butt to make a stunning save from point-blank range.
But four minutes later, Fiorentina doubled their lead as another cross from Zanetti was turned into the path of Jovetic courtesy of a deft touch by Gilardino, and the midfielder lashed his shot past Butt to further exert the hosts' dominance.
Bayern were undeterred, however, and Van Bommel struck a hammer blow with the away goal after a perfectly-placed low shot which fizzed unerringly past Frey from range.
Jovetic grabbed his second after a delightful exchange with Gilardino inside the Bayern box and a neat finish as Butt was beaten for a third time just after the hour mark.
But again Bayern responded in emphatic fashion as Robben cut inside from his role out on the right and let fly with a stunning strike to beat Frey and once again redress the balance of the tie.
Fiorentina pressed forward incessantly as Bayern sat deep, soaked up the hosts' advances and broke forward through Robben and Ribery.
The German side never looked entirely convincing at the back, but Louis van Gaal's side clung on to clinch the tie on away goals and leave the Artemio Franchi in stunned silence.

Arsenal brilliance Porto 5-0

2010-03-09T23:46:00.003+02:00

A Nicklas Bendtner hat-trick helped Arsenal thrash Porto 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium to triumph 6-2 on aggregate and reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

Bendtner grabbed both first-half goals before a moment of brilliance from Samir Nasri and finish from substitute Emmanuel Eboue ended a nervous opening to the second period.
And Bendtner, who came under fire at the weekend for missing several chances against Burnley, secured his first career treble from the penalty spot in injury-time.
It was the most emphatic way for the tall Dane to answer his critics: not only demonstrating again the art of being in the right place at the right time, but also finishing almost every opportunity that fell his way.
Yet there were greater stars shining for the Gunners on an uplifting night in North London. Mercurial Russian Andrei Arshavin put the opening strikes on a plate as well as the fourth for Eboue, while Nasri had a hand in the first and stunned the 60,000 crowd with a wonderful run and strike to seal the tie.
Arshavin could have opened the scoring with a header from a Bacary Sagna cross only eight minutes in, Helton providing the first of many impressive saves despite the unflattering scoreline.
A minute later it was 1-0. Arshavin wandered back from an offside position as Manuel Almunia launched a ball forward from outside his box, climbed to win a header back to Nasri and spun off; when the inevitable through-ball came a three-way tussle between Arshavin, Helton and Jorge Fucile saw the ball run loose - and Bendtner was lurking to finish.
Arshavin likes to come inside and curl into the corner, but Porto, well aware of this, showed him the outside throughout. Undeterred he powered to the by-line and squared out of Helton reach, but his cross beat everybody.
Three minutes on, in the 25th, he did it again. Right-back Fucile turned in from the touchline, frustrated that the ball would not run out, and his poor ball was gathered by the Russian who ambled through two weak tackles before delivering the same run and cross - and this time Bendtner arrived with perfect timing to sidefoot home.

Even great players have lapses, and so it proved with Arshavin guilty of firing over with an open goal at his mercy following a deep cross by Sagna.
Porto began to attack more frequently, with Hulk disappointing with a near-post cross when Ruben Micael was unmarked for the pull-back.
Helton kept his side in the tie with a pair of saves in the corner from Bendtner and Thomas Vermaelen, and, with Cristian Rodriguez introduced at the break, the Portuguese club had Arsenal worried for a time with their best spell of football.
Arsene Wenger was angry on the touchline as Falcao began to make inroads in attack and Jesualdo Ferreira's men won a succession of corners.
Almunia blocked a first-time Falcao strike and Nasri cleared off the line following a Rodriguez header while at the other end Arshavin forced Helton into a desperate double save with a lovely volley from outside the area.
On 63 minutes the tie was effectively sealed. Nasri turned away from goal on the right touchline, looking for a pass, and seeing none turned back again; he shimmied his way past Raul Meireles, Bruno Alves and Rodriguez before rocketing a low shot in off the far post from a tight angle.
Arsenal added another less than three minutes later when Arshavin brushed off Fucile following an away corner, ran 40 yards and fed an ideal ball onwards for the intelligent run of Eboue, who had replaced Tomas Rosicky.
With Helton rushing out, the Ivorian took the ball to one side and finished past the despairing dive of a defender.
The Gunners were on easy street from there on in, their fans cheering their keep-ball strategy and Falcao left chasing shadows every 10 minutes when a ball came near him.
The match was given a glorious ending when Eboue raced into the box, drawing a tackle from behind from the unfortunate Fucile.
Helton went the right way but Bendtner, whose name had been sung by the home fans throughout the second half, responded to a renewed chant by dispatching it firmly into his left-hand bottom corner.

Manchester United wins the Carling Cup

2010-02-28T19:03:00.001+02:00

Rooney, on as a 42nd minute substitute for Michael Owen, headed home in the 74th minute to ensure last year's winners retained the trophy - the first time United have successfully defended a cup competition.
James Milner gave Villa an early lead from the penalty spot only for Owen, who started the game in place of Rooney, to level things up on 13 minutes with a classic strike.
But inevitably it was Rooney who grabbed the headlines, the England striker continuing his recent electric form with a 12th goal in nine games.
Villa raced out of the blocks at a soggy Wembley and took the lead in just the fourth minute, Milner sending Tomasz Kuszczak the wrong way from the spot after Gabriel Agbonlahor was upended by Nemanja Vidic in the box.
It was not the last time Vidic, who bafflingly got away without further punishment, looked suspect during a shaky first half, particularly when faced with the pace of Agbonlahor and Ashley Young.
But Villa's lead lasted just eight minutes, with Owen restoring parity soon after.
Rooney's appearance on the bench came as a surprise - he was suffering from a slight knee complaint - yet in Owen, Ferguson not only had a natural born finisher to call on, he had a player who was desperate to make an impression in what was a rare start for him.
And what an impact the striker made in front of the watching Fabio Capello. As he has on occasion this season, he rolled back the years with a tremendous finish past Brad Friedel after Richard Dunne's pockets were picked by Dimitar Berbatov.
But, just as it looked like the 'Owen for England' bandwagon was about to be fired up once again, the wheels promptly fell off as he limped off with a pulled hamstring before the end of the first half.
Nevertheless, Owen's goal had served to spark United into life, and the Premier League champions went on to enjoy the better of the opening period, despite sighters from James Milner and Emile Heskey which Kuszczak was forced to deal with.
Park Ji-sung nearly made United's slight superiority count in first half stoppage time, the South Korean's crisp strike pinging back off the upright after Stephen Warnock had slipped on the greasy turf, allowing Antonio Valencia to deliver a cross.
And United emerged for the second half in similarly determined mood, Michael Carrick's effort from the edge of the box matched only by Friedel's excellent save four minutes after the restart.
Valencia in particular was on fire after the break, and it was the Ecuadorian's lofted cross which Rooney met with a looping header over Friedel - similar to his first against Milan in the Champions League - to put United into the lead.
Rooney could have added another four minutes later - again with his head - but his downward effort from a standing position cannoned back off the base of the upright with Friedel beaten all ends up.
Villa briefly threatened to grab a late equaliser as the clock ran down, Kuszczak having to backpeddle furiously to tip a deflected cross over his crossbar on 82 minutes, but United never looked like being beaten for a second time.
So it proved as United held on to finally avenge their defeat by Villa in the 1994 final.

Fa Cup Results

2010-01-23T23:35:00.001+02:00

Holders Chelsea booked their place in the FA Cup fifth round with a 2-0 victory at Preston North End on Saturday while Jermaine Beckford's last-gasp penalty earned Leeds United a 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur.
Burnley were the day's Premier League fall guys, losing 1-0 to Championship (second division) Reading while Wigan Athletic escaped humiliation by the skin of their teeth, drawing 2-2 at League Two (fourth tier) Notts County after trailing 2-0.
Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers needed a late equaliser to draw 2-2 at home to Championship side Crystal Palace and Fulham had some tricky moments before winning 3-1 at the lowest-placed survivors Accrington Stanley.
League Cup finalists Aston Villa had to work hard to advance with a 3-2 defeat of third-tier Brighton & Hove Albion at Villa Park while Birmingham City stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to 15 with an impressive 2-1 win at Everton.
In another all top-flight clash hard-up Portsmouth guaranteed some welcome income with a 2-1 home win over Sunderland.
Five-times winners Chelsea took the lead when Nicolas Anelka shot powerfully past goalkeeper Andy Lonergan in the 36th minute before doubling their advantage when Daniel Sturridge finished from close range two minutes after the restart.
OPEN GOAL
Championship side Preston, managed by Darren Ferguson, son of Manchester United boss Alex, missed a gilt-edged chance when Darren Carter shot over an open goal in the first half.
"We found it hard in the first half but that's what the FA Cup is all about," Chelsea captain John Terry told ITV. "It has been an amazing day. When you come to grounds like this it's what the Cup is all about, smaller clubs giving their all."
Leeds brought a noisy travelling army of fans to White Hart Lane as the once-mighty Yorkshire side who now play in the third tier of English football attempted to shock eight-times Cup winners Tottenham as they had done 11-times winners Manchester United in the third round.

It looked as though substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko's 75th minute goal had won an exciting tie for Tottenham but Beckford tumbled over the outstretched leg of Michael Dawson in the fifth minute of stoppage time and then showed nerves of steel to send his penalty high into the net past Heurelho Gomes.

Beckford's scrambled effort just after the break had brought Leeds level after Peter Crouch had given Tottenham a halftime lead despite a missed penalty by Jermain Defoe.
"It could have been a penalty, it was a tight one and I certainly wouldn't question the referee," Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp told reporters.
"We should have been able to see the game out. We had the game in the bag and it's disappointing."
Leeds manager Simon Grayson praised Beckford who recently withdrew a transfer request. "It took an eternity for the referee to give the penalty and then there was a pause before he took it so he showed good mental strength to score it.
"It just shows what confidence he has in his own ability," Grayson said, adding that only a "silly money" offer would tempt Leeds to sell their top striker in the transfer window.
Championship strugglers Reading did manage a repeat performance. After beating Liverpool in a replay at Anfield in the previous round, an 88th-minute goal from Gylfi Sigurdsson dumped Burnley out of the competition.
Two sides battling for promotion back to the Premier League met at the Hawthorns where West Bromwich Albion beat Championship leaders Newcastle United 4-2.
After two successive Premier League defeats by Arsenal, Owen Coyle enjoyed his first victory as Bolton Wanderers manager when his side beat Championship team Sheffield United 2-0 at the Reebok Stadium.

Beckford keeps Leeds Cup dreams alive

2010-01-23T23:31:00.001+02:00

Beckford added the spot-kick to the equaliser he had got early in the second half to cancel out Peter Crouch's opener. Roman Pavlyuchenko came off the bench to fire Spurs back in front but Beckford drew a foul from Michael Dawson in the sixth minute of stoppage time to win a dramatic late penalty.
Beckford, who scored the winner against Manchester United in the last round, held his nerve in front of the travelling Leeds supporters to fire the spot-kick into the top corner and book a replay at Elland Road.
Both sides had been on disappointing runs since their respective third round wins at the start of January. Leeds had not won a match since their famous victory at Old Trafford, while Spurs followed a 0-0 home draw with Hull by losing at Liverpool in midweek.
The visitors weathered the early Spurs storm, and it was not until the 42nd minute that the home side made their breakthrough. Gareth Bale beat Jason Crowe down the left wing and cannily pulled a pass back to Niko Kranjcar on the edge of the box. The Croatian's shot was saved by the foot of Leeds keeper Casper Ankergrem, but Crouch was on hand to fire home from close range.
Tottenham fielded an attacking line-up, with a midfield featuring Kranjcar, Luka Modric and former Leeds trainee Danny Rose, who was handed a first Tottenham start against his former club.
The 19-year-old made his presence felt after just eight minutes when Michael Doyle upended him inside the Leeds box and referee Alan Wiley pointed to the spot. Jermain Defoe, who missed a stoppage time penalty against Everton last month, saw his tame spot-kick saved by the impressive Ankergrem.

Defoe should have had the chance to atone for that miss midway through the half when he was brought down by Crowe as he lined up a strike, but this time the referee waved play on despite the defender not getting a touch on the ball.
Leeds began to grow in confidence as the half wore on, and Beckford had two good opportunities to once again shock Premier League opposition. The striker fired one low shot wide of the far post before drawing a decent save from Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.
However, Beckford was not to be denied his headlines, and on 52 minutes he was in the right place at the right time to score from close range after Leigh Bromby had knocked Robert Snodgrass's corner into the Spurs six-yard box.
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp threw the dice, first adding steel to his midfield by replacing Rose with Wilson Palacios before bringing on strike duo Robbie Keane and Pavlyuchenko.
The Russian, widely expected to be on his way out of White Hart Lane after falling out with Redknapp, took less than five minutes to put Spurs ahead again. He dummied over Bale's pass and Defoe played the ball back into his path for him to lift a neat finish over Ankergrem to restore Spurs' lead with 15 minutes remaining.
However, Leeds showed all of their fighting spirit to rally late on and, after Dawson had already made one inch-perfect tackle on Beckford in the box, the Spurs captain slid in to make another challenge on the striker that referee Wiley deemed a foul.
Beckford made no mistake from the spot, hitting the top corner to register his 22nd goal of the season and keep his side's Cup dreams alive.

Rooney hits super four goals

2010-01-23T23:29:00.001+02:00

Rooney made his league tally 19 for the season - a career-best total only mid-way through the campaign - with an early opener and three late strikes to put down a brave effort from the Tigers, who stay in the drop zone after the loss.
It was not all sweetness and light for United though as captain Rio Ferdinand, returning to the team after a worrying back injury, could be in trouble with the FA after his elbow on Craig Fagan was missed by the match officials.
United were utterly dominant in the first half but only had Rooney's eighth-minute poacher's goal to show for two-thirds of the possession and almost 20 chances.
Michael Owen was particularly profligate, notching his first miss in the second minute when his finish came off Anthony Gardner and spun wide for a corner after good work by Rooney.
Rooney soon notched his 16th Premier League goal of the season though, poking the ball home from close range after Boaz Myhill could only parry a Paul Scholes distance special.
Myhill arguably could have done better with Scholes's initial effort, but he kept them in the contest afterwards.
Ji-sung Park headed wide five minutes later, off-balance as he met Darren Fletcher's cross, and Ferdinand poked Nani's corner just wide of the near post on his return from a worrying back injury.
The now usual haphazard United defending reared its ugly head soon after though, with consecutive suicidal defensive headers from Scholes and Jonny Evans forcing Edwin van der Sar to save bravely at Nick Barmby's feet, and the Dutch keeper flapping at the resultant corner and only saved by a Ferdinand clearance from Gardner at the far post.
After that though it was business as usual for the Red Devils.
Rooney had a half-volley deflected just over by a last-gasp Paul McShane block, while Nani saw a penalty appeal waved away after a reckless challenge by Geovanni, although the Brazilian seemed to pull out just in time.

United were all over the Tigers, as Owen was denied when Myhill stopped his spectacular volley and Kamil Zayatte blocked him on the rebound, while Rooney sent a superb free-kick inches wide with Myhill rooted to his goal-line.
Rooney then spooned the ball well wide from 12 yards after another swarming attack initiated by the evergreen Scholes, while late in the half Owen fired weakly at Myhill from eight yards out after some great build-up saw him play one-twos with Rooney and Nani.
Somehow it stayed 1-0 into the break, with Hull fortunate not to be long gone as they went down the tunnel.
The second half started slowly as, while United had almost all the possession, they failed to create any clear-cut chances until Myhill spilled Nani's low cross on 57 minutes.
Lone striker Fagan, while not getting any quarter in front of goal, defended from the front for Hull and chased everything and anything put in the United half, while Gardner and McShane in particular impressed at the back.
They gained in confidence, testing Van der Sar with some crosses and winning a corner on the right that bounced dangerously in front of goal before hitting Zayatte and going wide.
United woke up, and Rooney went close with a low drive before Park mis-hit another good low cross from Nani straight at Zayatte.
Owen was responsible for another miss, heading inches wide after getting behind Gardner to meet a perfectly-weighted free-kick won and delivered by Nani.
Hull came agonisingly close to an equaliser when substitute Kamel Ghilas did brilliantly to control McShane's cross before turning and firing a low drive across Van der Sar but just wide of the far post.
Another sub, Darron Gibson, nearly made it 2-0 for the hosts but his lob landed just the wrong side of the crossbar, while there was a moment of controversy in the build-up to that chance, with Ferdinand potentially in hot water after seeming to aim an elbow at Fagan in an off-the-ball-incident missed by referee Steve Bennett.
United got their second soon afterwards though.
On 82 minutes Nani - who would have been man of the match but for Rooney - smashed a free-kick off the bar: with Andy Dawson hurt after colliding with Myhill while clearing the rebound, Hull decided not to put the ball out of play and Nani fed Gibson, who slid Rooney through to smash the ball into the roof of the net.
Hull's resolve was broken and Rooney added a third four minutes later, arriving unmarked to head into the bottom left after yet another great delivery from Nani.
The England striker added a gloss to the victory with a fourth - the first time he has scored that many in one match - when he drilled into the bottom left after sub Dimitar Berbatov's pull down put him in, although Hull's defence backed off him to allow the shot.
United go two points clear of Arsenal and Chelsea, who have one and two games in hand respectively: Hull stay 18th, with a goal difference of -26, the worst in the division.

FA cup Manchester United is out

2010-01-04T17:44:00.002+02:00

Manchester United suffered their most embarrassing FA Cup defeat for 26 years when Leeds United pulled off a stunning 1-0 third-round victory at Old Trafford on Sunday.
A 19th-minute goal from in-form striker Jermaine Beckford gave the League One (third division) leaders victory as United lost at this stage of the competition for the first time since third division Bournemouth beat them in 1984.
Beckford struck his fifth goal in three games and 20th of the season when a 50-metre ball from Johnny Howson went over the champions' defence, allowing him to control it and angle a shot wide of goalkeeper Tomas Kuszczak.
It was the first time Alex Ferguson had suffered defeat in the third round, the stage at which the top clubs enter the FA Cup, since he became United manager in 1986.
"I must admit, I didn't expect that performance," Ferguson told MUTV. "If you don't start and the other team does, you're always up against it.
"Leeds had a far bigger appetite than us for the game. You need a bit of luck and they got it but they deserved it because they played really well."
United's first lost to lower league opposition since 1984 also gave Leeds a memorable victory at a ground where they regularly used to duel with United for national supremacy before their slide down the leagues.
The 9,000 away fans went wild with delight at the end of a thrilling Cup tie which produced the first big shock of the round after a series of predictable results on Saturday.
"It was a good long diagonal ball from Johnny Howson and nine times out of 10 Jermaine finishes them off and that's what he did," Leeds manager Simon Grayson told ITV.

"We gave ourselves an opportunity to go and win the game from there and with a bit of luck here and there we've hung on.
"I am sure they will be celebrating in Leeds for the next few days."
DESERVED VICTORY
Grayson's men thoroughly deserved their victory which could have been even greater if Beckford had scored after 78 minutes instead of dragging his shot just wide.
Robert Snodgrass smashed a 25-metre free kick against the United bar two minutes later before goalkeeper Casper Ankergren parried a goalbound effort from Wayne Rooney in stoppage time.
Michael Owen, Dimitar Berbatov and Rooney went close to equalising for United but Leeds, who needed a replay to get past non-League Kettering Town in the last round, hung on for a memorable victory -- their first at Old Trafford since 1981.
FA Cup holders Chelsea face Championship (second division) Watford later at Stamford Bridge and there is an all-Premier League London derby between West Ham United and Arsenal at Upton Park.

Barcelona wins the World Club Cup

2009-12-20T05:03:00.001+02:00

Barcelona left it late before capping a superb year by clinching the Club World Cup here on Saturday.
The Spanish giants needed extra time to beat Argentina's Estudiantes 2-1 and secure their sixth title of 2009.
Mauro Boselli had put Estudiantes ahead after 37 minutes only for Barca striker Pedro to grab the equaliser in the dying minutes of the game, with Argentina striker Lionel Messi nailing victory after 110 minutes.
The Spanish giants end the year on a high after following up last season's league, Champions League and Cup treble with their first title in this competition.
"We knew Estudiantes would put up a big fight," said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola.
"At half-time I told my players they had to be strong, that you have to dig deep to win finals like this. They showed their determination.

"It?s been an amazing year. By winning six trophies in total we have achieved something that no-one has achieved before.
"I?m lucky that I have such quality players in my squad. The success that we?ve had has been down to them and I?d like to thank them for that."
Barca dominated early play but met with stubborn opposition from the South American champions' defense.

Xavi thought he had earned Barcelona a penalty on 35 minutes, but goalkeeper Damian Albil's challenge on him went unpunished.
And it was Estudiantes who surprisingly took the lead two minutes later when Juan Manuel Diaz crossed from the left, and Boselli got in front of Eric Abidal to fire home a header.
Barcelona reacted immediately with Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic almost getting a touch on a Messi free-kick after 41 minutes but Albil proved solid ensuring Alejandro Sabella's team held their lead going into half time.
After the break an Ibrahimovic effort went just wide and the Swedish forward then had another shot blocked by Leandro Desabato.
Despite the best efforts of Ibrahimovic and Messi, Barcelona failed to break down their opponents, with an effort from the Ballon d'Or winner held by Albil after 70 minutes.
But their pressing paid off after 89 minutes when Gerard Pique fed substitute Pedro, who headed into the back of the net.
Barcelona dominated extra time before Messi scored the winner after chesting home an Dani Alves cross to ensure the Catalans end the year as the kings of world football.
Earlier, South Korea's Pohang Steelers beat Mexican club Atlante 4-3 on penalties to clinch third place at the Zayed Sports City.

UEFA Champions League first knockout round draw 2009/10

2009-12-19T00:48:00.002+02:00

UEFA Champions League holders FC Barcelona will take on VfB Stuttgart in the first knockout round after the draw was made on Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.

Madrid meet Lyon
Like all the group winners, Barça will be at home in the second leg of their tie as they continue their bid to become the first team in the UEFA Champions League era to lift the trophy two years running. Real Madrid CF, aiming to play in the 22 May final at their own Santiago Bernabéu home, have been drawn with Karim Benzema's former club Olympique Lyonnais.

Mourinho reunion
Arguably the highlight of the round sees José Mourinho return to Chelsea FC when his FC Internazionale Milano team take on the club now coached by former AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti. The Rossoneri also have English opposition in the shape of Manchester United FC, who they beat in the 2006/07 semi-finals on their way to winning the trophy.

Road to Madrid
For the first time this year, the fixtures in the last 16 will be held over four weeks with half the ties on 16/17 February and 9/10 March and the others on 23/24 February and 16/17 March; for a schedule click here. At 12.00CET on Friday 19 March the draw for the remaining rounds will be held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, with the quarter-finals on 30/31 March and 6/7 April, the semis on 20/21 and 27/28 April and the final on Saturday 22 May.

2009/10 UEFA Champions League first knockout round draw
Team named first at home in first leg

FC Bayern München (GER) v ACF Fiorentina (ITA): 17 February/9 March

FC Porto (POR) v Arsenal FC (ENG): 17 February/9 March

AC Milan (ITA) v Manchester United FC (ENG): 16 February/10 March

Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) v Real Madrid CF (ESP): 16 February/10 March

Olympiacos FC (GRE) v FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA): 23 February/17 March

VfB Stuttgart (GER) v FC Barcelona (ESP): 23 February/17 March

FC Internazionale Milano (ITA) v Chelsea FC (ENG): 24 February/16 March

PFC CSKA Moskva (RUS) v Sevilla FC (ESP): 24 February/16 March

Dynamo Kiev 1-2 FC Barcelona

2009-12-10T05:42:00.001+02:00

FC Barcelona emerged unscathed from a difficult examination by FC Dynamo Kyiv to claim a comeback victory that took them through to the UEFA Champions League first knockout round as Group F winners.

Messi winner
The holders were on the ropes at a chilly Valeriy Lobanovskiy Stadium when Artem Milevskiy headed Dynamo in front inside two minutes, but they fought back to level through Xavi Hernández just past the half-hour before Lionel Messi's imperious late winner removed all doubt. Victory confirmed top spot for Barcelona ahead of FC Internazionale Milano and denied Dynamo a place in the UEFA Europa League as they finished bottom.

Milevskiy strikes
Josep Guardiola's men had not conceded away from home in this season's UEFA Champions League, but Dynamo struck with the first attack of the match. After Gerard Piqué's foul, Andriy Shevchenko swung in a free-kick from the left and Milevskiy's glancing header at the near post caught Víctor Valdés unawares, the ball squirming from the goalkeeper's grasp and into the net. At this stage Dynamo were provisionally in second place.

Barcelona dominate
However, Olexandr Shovkovskiy was not having a much easier night in the Dynamo goal and his miscued clearance almost handed Messi a 13th-minute equaliser. The goalkeeper, though, quickly recovered and dived to push away the Argentinian's left-footed shot. Barça began to monopolise possession, and by midway through the first-half they had enjoyed 80 per cent of the ball, though they were struggling to create clear opportunities. Messi started to drop deep in an attempt to pull the strings and he had a shot deflected wide after a typically surging run.

Xavi leveller
On 33 minutes, the Blaugrana pressure finally told. Messi sent Eric Abidal away on the left and the full-back's low cross allowed Xavi to guide in from close range. Barça continued to move the ball well and on the cusp of the interval Daniel Alves tested Shovkovskiy with a cross-shot after a flowing move. Dynamo's need to set the pace in the second period meant they were vulnerable to counterattacks and Messi was denied a certain goal by Ognjen Vukojević's alert interception. The home side responded well, and Shevchenko delivered another free-kick that Leandro Almeida headed into the side-netting.

Vociferous crowd
Dynamo, encouraged by a vociferous crowd, tried manfully to shape openings, but struggled against a Barcelona rearguard back to its best after their initial uncertainty. In fact the holders looked more likely to score, with only desperate defensive blocks denying Messi, Alves and Andrés Iniesta in quick succession. Dynamo's last throw of the dice was to bring on Miloš Ninković for the more defensive Gérson Magrão in an attempt to wrest control. With just four minutes of normal time left, though, Barça confirmed their superiority, Messi stepping up to curl a magnificent free-kick past Shovkovskiy and end Dynamo's European campaign.

Internazionale 2-0 Rubin Kazan

2009-12-10T05:40:00.001+02:00

Goals in either half by Samuel Eto'o and Mario Balotelli fired FC Internazionale Milano into the UEFA Champions League first knockout round at the expense of FC Rubin Kazan.

Balotelli masterclass
The Nerazzurri had posed little threat before Eto'o broke the deadlock just after the half-hour, capitalising on excellent wing-play by Javier Zanetti and the awareness of Balotelli. The first goal was all-important in this must-win match for both sides and Balotelli all but ended the contest with a strike worthy of settling any game on 64 minutes, a spectacular long-range free-kick bringing San Siro to its feet and Inter into the first knockout round as Group F runners-up behind FC Barcelona.

Noboa pass
With both sides requiring victory to guarantee progress the match got off to a cautious start, although José Mourinho's decision to field three strikers spoke volumes for his intent. Balotelli's inclusion might have been rewarded on seven minutes, when the Italy Under-21 forward rolled past Aleksei Popov and César Navas only to shoot straight at Sergei Ryzhikov. The visitors soon came closer to taking the lead themselves, Christian Noboa sending Gökdeniz Karadeniz through with a brilliant pinpoint pass, but Júlio César was alive to the forward's scuffed shot.

Zanetti purpose
Inter needed inspiration; it came on the half-hour from their captain, Zanetti. The 36-year-old rolled back the years by weaving past a clutch of Rubin players on the left, and though he was eventually tackled the ball inadvertently reached Balotelli on the byline. The youngster cleverly cut it back for the unmarked Eto'o to rifle into the roof of the net.

Inter ascendant
Stung by the setback, Kurban Berdyev's men gained more urgency going forward, but that left them vulnerable to the counterattack. Zanetti again carved open the Rubin rearguard with another exciting run which was eventually halted illegally by Navas. Inter were growing with confidence, Wesley Sneijder finishing a fine team move involving Zanetti, Diego Milito and Thiago Motta with a shot that curled just over, while Maicon's effort before the break was so powerful it took two attempts from Ryzhikov to clear the danger.

Blistering strike
Rubin raised their game after the restart, Alejandro Domínguez in particular threatening from set-pieces. The Argentinian caught Mourinho's men out with a corner which Gökdeniz side-footed over, while another found Navas unmarked at the far post but it was more of the same as the defender miscued. Domínguez had an opportunity himself when he raced on to Noboa's pass but Júlio César saved. Moments earlier Balotelli should have scored when he dragged across goal when teed up by Milito's miscue, but he soon made up for it, unleashing a blistering, swerving free-kick past Ryzhikov from 34 metres.

Inter cruise
For perhaps the first time in this group stage, Inter now looked comfortable. Even when a Noboa effort fizzed wide they immediately went down the other end and flexed their attacking muscle again, Sneijder firing against the upright from long range. Nothing could spoil the Nerazzurri's night, however.

Standard Liege 1-1 AZ Alkmaar

2009-12-10T05:28:00.001+02:00

In an extraordinary finish, goalkeeper Sinan Bolat headed an unlikely equaliser deep into added time to take R. Standard de Liège into the UEFA Europa League at the expense of AZ Alkmaar.

Dramatic ending
With the visitors leading from the 42nd minute thanks to Jeremain Lens' close-range finish, it seemed Standard – who started the match dreaming of a place in the UEFA Champions League knockout phase – would be heading out of European competition altogether. However, in what was virtually the final action of the match, Bolat joined the attack for a free-kick and duly prolonged the Belgian champions' European season in dramatic fashion, meeting Benjamin Nicaise's inswinging delivery with a powerful header to push AZ back down into fourth place.

Jovanović influence
Victory may have been imperative for both sides but it was AZ who began the brighter, moving between their hosts' lines with some success until a Nicaise free-kick shifted the point of pressure. Making his first start in the competition, the Standard midfielder forced Sergio Romero to parry low to his right from 20 metres, and after the locals responded with appreciation, it was Milan Jovanović who took over as their chief source of hope. Having had one shot deflected narrowly over, the Serbian international left two defenders in his wake as he charged through on goal only to be denied by an immaculate sliding challenge from Héctor Moreno.

Holman attempts
Jovanović then took over free-kick duties, striking the top of the crossbar close to the half-hour, before AZ midfielder Brett Holman imposed himself on proceedings with his own spell in the spotlight. He first called on Bolat to make an excellent sprawling save from distance and then rounded off a sprightly Lens break with a lobbed effort that just missed the target. It was from another pacy counterattack that the visitors went ahead too, Holman freeing Sebastien Pocognoli on the left and Lens turning in the left-back's low centre.

Goalkeeping contributions
Despite the significance of that blow, László Bölöni's charges nonetheless rallied before the interval and only the fingertips of Romero prevented Igor De Camargo levelling with an audacious overhead kick. Both goalkeepers had made telling contributions in the opening period and it was Bolat who made the first significant stop after the interval, turning over a Mounir El Hamdaoui volley as AZ threatened to double their advantage. At the other end, Romero was spared from replicating that effort as De Camargo headed off target.

Bolat intervention
Indeed, Bolat continued to be the busier of the two custodians and bizarrely saved with his face when he misjudged a long-range El Hamdaoui effort. Standard needed just one goal to ensure their season maintained more than a domestic scope, but with Romero clawing out a Wilfried Dalmat effort and the Frenchman then spooning over, their prospects were becoming increasingly bleak. Nevertheless, with time ebbing away Bolat seized upon the very last opening and, in doing so, emulated the goalscoring feat of FC Bayern München goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt 24 hours previously.

Olympiacos 1-0 Arsenal

2009-12-10T05:27:00.000+02:00

Olympiacos FC secured their place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League after claiming a narrow victory against a youthful Arsenal FC side.

Leonardo strikes
Leonardo struck the only goal of the game two minutes after half-time as the Greek champions ensured a first knockout round place as Group H runners-up behind Arsène Wenger's side. Having already clinched top spot, the Arsenal manager fielded a starting lineup with an average age of just 21, but they were unlucky not to snatch at least a draw with Carlos Vela coming close twice.

Early chances
Zico had stressed in advance the need for Olympiacos not to simply look for the draw they required, but it was the visitors, with Theo Walcott full of running, who controlled much of the early possession as the home team made a nervous start. Moving the ball around confidently, it took Arsenal just ten minutes to register the first effort on goal, Walcott stinging the palms of Antonis Nikopolidis with a sharp shot from inside the penalty area. Kostas Mitroglou responded three minutes later, slicing an effort over the crossbar.

Galletti miss
Arsenal were then presented with a chance to take the lead when Olof Mellberg felled Vela just outside the box, but Walcott smashed his free-kick straight into the defensive wall. The Greek champions then broke and Luciano Galletti volleyed Leonardo's cross into the side-netting. Arsenal continued to control the midfield, however, and Walcott, back in the team after a hamstring injury, was proving a constant threat in and around the penalty area with his quick feet and darting runs.

Olympiacos press
Galletti was Olympiacos's main outlet down the right and the Argentinian gave left-back Thomas Cruise a difficult Arsenal debut. The visitors kept their hosts at arm's length, though, and it took Mitroglou 43 minutes to register Olympiacos's first shot on target with a speculative effort which Łukasz Fabiański gathered comfortably. Shots followed from both Dudu and Raúl Bravo as Olympiacos pressed forward, both sailing over the crossbar.

Decisive moment
The second half began with a flourish when Olympiacos took the lead two minutes in. Arsenal were caught cold when the ball broke kindly for Leonardo in midfield and the Brazilian winger surged into the penalty area before slotting through the legs of Fabiański. Frenzied celebrations ensued as the home fans sensed the first knockout round was near, although they had cause to be thankful just four minutes later when Vela burst through and only a brilliant Nikopolidis save kept his team ahead.

Keepers busy
Walcott curled a free-kick just round the right post as the Gunners stepped up the pressure and Vela prodded over with only Nikopolidis to beat in the 70th minute. At the other end, Leonardo was denied by Fabiański's sprawling save after being played in by Dudu and the visiting goalkeeper then got the faintest of touches to direct a Mitroglou effort wide. Arsenal pressed forward in the closing stages as they sought an equaliser but Nikopolidis put in several good blocks to secure a third home win in the group and with it a place in the last 16.

Sevilla 1-0 Rangers

2009-12-10T05:23:00.001+02:00

Sevilla FC eased their way to victory and completed a miserable UEFA Champions League campaign for Rangers FC thanks to a first-half Frédéric Kanouté penalty which sealed the Spanish side's place in the first knockout round as Group G winners.

Passionate fans
Kanouté coolly slotted in after just eight minutes, and the hosts were largely on top for the full 90 in a match played before passionate home fans and loyal travelling support. In fact, had it not been for a marvellous finger-tip save by Allan McGregor from Didier Zokora with ten minutes remaining, the margin would deservedly have been greater still.

Early impact
Although the Scottish titleholders started with gusto the group leaders quickly established the status quo. On his comeback from an elbow injury, Kanouté was soon hinting that the club's top scorer Luis Fabiano would not be missed, wreaking havoc in the opening stages. First he collected a long ball, controlling with admirable ease under pressure, and stuck out one of his long legs to clip the ball past McGregor only for Saša Papac hook clear on the goalline.

Intentions clear
It was an immediate statement of intent from the 32-year-old striker who has such an impact on Manuel Jiménez's side's creative play. Once Kanouté had softened up the visitors he went for football's version of the knockout blow. What began as a clever break by Fernando Navarro ended with a spot-kick when the left-back's marauding run ended with a foul by Rangers counterpart Steven Whittaker after the Rangers defender had briefly won possession.

Kanouté cool
Kanouté strolled up and mischievously sent McGregor the wrong way at walking pace. Despite the enormous backing of their 2,500 travelling fans and an enthusiastic display of running and pressing from Walter Smith's men, the home side dominated possession without finding a second goal before the break. The closest they came was on 17 minutes, when Renato shot and McGregor fumbled wide.

Sorry record
Though Rangers came into the match unbeaten on their travels in the UEFA Champions League this season it is a more indicative statistic that they have not won outside Scotland since a 3-0 group-stage triumph at Olympique Lyonnais in 2007/08. In nine matches away to Spanish teams they had collected two draws and seven defeats.

Sevilla strength
Not surprisingly, perhaps, Sevilla remained firmly in control, but had only rare efforts by second-half substitutes Aldo Duscher and Álvaro Negredo to show for it. With time running out on their European season, Rangers finally threw all their resources forward and Nacho Novo, whose father played for Sevilla's local rivals Real Betis Balompié, had the best chance for the visitors. The substitute skewed his shot into the sidenetting, however, as Rangers' Group G campaign ended in the disappointment of a fourth defeat.

VfB Stuttgart 3-1 Unirea Urziceni

2009-12-10T05:19:00.001+02:00

VfB Stuttgart reached the UEFA Champions League first knockout round for the first time in five years, overwhelming FC Unirea Urziceni with three goals in the first eleven minutes to claim second place in Group G at their opponents' expense.

Advantage overturned
The Romanian titleholders travelled to Germany holding a two-point lead over Stuttgart yet were powerless to deny Christian Gross a dream start to his new job. The 55-year-old replaced Markus Babbel on Sunday and watched in jubilation as his new charges began at breathtaking speed, goals from Ciprian Marica, Christian Träsch and Pavel Pogrebnyak effectively wrapping up a last-16 place despite António Semedo's reply early in the second period.

Khedira the key
The hosts could scarcely have imagined a better start, taking a three-goal lead before Unirea could draw breath. Sami Khedira, a surprise inclusion following a foot injury, swiftly proved worthy of Gross's gamble, delivering a perfect cross for Marica to nod past the stranded Giedrius Arlauskis with five minutes gone. Although Jens Lehmann was forced into a superb save from his own defender as Stefano Celozzi made a last-ditch challenge on Marius Ioan Bilasco, the early momentum was with Stuttgart, who doubled their advantage from the resulting corner.

Composed finishes
Breaking swiftly, Timo Gebhart's long pass allowed Träsch to outstrip the Unirea defence and shoot low across Arlauskis and into the bottom corner of the net. Three minutes later the Stuttgart supporters were rubbing their eyes in disbelief as Khedira laid on his second of the night and the home team's third, Pogrebnyak picking up his ball in from the right and jinking past two defenders before finishing coolly through the goalkeeper's legs.

Semedo consolation
With the match all but decided already, the Bundesliga strugglers relaxed and continued to dictate proceedings without adding to their lead before the interval. Their composure suffered a jolt five minutes into the second period when Semedo made the most of Artur Boka's mistake to reduce the visitors' deficit, though Stuttgart quickly regained the initiative by creating a plethora of chances.

Gebhardt goes close
Substitute Sebastian Rudy was the first to threaten, linking up superbly with Marica only to drive straight at Arslauskis, before Marica himself was unfortunate not to find a team-mate after breaking down the left. With Unirea attempting to hurt their hosts on the counterattack, Stuttgart accepted the invitation to pour forward and came close to restoring their three-goal lead when Gebhart curled a delightful shot beyond Arlauskis, only to watch his effort clip the outside of the post.

Qualification assured
The German side continued to look the more likely scorers as the match entered its final stages, with Unirea never seriously threatening to mount the remarkable fightback required after that sensational Stuttgart start. Dan Petrescu's side therefore go into the draw for the UEFA Europa League round of 32 on 18 December; Gross, meanwhile, will be hoping a second successive UEFA Champions League win can provide the impetus to revive Stuttgart's stuttering domestic fortunes.

Lyon 4-0 Debreceni

2009-12-10T05:15:00.001+02:00

Olympique Lyonnais went into the UEFA Champions League knockout stages on the back of an emphatic victory against Group E's bottom team Debreceni VSC, whose debut campaign ended without a point, yet Claude Puel's side still missed out on top spot.

Fiorentina frustration
From the moment Bafétimbi Gomis opened the scoring in the 25th minute, there only looked like being one winner. Michel Bastos added a second before the break as Lyon seized total control, with further strikes in the second period through the excellent Miralem Pjanić and left-back Aly Cissokho. The margin of victory meant Lyon looked set to overtake ACF Fiorentina courtesy of a superior goal difference with the Italian side drawing at Liverpool FC, only for Alberto Gilardino to strike in added time at Anfield.

Clear objectives
Already through for a seventh consecutive season, Lyon began with two clear objectives: improve a recent run in which they have failed to win in six Ligue 1 matches and clinch the victory they needed to keep alive their hopes of topping the section. Yet with top scorer Lisandro rested, Les Gones struggled to find fluency early on. Aside from Anthony Réveillère's wayward cross-shot, the home side did not threaten during a low-key opening in which András Herczeg's charges slowly grew in confidence.

Gomis breakthrough
Zsolt Laczkó had already sent a long shot dipping too high when Péter Czvitkovics forced Hugo Lloris to push his low free-kick round the post on 15 minutes. OL reacted with a set-piece of their own, Bastos's fizzing strike drawing a parry from Djordje Pantić, who was relieved to see the flag raised as Jean II Makoun slotted in the rebound. Nevertheless, the visitors had looked comfortable until József Varga's misplaced pass presented possession to Sidney Govou. The French international advanced purposefully before shooting low, and when Pantić spilled again, Gomis made no mistake.

Sharp reaction
Govou's night would be cut short by injury, the winger replaced by Pjanić before the half-hour, yet OL were cruising after Bastos added a second. There was a degree of fortune to the goal, Pjanić miscuing his free-kick strike into the path of the Brazilian, who turned sharply and rifled an accurate shot inside the far post. The Hungarian champions were beaten 5-1 by FC Girondins de Bordeaux on their last trip to France eight years ago, and must have feared a repeat as Lyon came out firing in the second half.

Pjanić reward
Gomis latched on to Pjanić's clever pass and drew a fine fingertip save from Pantić before volleying a more awkward chance over moments later. Pjanić was pulling the strings for Puel's men, and deservedly got on the scoresheet just before the hour, deflecting Bastos's inviting cross from the right beyond the exposed Pantić for his third goal of the campaign.

Powerful fourth
With Debrecen happy to limit the damage, the game's closing quarter was eventful only for Lyon's fourth goal, a powerful strike from Cissokho that beat Pantić at his near post. It was the 19th goal the debutants had conceded in their six matches, meaning they equal the record held by FC Dynamo Kyiv and Ferencvárosi TC for the competition's most porous defence.

Liverpool 1-2 Fiorentina

2009-12-10T05:13:00.000+02:00

Alberto Gilardino struck in injury time to ensure ACF Fiorentina advanced to the UEFA Champions League first knockout round as Group E winners with a 2-1 comeback victory at eliminated Liverpool FC.

Unwanted record
Trailing to Yossi Benayoun's first-half header, the Viola drew level through Martin Jørgensen before Gilardino snatched victory in dramatic fashion when he turned in Juan Vargas's low cross in the final seconds at a rain-sodden Anfield. If a second successive home defeat – an unwanted first in Europe for Liverpool – marked a sorry end to the hosts' UEFA Champions League campaign, for Fiorentina the fairy tale goes on, this fifth consecutive victory ensuring they will fear nobody in the last 16.

Viola threat
Fiorentina entered the contest looking to make sure of top spot in the group and they were almost presented with an early goal by Daniel Agger's under-hit back pass. Mario Santana reacted sharply but Liverpool goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri – making his first UEFA Champions League appearance of the season in place of Pepe Reina – got there first. After Jørgensen had blazed wildly over from the edge of the box, the Viola twice came close to a breakthrough. Lorenzo De Silvestri, one of several fringe players featuring for the injury-hit visitors, powered in a header from a Jørgensen corner that Cavalieri tipped over, the Brazilian then getting down low to turn away Riccardo Montolivo's volley from Jørgensen's next delivery.

Aquilani start
In truth with Liverpool's fate – their first group-stage elimination under Rafael Benítez – already sealed, the match unfolded at a slow tempo. Anfield got its first sight of Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani starting in Liverpool red, four months after his arrival from AS Roma, yet it was their usual inspiration, Steven Gerrard, who set up Benayoun's opening goal two minutes before the break. Gerrard, presented before kick-off with a memento of his recent 500th appearance, swung in a free-kick from the right which Benayoun met at the near post with a glancing header that Sébastien Frey got a hand to but could not stop going in off the far upright.

Inspirational leaders
Scenting a morale-boosting victory, Liverpool found another gear in the second half and Gerrard almost teed up a second with another wickedly delivered free-kick only for Agger to mistime his attempted diving header. Instead, Fiorentina drew level in the 63rd minute through Jørgensen. Gianluca Comotto slipped the ball forward to Gilardino on the edge of Liverpool's area and the striker laid it off to the left where the Viola skipper let fly with a first-time effort. Liverpool sought a response and after Gerrard had shot into the side-netting, 18-year-old debutant Jaime Pacheco – replacing Aquilani – drew a low save from Frey from the edge of the box.

Late winner
Instead, with the rain pouring down, the Viola grabbed victory as Gilardino buried the ball past Cavalieri to send the visiting supporters into raptures. For Liverpool it was a case of what might have been. If games lasted 89 minutes they would be through – yet the UEFA Europa League now awaits a team already stung twice previously in added time by Olympique Lyonnais.

Chelsea 2-2 Apoel FC

2009-12-09T01:51:00.001+02:00

APOEL FC ended Chelsea FC's run of ten matches without conceding at Stamford Bridge and then repeated the trick with three minutes remaining to earn a surprise draw.

Mirosavljević equaliser
It was not enough to propel the Cypriot side into the UEFA Europa League but the memory of how they stood up to one of the continent's dominant forces – albeit a side missing several first-choice players – will live with them for a long time. Marcin Żewłakow's early strike was overturned before half-time as Michael Essien and Didier Drogba got on the scoresheet. Chelsea continued to dominate and always looked the likely winners but they were rocked when, three minutes from time, substitute Nenad Mirosavljević stole in for the equaliser.

Rare breach
Carlo Ancelotti gave UEFA Champions League debuts to goalkeeper Ross Turnbull and Gaël Kakuta and the former was quickly called into action, plunging to his right to beat away Joost Broerse's shot on the turn after a cleverly-worked free-kick. It was a stark warning to Chelsea's rearguard, but not heeded as Żewłakow became the first player to breach them at home in eleven matches. Konstantinos Charalambides found enough time and space to engineer a sweet pass for the Polish striker to stride on to and easily beat the onrushing Turnbull.

Fulsome riposte
It silenced much of Stamford Bridge while the 5,000-strong APOEL supporters let their surprise and delight be heard. The home fans were soon rising to cheer a Joe Cole header which flashed into the net following Florent Malouda's precise cross only for the offside flag to rule it out. Nevertheless, the shock of falling behind served to concentrate Chelsea minds and they were pouring forward in droves. The equaliser followed another well-constructed incursion into the heart of the visitors' defence with Essien taking possession before side-stepping his man and unleashing a firm drive which Dionisios Chiotis could not keep out.

Essien injury
Essien limped off shortly after but with Frank Lampard taking over there was unlikely to be any interruption to Chelsea's supremacy. Almost immediately Yuri Zhirkov advanced to find a crossing position down the left. Drogba pulled away from his markers and there was room aplenty to drive in the second. There was nothing at the start of the second half to suggest the balance of play was about to witness a significant change. Cole came close to Kakuta's low delivery while from a promising position Drogba sensed an opportunity to add to his recent tally of free-kick goals but aimed narrowly wide.

Chances rain
As the rain continued to pour down and Chelsea remained camped in the APOEL half, it seemed the only relevant issue was how many goals the home side would be satisfied with. Cole bounced a long cross off the crossbar but the look on his face was a giveaway that his intention had been to find a team-mate rather than go for goal. Terry had a goal ruled out and was then found wanting at the other end as Chelsea gave the ball away and Mirosavljević pounced to deliver the visitors a point.

Atlético de Madrid 0-3 FC Porto

2009-12-09T01:49:00.001+02:00

FC Porto rounded off their Group D campaign with an impressive 3-0 victory at Club Atlético de Madrid, even the prospect of a UEFA Europa League place failing to rouse the disappointing hosts.

Overwhelmed
With APOEL FC only managing a 2-2 draw with Chelsea FC the Spanish side were handed a European reprieve as they finished third by virtue of an away goal in their head-to-head record against the Cypriot side. Yet on this evidence Quique Sánchez Flores plenty of work to do as already-qualified Porto put them to the sword at the Vicente Calderón. Early goals from Bruno Alves and Falcao set them on their way, Hulk sealing a handsome triumph 14 minutes from time to ensure Porto go into the UEFA Champions League first knockout round draw on 18 December fearing no one.

Early setback
Quique Flores said before the game he wanted his side to focus on beating Porto but his words fell on deaf ears – within two minutes a static back line allowed Alves to climb unchallenged for a corner and direct a looping header over Sergio Asenjo. It was only the defender's second UEFA Champions League goal in 35 appearances. The visitors – already assured a place in the tournament's first knockout round – revelled in the pressure-free environment and almost went 2-0 up when Diego Valeri outsmarted Juanito before seeing his close-range shot parried by Asenjo.

Porto power
The goalkeeper was less impressive on 14 minutes as Jesualdo Ferreira's side doubled their advantage, Asenjo parrying Fucile's speculative effort from distance straight into the path of Falcao, who steered in his third goal of the group stage. With news filtering through that APOEL had taken the lead at Chelsea, the home supporters at the Vicente Calderón demanded more urgency. Their side responded as Sergio Agüero hit the side-netting, Simão also threatening and as the game opened up Falcao spurned a glorious chance to make it 3-0 when he headed wide from five metres.

Forlán off-colour
It was a rare fillip for an Atlético side down on their luck. Yet though Diego Forlán peppered the fans behind Porto's goal with three wild shorts from distance, a quick glance at the scoreboard at half-time slightly assuaged the Atlético faithful with Chelsea 2-1 up against APOEL. Things soured again after the break as Sergio Agüero limped off almost immediately and despite the best efforts of Simão and Juanito, usually working in tandem, the home side's night never improved.

One-way traffic
The sight of Maicon limping off injured aside, Porto were never troubled and it took a great block from Asenjo to deny Valeri after Hulk's through-ball. That may have convinced the Brazilian forward to go it alone the next time the Atlético back line opened up before him and he did not disappoint. Running on to a pass from substitute Fredy Guarín, Hulk beat defender Álvaro Domínguez before thumping a left-footed drive in off the underside of the crossbar to send the visiting supporters into ecstasy.

Beşiktaş 1-2 CSKA

2009-12-09T01:46:00.001+02:00

PFC CSKA Moskva progressed from the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time in their fifth attempt after a dramatic victory at Beşiktaş JK took them into the first knockout round at VfL Wolfsburg's expense.

Wolfsburg pipped
The Miloš Krasić-inspired 2-1 win against Wolfsburg a fortnight ago had meant that CSKA knew they would be through if they picked up more points here than the German side did at home to Manchester United FC. Krasić's strike late in the first half edged the visitors ahead and although Bobô levelled with four minutes left, Evgeni Aldonin won the game deep in added time; as it turned out even a point would have been enough for CSKA thanks to Wolfsburg's 3-1 loss to United. At kick-off Beşiktaş could have taken a UEFA Europa League berth with victory but three home defeats in the group proved their undoing.

Home side threaten
Beşiktaş came close to breaking the deadlock eight minutes in when captain İbrahim Üzülmez tested Igor Akinfeev, and not long afterwards Rodrigo Tello received a perfect pass from Ekrem Dağ and beat CSKA's offside trap but his chipped shot skimmed the bar. Krasić was a constant threat down the right though at this stage chances were few for youngsters Tomáš Necid and Alan Dzagoev in attack.

Krasić strikes
Necid, scorer of CSKA's equaliser against Wolfsburg, was denied by the alert İbrahim Toraman on the half-hour but it was still out of the blue when some Krasić brilliance broke the deadlock four minutes before the break. Deividas Šemberas played in the winger with an incisive ball to the left of the box and Krasić's superb angled shot beat Rüştü Reçber at his far post.

Beşiktaş response
Rüştü, himself a star on Matchday 5 in the 1-0 win at Manchester United FC that ensured Beşiktaş would have something to play for tonight, had to receive treatment – and a new shirt – after a brave dive early in the second half left blood gushing from his nose. But the home side were full of vigour and İbrahim Toraman headed just over as Wolfsburg's equaliser against United left CSKA desperate to hang on to their lead, though the English side soon restored their own advantage.

Late goals
Home coach Mustafa Denizli sent Nihat Kahveci on in attack midway through the second half and five minutes later they went close again, Matteo Ferrari this time sending a header just over the bar. Nihat forced Akinfeev to save in the 83rd minute but Beşiktaş secured their equaliser when İbrahim Üzülmez sent a low ball into the box and Bobô slid in to score. As more than five minutes of additional time began, the final whistle in Wolfsburg ensured that CSKA only needed to hold on for a draw, but with almost the final kick Aldonin burst into the box and his strong finish sparked a celebration for which his club have been waiting a long time.

FC Zürich 1-1 AC Milan

2009-12-09T01:42:00.001+02:00

A fright night for AC Milan ended with a 1-1 draw and a place in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round after FC Zürich paid a high price for a single unfortunate challenge.

Ronaldinho penalty
Milan Gajić's superb 29th-minute free-kick for Zürich, who earned a shock 1-0 victory in Milan on Matchday 2, looked set to steer the eliminated Swiss champions to a repeat success. But on 63 minutes Alain Rochat felled Marco Borriello, meaning a red card and a penalty which Ronaldinho gratefully converted to settle nerves. Milan advance as Group C runners-up behind Real Madrid CF thanks to their 3-1 win at Olympique de Marseille.

Early chance
Milan made a bright start and needed only seven minutes to create their first chance, with left-back Luca Antonini breaking down the flank to cross, Marco Borriello nodding on and Pato meeting it with a volley which Johnny Leoni did well to smother. It was not a sign of things to come. Zürich's Adrian Nikci swung a left-footed shot just wide by way of reply and although his side needed longer to settle than the seven-time European champions, they were impressive when they did.

Gajić strikes
The hosts could easily have forged ahead in the 26th minute when Gajić threaded the ball past Milan's defence. Alexandre Alphonse sprinted clean through but contrived to balloon his shot over. Gajić made no such mistake three minutes later from over 25 metres, bending his free-kick around the Milan wall and just inside the left-hand post with Dida beaten at full stretch. It was a fair reward for Zürich's efforts and despite Borriello hooking a half-chance over shortly afterwards, they were looking good for their lead. They might even have had a second shortly before the break when Onyekachi Okonkwo sent in a rising shot from the edge of the area, forcing a sharp save from Dida.

Milan switch
Milan, which had struggled in the final third throughout the opening 45 minutes, showed a little more bite after the restart. Fed by Clarence Seedorf, Ronaldinho drilled in a low angled shot from inside the area which Leoni kept out with a one-handed save. It was not enough for Milan coach Leonardo, who sent on Mathieu Flamini for Massimo Ambrosini to try and stir things up.

Ronaldinho levels
It certainly livened up just after the hour when Seedorf slipped a killer pass through to Borriello in the Zürich area and the forward was sent tumbling. Ronaldinho gave Leoni no chance with the spot-kick, sending the keeper the wrong way. Suddenly, with the home side down to ten men, it was a different contest and Milan substitute Kakha Kaladze came agonisingly close to putting the visitors in front with a header from Andrea Pirlo's free-kick. To their credit, Zürich were determined to exit the competition heads high and they limited Leonardo's men to only half chances late on, but Milan had done enough.

Maccabi Haifa 0-1 Bordeaux

2009-12-09T01:38:00.001+02:00

FC Girondins de Bordeaux claimed a fifth successive UEFA Champions League victory thanks to Jussiê's early strike at Maccabi Haifa FC, who finished bottom of Group A without a point or a goal to their name.

Worthy winner
The French titleholders had already secured first in the section with their Matchday 5 defeat of Juventus and were in control from the outset at the Ramat Gan Stadium, although a composed 13th-minute finish from Jussiê – the striker's first goal in the competition – was their only reward. A young Haifa side strove to find a way back into the game, yet their failure to do so means they become only the second team in UEFA Champions League history, after RC Deportivo La Coruña in 2004/05, to finish the group stage without a goal and only the ninth to end point-less.

Jussiê goal
With Haifa captain Yaniv Katan and Gustavo Boccoli both out injured, Elisha Levy welcomed back Eyal Golasa and Lior Refaelov. The Greens began brightly, pressing their opponents from the outset, yet were unable to turn early superiority into goals and soon paid the penalty. Tsepo Masilela missed his kick as he attempted a clearance and Abdou Traoré took full advantage, chipping delightfully to the far post where the advancing Jussiê thumped into the roof of the net. Haifa promptly escaped falling two goals behind as they were caught on the counterattack following a corner, but while Nir Davidovitch was beaten by Jussiê's fierce drive, Dekel Keinan acrobatically blocked on the line.

Haifa revival
The hosts took time to regroup but then came close twice in a minute, Mohamad Ghadir directing a volley straight at Ulrich Ramé and Vladimer Dvalishvili shooting into the side-netting. Yet it was not until just before half-time that the Bordeaux goalkeeper was called into serious action for the first time, diving to his right to keep out Refaelov's fierce drive from the edge of the area.

Arbeitman on
Refaelov continued in similar vein as the second half got under way, threatening with a right-foot shot that flew just wide. Seeking to press home the advantage, Levy introduced Shlomi Arbeitman hoping Haifa's top scorer could finally break the Israeli champions' duck in this season's competition, but instead it took a perfectly-timed tackle from Jorge Teixeira to prevent Jussiê doubling their deficit.

Harazi farewell
Another replacement, Talb Tawatha, nearly made more of an impact as his ball from the left was parried by Ramé into the path of Refaelov; the midfielder volleyed over. David Bellion did likewise at the opposite end with an acrobatic effort. In the 70th minute, Alon Harazi came on to a standing ovation. The 38-year-old defender, who was handed a framed shirt prior to kick-off, was making his 720th and final Haifa appearance. That, however, proved the home crowd's biggest cheer of the night, while Laurent Blanc's pre-match prediction that an unfamiliar Bordeaux side would still impress was fully justified.

OM 1-3 Real Madrid

2009-12-09T01:36:00.002+02:00

Olympique de Marseille spurned a major helping hand from FC Zürich as their UEFA Champions League adventure ended with a swift return to earth, Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice as Group C winners Real Madrid CF left the Stade Vélodrome with a 3-1 victory.

Daunting task
Beating the nine-time winners is a daunting task at the best of times, but OM faced the prospect of needing to prevail 3-0 or by four clear goals if AC Milan took maximum plunder in Switzerland. As it happened, the Rossoneri could only draw 1-1, but that result was rendered meaningless by a pair of Ronaldo goals either side of Raúl Albiol's effort, with Lucho having earlier equalised before missing a penalty for the side now intent on UEFA Europa League success.

Free-kick tradition
Madrid's last visit here had opened with a free-kick goal from David Beckham back in November 2003, and no sooner had the locals voiced their optimism than they were silenced by another former Red Devil, Ronaldo continuing the tradition of set-piece strikes from former Manchester United FC players with just five minutes gone. OM's feisty start to proceedings had been admirable, but it led to a foul 30 metres from goal and Ronaldo spun a delicious effort into the top corner via the glove of Steve Mandanda.

Swift leveller
The stadium was soon humming again, though, as Didier Deschamps' men willed themselves level, Lucho lashing beyond Iker Casillas after Albiol had blocked Brandão's point-blank header from a Taye Taiwo cross. Brandão had by then collected a yellow card and a suspension, but the Brazilian striker's focus did not sway and he temporarily roused passions with an effort ruled out for offside as Marseille looked to pounce on some brief glimpses of disarray.

Corner chances
Not that all was serene at the other end – far from it, in fact, and four different players threatened to register in quick succession as a Rafael van der Vaart corner spread panic in the OM area. Ronaldo nodded against a post, Mandanda kept out Gonzalo Higuaín and finally both Pepe and Sergio Ramos had goalbound attempts blocked in extremis.

Penalty miss
With Milan trailing at the interval, Marseille came out for the resumption in animated mood, only for their early fervour to be crushed once again. Mandanda had done well to deny both Van der Vaart and Marcelo, yet he was helpless to prevent Albiol firing low into the net after Gabriel Heinze had attempted to clear a corner – and this time there was to be no rapid equaliser.

Ronaldo double
A penalty for Lucho looked to be the perfect chance to restore parity following Casillas's foul on the onrushing Mamadou Niang, but the Argentinian international blasted against the crossbar. He was soon left ruing that miss all the more acutely as Ronaldo latched on to a Lassana Diarra pass, picked himself up from Mandanda's challenge on the edge of the area and turned the ball into an empty net to take his tally in this year's competition to six.

Juventus 1-4 Bayern Münich

2009-12-09T01:34:00.001+02:00

FC Bayern Münich reached the UEFA Champions League first knockout round in scintillating style after coming from behind to complete a memorable victory at Juventus thanks to strikes by goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt, Ivica Olić, Mario Gómez and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk.

Blistering fightback
Though David Trezeguet had given La Vecchia Signora the lead with a wonderful strike on 19 minutes Bayern, who required victory to reach the knockout stages, had dominated early on. The character of the German side withstood the setback, however, and Butt equalised from the penalty spot after Olić had been brought down. Early in the second half, despite the sustained resistance of Gianluigi Buffon, the lively Croatia striker pounced to turn the match on its head, Gómez and substitute Tymoshchuk adding goals in the final seven minutes to consign Juve, for whom this equalled their record home defeat in UEFA competition, to the UEFA Europa League.

Olić chance
The Bundesliga outfit began strongly, Bastian Schweinsteiger standing out with his powerful running from deep. The Germany international began and ended a promising move in the fifth minute, carrying the ball 20 metres, finding Thomas Müller on the right, and meeting his cut-back with a shot that sailed over. The visitors came even closer minutes later when Olić rose to head Mark van Bommel's cross against the far post.

Trezeguet strike
Juventus, without the injured Giorgio Chiellini, appeared to be creaking but suddenly scored. Martín Demichelis brought the ball out of defence but failed to spot Diego, who dispossessed him, found Claudio Marchisio, and the midfielder's searching pass was met with a sublime first-time Trezeguet volley. The Stadio Olimpico burst into life, but fell silent within seconds as Buffon tipped over Schweinsteiger's effort and then kept out an Olić header.

Butt equaliser
Bayern were refusing to lie down and drew level after the livewire Olić was felled by Martín Cáceres and Butt kept his nerve to beat Buffon from the spot for his third career goal against Juventus. Louis van Gaal's men were rampant, and should have been ahead two minutes later when Gómez headed over from three metres, Buffon again saving well from Schweinsteiger before half-time.

Olić goal
The Bundesliga outfit maintained their momentum after the break and on 52 minutes Olić scored the goal he so richly deserved. Danijel Pranjić had already brought another save from Buffon and when the exposed Juve goalkeeper was again required to parry Daniel Van Buyten's downward header from another Van Bommel cross, the Croatia striker tucked the rebound into the unguarded net. Now it was the hosts who were going out and Ciro Ferrara's men attempted the fightback, Christian Poulsen and Trezeguet going close.

Clinching goals
Juventus, though, never really looked like finding the elusive equaliser despite the introduction of Sebastian Giovinco and Amauri. Indeed, it was the visitors who grew stronger and they scored a third seven minutes from time from a Schweinsteiger corner. Van Buyten's header was kept out by Buffon but again the goalkeeper was unlucky with the rebound, Gómez finishing from less than a metre. The final flourish was applied by Tymoshchuk from the edge of the area in added time, completing a memorable night for Bayern and a miserable one for their hosts.

Wolfsburg 1-3 Manchester United

2009-12-09T01:31:00.000+02:00

A superb Michael Owen hat-trick helped Manchester United FC clinch top spot in Group B with a 3-1 win at VfL Wolfsburg which denied the hosts a place in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages.

Owen double
The German champions knew they had to at least match PFC CSKA Moskva's result against Beşiktaş JK to join United in the first knockout round. However, despite Edin Džeko's 56th-minute header cancelling out Owen's first-half opener, the English international struck twice in the closing stages to extend United's remarkable unbeaten run to 15 away games in the UEFA Champions League and leave Wolfsburg contemplating a place in the UEFA Europa League.

High tempo
The initial enthusiasm of the home fans was matched by their team as Wolfsburg made a high-tempo start. Back after a two-match suspension, Grafite brought an early save from Tomasz Kuszczak before Michael Carrick, one of three midfielders in the United defence, stepped across smartly to halt a penetrating Makoto Hasebe run.

Opportunities
Given the makeshift nature of the visitors' defence it was no surprise that gaps appeared. Andrea Barzagli was left unmarked at a corner, but the Italian defender could not keep his header down, and there was an identical outcome when Sascha Riether's deep cross found Zvjezdan Misimović similarly unattended in the box. The groans of disappointment that accompanied the ball as it sailed over the bar were adequate testament to a second gilt-edged opportunity that had gone begging.

Promising surge
United's response was piecemeal. Darron Gibson flashed a well-struck shot wide, and when Daniel Welbeck stroked the ball into the net after Anderson had threaded through a delightful pass, the offside flag meant parity was preserved. An acrobatic Kuszczak tip-over from Hasebe's drive kept United's goal intact before opportunism of the highest order gave the visitors the lead just before the break. Nani cut inside to deliver an inswinging cross from the left, and Owen's anticipation did the rest, the England striker getting in front of Marcel Schäfer to head past Diego Benaglio for his second goal in this season's competition.

Swift response
With CSKA leading at half-time in Istanbul, Wolfsburg knew greater efforts were required, and coach Armin Veh was provided with the response he had no doubt asked for during the interval. A sharp one-two with Christian Gentner gave Schäfer room to cross, and the full-back's pinpoint centre was met by Džeko, whose powerful header left Kuszczak helpless. The goal buoyed the crowd and the home side as they were both infused with renewed hope, which another fine save from the goalkeeper, turning aside Grafite's well-hit shot, failed to diminish.

Cool chip
Ricardo Costa then headed over before Carrick's last-ditch lunge denied substitute Ashkan Dejagah a clean strike on goal. It was United, though, who would find the net again to end the contest and Wolfsburg's ambitions. Owen first slotted in from close range after excellent work by Gabriel Obertan and – just seconds after Riether had narrowly failed to connect with a cross – Owen then capped a lightning counterattack with a cool chip over Benaglio to complete his hat-trick.

The Final Draw for South Africa 2010

2009-12-05T02:10:00.001+02:00

The 32 teams participating at next year's FIFA World Cup™ finals discovered their fate this evening when the Final Draw for South Africa 2010 took place in Cape Town.

While South Africans learned that the host nation's Opening Match on 11 June would be played against Mexico at Soccer City, it was the Group D lineup which caused arguably the biggest stir. Germany, Australia, Serbia and Ghana will battle it out for two qualifying places for the Round of 16, meaning two nations with passionate support will depart the tournament early. There could be a high-profile casualty from Group G too, after Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal were drawn together.

An estimated global television audience of 200 million joined the 2,000 invited guests in the Draw Hall in watching the colourful and entertaining ceremony unfold. With African sporting stars such as athlete Haile Gebreselassie, rugby player John Smit, cricketer Makhaya Ntini, and footballers Matthew Booth and Simphiwe Dludlu assisting with the draw, along with England's David Beckham, it was always going to be an exhilarating occasion, but the undoubted centrepiece came when the eight groups were revealed.

An early highlight of the draw was the eye-catching encounter between England and USA, scheduled for 12 June, which evokes the Americans' famous 1-0 win over their transatlantic cousins at Brazil 1950. Argentina, Nigeria and Greece will get the chance to revive their group rivalry from 1994, while the heavyweight collision between Portugal and Brazil on 25 June also has the feel of a derby.

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana,
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Although the dates and locations of each of the 48 group-stage games are known, the kick-off times will be announced shortly, upon conclusion of a meeting between FIFA, the Local Organising Committee and broadcasters.

A night to remember
With such an array of stars, the event dazzled from start to finish. After a welcome sequence from Lions Head, the mountain that provides Cape Town with such a dramatic backdrop, award-winning musician Johnny Clegg performed 'Scatterlings of Africa', a song made famous by the Academy Award-winning film Rain Main.

Fittingly, the first speech of the night came from the man without whom a FIFA World Cup in South Africa would never have been possible: the country's former president Nelson Mandela. The 91-year-old, speaking in a special video message, urged his nation to make the most of their opportunity as tournament hosts. "We must strive for excellence in our hosting of the World Cup, while at the same time ensuring the event leaves a lasting benefit to all our people," he said.

Next it was time for two special presidents to take to the stage. FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and South African President Jacob Zuma showed their excitement at both the Final Draw and the 2010 FIFA World Cup itself in an entertaining dialogue lasting several minutes. Giancarlo Abete, President of the Italian Football Federation, then handed over the holders' FIFA World Cup Trophy to Mr Blatter, confirmation that sport's holy grail is in South Africa and ready to be contested next year.

Legendary Portugal striker Eusebio, born in neighbouring Mozambique, was introduced to the crowd before examples of the 'Win in Africa, With Africa' campaign were showcased before an expectant audience. Beninese singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo duly took to the stage to perform her Grammy-nominated song 'Agolo'.

The first duty of the show's guest presenter, Academy Award-winning actress, Hollywood producer and proud South African Charlize Theron, was to show off the official 2010 Match Ball, adidas's Jabulani, a name meaning 'to celebrate' in Zulu. Soweto’s Gospel Choir continued the theme of happiness with a lively rendition of Pata Pata before the arrival of Draw Master and FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, signalled the moment of truth.

Some of the assembled coaches will have headed away feeling confident, others concerned by the task presented here, yet at least all now know what lies in store as they begin their planning and preparation for next year's showpiece.

Anelka's header gives chelsea top spot

2009-11-26T01:13:00.000+02:00

Nicolas Anelka's second-half header earned Chelsea a 1-0 win at Porto that guaranteed top spot in Champions League Group D.
The France international completed a deadly individual double over Porto, having scored the only goal in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge in September.
The win was also Chelsea's first on Portuguese soil in the Champions League, although the Premier League leaders did not have it all their own way, with Petr Cech having to make several important saves.
Chelsea registered the first effort on goal of the match and it was not the best piece of goalkeeping Porto's reserve custodian, Beto, will ever produce.
Anelka cut in from the left wing and, after ghosting past his marker, he whipped in a shot that just moved enough to panic Beto, who flapped at what should have been a comfortable save.
Fortunately for the keeper, the ball rebounded to safety and it was his opposite number, Petr Cech, who was called into action moments later but much to Chelsea's relief the Czech international showed Beto how to do it with a smart double stop.

Argentina midfielder Fernando Belluschi struck a long-range effort that Cech did well to parry and better was to come when the rebound from Falcao was blocked by the Czech international's body.
The enterprising Belluschi, who on this form could well add to his two international caps, struck another delightful effort on goal from range on the half hour mark and this time Cech was beaten, but the ball thudded back off the bar and away to safety.
Chelsea stepped up the energy levels in the second half and Deco could have opened the scoring on 53 minutes, but the former Porto man - who received a warm reception from the home crowd on his return to the Estadio Dragao - put his effort just wide.
Florent Malouda was beginning to make his presence felt on the Chelsea left and on at least three occasions the France winger put crosses into the Porto box that only needed a finishing touch.
One such Malouda contribution proved vital on 70 minutes and this time Anelka was on at close range hand to head home the left-wing centre and ensure Chelsea finished as Group winners after holding off a late surge from the hosts.

APOEL Nicosia 1-1 Atletico Madrid

2009-11-26T01:10:00.001+02:00

Atletico Madrid came from behind to grab a precious 1-1 draw against APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus to keep their Europa League dream alive.

APOEL opened the scoring in the first five minutes. A great run and cross from Nektarios Alexandrou on the left was turned in by Nenad Mirosavljevic six yards out leaving Madrid keeper Sergio Asenjo with no chance.
Amazingly it was the first goal scored by an APOEL player in the Champions League.
But Atletico Madrid's push for the Europa League stayed afloat for another day when captain Simao scored after an hour. APOEL goalkeeper Dionisis Chiotis could only palm Sergio Aguero's cross into his path and the Portugese winger made no mistake.
Diego Forlan did have a chance midway through the first half but his right-footed effort from 15 yards was weak and straight at Chiotis in the APOEL goal.
Madrid's chances were few and far between and lacked conviction.
You could not accuse APOEL of that. They gave everything and were roared on by an unwavering crowd.

Bayern Munich 1-0 win over Maccabi Haifa

2009-11-26T00:58:00.003+02:00

Bayern Munich kept alive their hopes of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Maccabi Haifa at the Allianz Arena.

Ivica Olic provided the only goal of the game midway through the second half, tapping home from a rebound after Maccabi keeper Nir Davidovitch could only parry Mario Gomez's venomous shot to the side.
Bayern twice went close to extending their lead through Thomas Mueller and Mark van Bommel, though the three points from this match, together with Bordeaux's 2-0 win over Juventus, leaves the door open for the German giants to qualify should they beat the Italians in Turin in a fortnight's time.
Any remote hopes Maccabi had of snatching a UEFA Cup spot are now over, and they remain without a point or a goal in Group A.
Again deprived of wing wizards Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, Bayern struggled for attacking inspiration in a first half that saw them leave the field to a chorus of boos from the home fans.
Gomez passed up the best opportunity of the half on 17 minutes, prodding the ball wide after Bayern's midfield for once found themselves on the same wavelength, with Phillip Lahm, Mueller and Van Bommel all combining to set up the club's record signing.

Though industrious, Maccabi struggled to string enough passes together to really test the Bayern defence, though Eyal Meshumar's dipping shot midway through the half forced Hans-Joerg Butt into an awkward save, and prompted nervous whisperings from the hushed Bayern faithful.
Danijel Pranjic and Bastian Schweinsteiger showed a couple of moments of class, the latter producing a gorgeous through ball that Olic ended up thumping straight at Davidovitch, though that was as good as it got in terms of attacking cohesion from Louis van Gaal's men before the break.
The impressive Yaniv Katan fired another warning shot to Bayern with a left-foot volley that fizzed over the bar within moments of the restart, while Schweinsteiger skimmed the top of Davidovitch's bar with a well-struck free-kick on 50 minutes.
Pranjic and Schweinsteiger again saw goalbound shots blocked as the game began to come to life, though it was left to Olic to bring the fans out of their seats with the only goal of the game.
Van Bommel's excellent ball through the middle found Gomez in space, and though the Germany international's shot was parried by Davidovitch, Olic reacted quickest to sidefoot home the rebound from close range.
Seemingly buoyed by the far more vocal and content home fans, Bayern went in search of a second, with Mueller and Van Bommel driving shots past the post in quick succession.
Maccabi's goal threat has all but evaporated by now, with Daniel Van Buyten and Martin Demichelis imperious in the centre of defence, and a skied effort from substitute Eyal Golasa was as close as they came to grabbing an unlikely point.

Juventus beaten 2-0 by Bordeaux

2009-11-26T00:54:00.002+02:00

Juventus need a point at home to Bayern Munich in a fortnight's time to qualify from Champions League Group A after they were beaten 2-0 by Bordeaux.

The Italians struggled throughout against the French champions, who sealed top spot in the group in front of their own fans at the Chaban Delmas.
Bordeaux dominated an uneventful first half but two headed goals from set pieces after the break won the game and left Ciro Ferrara's men facing a crunch tie at the Stadio Delle Alpi on December 8.
Juve offered little going forward while always looking vulnerable from set pieces and were undone by headers from Fernando and the highly-rated Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh.
A poor first half was punctuated only by a Giorgio Chiellini header that looped over the crossbar and a good chance for Chamakh, who sublimely brought a through ball under his spell before being smothered by an onrushing Gianluigi Buffon.
It was much the same early in the second half until, with 55 minutes on the clock, Fernando leapt brilliantly at the near post to flick home Jaroslav Plasil's free kick from the left. The French crowd went wild and the stadium was temporarily shrouded in smoke from the celebratory flares.

Juventus worked their way back into the game through a series of corners and free kicks but made very little in open play other than a shocking miss from Diego 10 minutes after they fell behind.
When the otherwise-anonymous Alessandro Del Piero worked it neatly down the right, his cross seemed destined to be stroked in from four yards but the Brazilian contrived only to scuff his effort wide and beyond the stretch of waiting compatriot Amauri.
And it was the home side that finished the stronger, with the impressive Chamakh heading home a corner at the near post with virtually the last touch of the game to send the majority of the crowd home happy.

Milan and Marseille battled for a draw

2009-11-26T00:47:00.001+02:00

Milan and Marseille battled to a 1-1 draw at the San Siro to take a three-way qualification dog fight with Real Madrid for a place in the last 16 into the final match day.

Marco Borriello fired the Italian side into the lead with a superb solo effort after ten minutes, only for Lucho Gonzalez to level six minutes later.
The Rossoneri are now in pole position to qualify and will fancy their chances against FC Zurich, while Marseille will go head-to-head with Real Madrid at the Stade Velodrome in a fortnight.
Both teams came out with intent and it was the hosts who almost opened the scoring with six minutes gone.
Andrea Pirlo's lofted ball found Gianluca Zambrotta and his close-range left foot strike was superbly saved by Steve Mandanda.

The Rossoneri only had to wait a further four minutes before taking the lead.
Borriello picked up the ball on the Marseille left, ran at the sky blue defence and, after turning Gabriel Heinze, he calmly slotted the ball past Mandanda.
Marseille boss Didier Deschamps felt that Milan were vulnerable to the counter attack and when l'OM skipper Mamadou Niang raced down the Milan flank, Rossoneri stopper Dida parried his cross straight to Lucho, who crashed the ball home.
Fabrice Abriel then tried a speculative long-range effort that sailed narrowly over Dida's bar before Borriello was denied by a superb stop when one-on-one with Mandanda.
With both teams looking to attack in the second period, Benoit Cheyrou was embarrassed by taking an air-shot after a clever free-kick routine, while Borriello scuffed his own shot wide of Mandanda's post after a great ball from Ronaldinho.
Brandao should have put the visitors ahead midway through the half, only to side-foot against the bar from yards out after Niang's superb run and cross, and as the game swung from end to end, it was the unmarked Borriello who was then left holding his head after heading wide with Mandanda to beat.
When the woodwork came to Milan's rescue from Souleymane Diawara's header with four minutes remaining, the chance of a winner had gone, setting the stage for a nail-biting final matchday.

Real Madrid go throw over zurich

2009-11-26T00:42:00.001+02:00

A below par Real Madrid all but assured their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League with an lacklustre 1-0 victory over FC Zurich in Group C.

Manuel Pellegrini's men barely broke sweat as they defeated the Swiss outfit at the Santiago Bernabeu. Gonzalo Higuain scored the decisive goal in the 21st minute with a straightforward finish.
The highlight of the second half was the return of Cristiano Ronaldo who replaced Raul for his first appearance in almost two months.
With Milan and Marseille drawing at the San Siro, Zurich are out, leaving Madrid two points clear at the top with a game to go.
The Rossoneri, in second place, travel to Zurich, while Marseille host the Galacticos at the Stade Velodrome needing at least a win to qualify.
Kaka looked to set the tone of the evening with an early shot that had Johnny Leoni at full stretch.
Unsurprisingly Madrid dominated the early exchanges sweeping the ball from left to right on an immaculate surface, leaving Zurich entrenched in their own half.
But for all their possession Los Blancos demonstrated very little urgency, until a lapse of concentration in the visiting defence presented Higuain with a simple chance.

Kaka drove at the heart of the Zurich rearguard, drawing Heniz Barmettler out of his central defensive position, leaving Higuain in acres of space.
The Brazilian slipped the ball through to the striker who applied a cool finish past a helpless Leoni.
Minutes later, Xabi Alonso, looking for his first Madrid goal on his 28th birthday, stung the hands of the Zurich custodian with a fierce drive from distance.
Leoni was left at the mercy of Real's firepower once again. Higuain picked out Marcelo, coiled on the edge of the box from a corner, and the South American rattled the post with a first time volley. The goalkeeper barely had time to blink.
With one eye on Sunday's Clasico against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, Manuel Pellegrini's men coasted through the first half in second gear.
The home side's dreary performance continued after the interval as they plodded along to victory against a limited Zurich side.
The second half was littered with scrappy fouls and cheap bookings as Pellegrini's troops struggled to infiltrate a wall of orange and blue.
One of the few highlights in the second period came in the 67th minute when substitute Rafael van der Vaart met Marcelo's cross with a first time volley that required a straightforward save from Leoni.
In the 70th minute Raul made way for Ronaldo, who returned to action after almost two months out with an ankle injury.
But the £80 million man failed to make an impact as Bernard Challandes' side continued to stifle.
Before the final whistle Van der Vaart and Ronaldo both missed chances to extend the Spanish giants' lead.

CSKA Moscow 2-1 Wolfsburg

2009-11-26T00:39:00.001+02:00

CSKA Moscow recovered from a goal down to beat Wolfsburg 2-1 at the Luzhniki Stadium in their Champions League clash and close the gap on the German side in Group B.

Two second half strikes were enough for the Russian side to overhaul the visitors and draw level with the German champions on seven points, albeit with a poorer goal difference.
The hosts dominated possession in a very one-sided first half in Moscow, but somehow it was the German side who held the lead at half-time courtesy of Edin Dzeko's 19th-minute strike.
But an imperious header from Tomas Necid restored parity for Leonid Slutsky's side in the 58th minute, and eight minutes later the comeback was complete as Milos Krasic (pictured) unfurled a screamer from 25 yards to clinch victory for the hosts.
For all CSKA's build-up play, the Russian side lacked conviction in the final third of the field in the first half and Wolfsburg possessed a clinical striker in the form of the Bosnian Dzeko, who capitalised on his opportunity to claim the opener.
The warning signs were there: Obafemi Martins was an able strike partner and the Nigerian found Zvjezdan Misimovic out on the left, whose pinpoint cross found Dzeko in the 12th minute, but the striker's header sailed over the bar from inside the penalty area.
By the far the most inventive player on show was Milos Krasic, and the CSKA midfielder made his presence known in the 18th minute with an incisive run down the right before his low shot was deflected narrowly wide by Ricardo Costa.
But at the other end, the prolific Bosnian made the hosts pay as he showed his class with an exquisite strike past the diving Igor Akinfeev into the far corner after Martins slipped a precise pass beyond Sergei Ignashevich's lunge.

Krasic produced another superb run and devilish delivery from the right on the half-hour mark, but none of his team mates anticipated the cross to make the run to the back post and the opening was wasted.
Alan Dzagoev should have equalised from close range in the 41st minute as he swivelled superbly to shake off Alexander Madlung, but his instinctive shot was straight at Diego Benaglio.
Dzagoev then turned provider on the stroke of half-time as he turned Schafer but his cut back to the onrushing Tomas Necid culminated in the opportunity being squandered as the forward dallyied on the ball and was dispossessed by Costa.
The second half began in a similar fashion as the hosts pressed forward incessantly before Wolfsburg countered, and Martins had a goal chalked off in the 53rd minute as CSKA were handed a reprieve.
The Nigerian stole in to tap the ball home from close range, but Dzeko was in an offside position and was judged to be interfering with play.
But the hosts finally made their pressure tell as Eugeni Aldonin clipped a delightful ball across the Wolfsburg penalty area to Necid, whose towering header found the bottom corner of Benaglio's net.
Eight minutes later, CSKA had completed their recovery as Krasic picked the ball up on the edge of the Wolfsburg box and unleashed a venomous shot from 25 yards which flew unerringly into the far corner to put the Russian side in the ascendancy.
Wolfsburg coach Armin Veh replaced Martins just before the goal and his side lacked pace in the final third of the field thereafter as Dzeko looked increasingly isolated in attack.
Despite the visitors staging a late rally, it was CSKA striker Alan Dzagoev who had the final two clear-cut chances with the first a glorious chance: the forward stole in at the back post to latch on to Aldonin's pass from close range, but Benaglio saved well with his legs.
The forward then fired a fierce shot from the edge of the penalty area but was again denied by Benaglio, who kept Wolfsburg in the contest until the end with a superb tip round the post in the final minute.
The visitors launched a barrage of attacks late on, but CSKA defended obdurately to close out victory and seal a crucial victory over their Group B rivals.

Manchester United unbeaten streak ended

2009-11-26T00:37:00.001+02:00

Manchester United's 23-match unbeaten streak at home in the Champions League came to an end as they went down 1-0 to Besiktas at Old Trafford.

United, who only needed one point to win Group B with one match remaining, fell victim to a long-range bullet from Rodrigo Tello as the Turkish champions snapped their seven-year away losing run in the competition.
Last season's runners-up must now win away to Wolfsburg on December 8 if they are to top Group B while Besiktas narrowly kept alive their hopes of earning a Europa League berth ahead of CSKA Moscow.
United made a blistering start to the match, swamping the Besiktas defence and enjoying a host of gilt-edged chances.
Rafael found Gabriel Obertan within two minutes of the start, the Frenchman squaring a great chance to Federico Macheda, who just failed to get a touch.
Nemanja Vidic also missed a sitter, his header from an Anderson corner somehow spinning off at a right-angle to the goal despite the Serb having done all the hard work in losing Matteo Ferrari towards the right post.
Macheda came closest for United, in the 19th minute, when he received the ball on the right wing before cutting back inside with a swagger and drilling a low shot just past the right post.
But it was Besiktas who made the most of their opportunities, with Tello unleashing a bullet of a shot after being allowed space and time in midfield.
The ball took a slight deflection off the shoulder of a back-tracking Rafael, just enough to wrong-foot Ben Foster, before curling into the back of the net on the left side of goal.

And the Turkish champions could have made it two just before the interval after a delightful spot of one-touch football between Ekrem Dag and Tello. The Chilean did well to hold up the ball on the right-hand corner of the area before laying it off for Michael Fink, whose low shot narrowly dribbled past the right post to let United off the hook.
The hosts continued to enjoy the lion's share of the possession after the interval and again crafted a number of great chances to get the point they needed to win the group.
But again those chances went begging as Besiktas' impressive defence held firm.
Two shots in as many minutes on the hour mark from Obertan should have seen United level as the Frenchman first sent the ball skidding past the right post from the left corner of the box before landing a header on the top of the net from an inch-perfect Macheda pass.
Sir Alex Ferguson slowly began to introduce his more experienced bench from the 70th minute onwards as Michael Owen, Michael Carrick and Patrice Evra all took to the field to help United pushed for the equaliser.
Evra had a great penalty shout turned down just as they clock ticked over to the 90th minute as he went down under the challenge of Ibrahim Kas. The Frenchman surged into the box right in front of referee Stephane Lannoy and went down perhaps a little easily.
But Besiktas were lucky to escape as Kas clearly made no attempt to play the ball instead blocking Evra with an outstretched arm.
A frantic five minutes of extra time saw yet more drama.
Keeper Foster went up for a corner, causing all kinds of problems as Macheda met it with a brilliant header turned behind by the fingers of Rustu Recber before the visiting keeper again denied Wes Brown from the following set-piece.
Michael Carrick took a punt on the stroke of full-time when a low shot from the edge of the area but Rustu, who just moments before had been booked for wasting time, was equal to the task and Besiktas held on for the win.

AZ Alkmaar 0-0 Olympiacos

2009-11-25T00:39:00.000+02:00

Olympiacos missed the chance to tie up qualification for the Champions League.

AZ Alkmaar were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League after drawing 0-0 at home against an Olympiacos FC side who look on course to qualify for the first knockout round from Group H.

Point enough
Although the home side's need was greater – nothing but a win would keep them in contention for second spot in the group – they failed to make their superior possession count. The stalemate moves Olympiacos on to seven points, three clear of R. Standard de Liège going into Matchday 6, when a point at home against section winners Arsenal FC will send Zico's team through with the Gunners irrespective of what happens in Belgium.

Blustery conditions
The game got off to a scrappy start as both sides took time to adapt to the extremely blustery conditions, and 13 minutes had gone when AZ captain Stijn Schaars drove the first half-chance from outside the box a metre wide. Nine minutes later, with Olympiacos seemingly having wrested control, the home side almost broke through. Brett Holman played a clever pass through from close to the halfway line to the lively Jeremain Lens who got a toe to the ball before Antonis Nikopolidis but could only watch it roll the wrong side of the post with the goalkeeper beaten.

Olympiacos openings
AZ's No7 went closer minutes later, reacting sharply to fire the loose ball narrowly wide from the edge of the penalty area, yet the visitors continued to push forward frequently and Kostas Mitroglou's shot was deflected just over by Gill Swerts. Jaouad Zairi had an even better opportunity soon after, his low shot cannoning off Sergio Romero's legs. Those efforts sandwiched a Lens lob which had Nikopolidis concerned at the other end.

Strong start
Despite the absence of goals, it was an absorbing first half with both teams committed to attacking play. The second started in similar vein, Dembélé twice, Holman and David Mendes da Silva all having attempts on goal in quick succession. Pontus Wernbloom's deflected drive just past the hour mark was acrobatically tipped round by Nikopolidis as Ronald Koeman's side continued to search for the goal needed to keep them alive in the competition. Olympiacos were content to play deep, though an awkward cross by Giorgos Galitsios on 70 minutes after a counterattack was only gathered by Romero at the second attempt.

Wernbloom chance
Chances continued to be of the half variety as the game drew to a close, Leonardo forcing a good block from Romero before Dudu connected perfectly from range without finding the target. Then, in added time, AZ had a glimmer of hope when the unmarked Wernbloom was picked out with a cross from the right, only to head over when well placed. The result means last season's Dutch champions travel to Liege in a fortnight knowing only a win will keep them in European competition beyond the new year.

Rubin Kazan 0-0 Dynamo Kiev

2009-11-25T00:38:00.001+02:00

Rubin Kazan missed the opportunity to heap the pressure on Champions League Group F rivals Barcelona after sharing a drab 0-0 draw with Dynamo Kiev at the Centralniy Stadium.

Chances were created in the first half, but neither side was able to capitalise and the second was a pretty turgid affair with inventive forward play at a premium in conditions not conducive to expansive football.
Heavy sleet and a distinct lack of quality ensured that the play was scrappy at a very blustery Centralniy, with the temperatures lingering just above zero.
Kiev knew that a defeat would see them eliminated from the competition, and the visitors played with all due circumspection as they extended their record to just one win from 14 European away games, losing nine and failing to score in 10.
The opening period was most noteable for a stunning save from Kiev goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkovskyy, who kept the match goalless on the stroke of half-time with an acrobatic stop.
The first chance in the fifth minute arose as Andriy Shevchenko (pictured) surged down the right and dragged a low cross into the six-yard box but his delivery evaded two Rubin defenders and was met by Andriy Yarmolenko at the back post, who scuffed his shot wide.
Rubin, who won the Russian Premier League at the weekend, dominated the early possession, but another chance was forced at the other end in the 12th minute as Milos Ninkovic bundled his way into the penalty area at pace but his final touch was shoddy as the hosts were handed a reprieve.
At the other end, Rubin almost made their build-up play count three minutes later as Gokdeniz Karadeniz whipped in a devilish delivery from the right which the dangerous Alejandro Dominguez met, unmarked in the penalty area, but his header was tame.
Dominguez was a constant threat and on the half-hour mark the Argentine danced through two Kiev challenges but Shovkovskyy just about had his shot covered at his near post following a promising run.
As half-time was imminent, Dominguez produced a stunning acrobatic over-head kick which he directed low into the bottom corner, but Shovkovskyy somehow managed to flick the ball wide with an outrageous piece of reflex goalkeeping.
The second half was as fragmented as the first on the most part, with Shevchenko's most notable contribution being a robust challenge on Alexander Bukharov, for which he received a yellow card with the striker bearing ominously down on goal.
Shevchenko then contrived to miss his kick inside the Rubin penalty area after Artem Milevskiy had made an incisive run through the hosts' half and squared the ball to the forward.
The final period of play petered out poorly as neither side was able to seize the initiative, despite making second half changes, and the stalemate was not broken late on.
The draw leaves limits the pressure applied to Barcelona as they face Internazionale at the Camp Nou as the fight for qualification spots from Group F intensifies as Rubin recorded their fourth match unbeaten.

Unirea Urziceni 1-0 Sevilla

2009-11-25T00:36:00.001+02:00

An Ivica Dragutinovic own-goal was enough to give Unirea Urziceni a 1-0 win against a below-par Sevilla side, which strengthens the Romanians grip on second place in Champions League Group G.

Unirea sprang to life immediately from the kick-off. Attacking down the left, Sevilla's Spanish centre-back Sergio Sanchez was drawn into a cynical foul and, from the resulting free-kick, Unirea had the ball in the back of the net.
However, referee Tom Henning Ovrebo, remembered for his controversial display in last season's Champions League semi-final between Chelsea and Barcelona, again stoked up the heat by ruling the goal out for apparent offside.
Iulian Apostol had whipped the ball into the penalty area, and Javi Varas was only able to punch unconvincingly clear. The ball fell to Pablo Brandan who slotted home, before Ovrebo blew his whistle.
Nevertheless, that did not serve as a sign of things to come, as Dan Petrescu's men proceeded to sit back and invite Sevilla to attack for most of the first-half. And in two separate instances, that tactic almost served to undermine Unirea.
The first chance for the Spanish side came in the 8th minute and saw Abdoulay Konko whip in a ball from the right, which Frederic Kanoute connected with cleanly, but his shot smashed back off the post. Jesus Navas, who followed up, could only manage to blast wide from outside the box.
If Manolo Jimenez's men felt hard done by, they had another reason to curse their misfortune in the 20th minute. Kanoute's strike partner Alvaro Negredo sent a looping header back off the underside of the crossbar, following an incisive free-kick from Diego Capel, which Unirea keeper Giedrius Arlauskis failed to deal with.
Sevilla looked comfortable for the remainder of the first-half, maintaining possession and managing to keep Unirea pinned back in their own third.
Yet, on the stroke of half-time, the Spaniards were to find themselves going into the break behind.

And it was to be an inexplicable own-goal by Dragutinovic, clumsily heading past Varas.
The Serbian defender was put under relatively little pressure, following a long-ball into the box from Brandan, but that did not stop Dragutinovic swooping low and directing the ball past his hapless keeper.
Into the second-half, and Unirea grew further in confidence. Dacian Varga and Marius Bilasco were beginning to look more threatening, and Sevilla were struggling to cope with the long-balls that were beginning to bombard their box.
Just before the hour mark, Varas was called into a smart save after Varga connected well following a flick-on from Bilasco.
And, moments later, the pair were to collaborate again - this time Varga striking high into the side-netting, after Bilasco had received Brandan's long throw.
In response, Jimenez sent on Renato and Luis Fabiano but Sevilla continued to struggle to find their stride. Their final substitute, Diego Perotti, injected a bit of pace and vigour into proceedings, but Unirea continued to hold firm and deny the Spanish side any real, clear-cut openings.
Late on, nerves started to get the better of the home team - somehow Arlauskis proved to be a hero with a flying save to deny Konko from three yards out, while Luis Fabiano could only find the side-netting with a ferocious shot on the turn.
But it was to be Unirea's day, the Romanian side hanging onto a 1-0 victory which sees them move one step closer to an historic qualification to the knockout stage. Petrescu's men will require a draw in Stuttgart to progress - Sevilla, meanwhile, will look back on a performance which, though determined, proved to be lacking quality when it mattered.

Rangers home defeat against Stuttgart

2009-11-25T00:35:00.001+02:00

Rangers crashed out of the Champions League following a 2-0 home defeat against Stuttgart in Europe in Group G.

Walter Smith's team needed to beat the Germans to harbour any hopes of progressing to the knock-out stage, but instead the Scottish champions choked in front of their own fans.
A penetrative raid down the left wing finished with on-loan Barcelona player Alexander Hleb crossing for Sebastian Rudy to score the first goal after 16 minutes.
The scorer turned provider 14 minutes into the second half when he crossed for Zdravko Kuzmanovic to head the final nail in Rangers' European coffin.
With Unirea Urziceni beating Sevilla, who are already assured of their place in the last 16, it's all to play for in the final game when the Germans host the Romanians.
But for Rangers their European campaign is over following a third successive home defeat. The Gers shipped 10 goals at Ibrox and scored just two.
In front of a crackling home support a frenetic pace consumed the opening exchanges.
Driven by desire and desperation the Rangers players flew into tackles, but it was the Germans who looked more accomplished on the ball and they fired their first warning shot barely six minutes into the game.
Arthur Boka cut in from the left wing, evading the attentions of Steven Whittaker, before feeding the ball into striker Cacau.
The Brazilian born German turned a Velcro tight David Weir and thumped a right foot shot at goal from 20 yards.
Allan McGregor did brilliantly to spring to his left and turn the heat seeking missile around the post.
However, 10 minutes later there was nothing he could do as 19-year-old Rudy scored his first senior goal.
Yet again Rangers' Achilles heel, the left wing, was exposed. Former Arsenal player Hleb exchanged a one-two with Cacau, before reaching the byline and pulling the ball back to the arriving Pavel Pogrebnyak.
A horrible miscue from the Russian ran kindly for Rudy darting in at the back post and he slid the ball into the back of the net.
The Scottish Premier League leaders struggled to shackle Cacau and on the half hour the striker fizzed a rasping drive from distance inches past McGregor's left hand post.
Despite deploying an adventurous 3-4-3 formation the home side offered very little going forward.

Their best chance fell to Kris Boyd in the 37th minute. Stuttgart tried to break quickly following a commanding collection from Jens Lehmann, but Kenny Miller intercepted an under hit pass and whipped in an early cross from the right.
Boyd lurked menacingly, but could only manage to direct a terrible header over the bar and into the stands.
The visitors started the second half how they ended the first containing Rangers with ease and dominating possession.
For all their industry the home side were devoid of any attacking threat. One of their few menacing moments was turned on its head to devastating effect.
Matthieu Delpierre cut out Steven Davis' through ball to Miller and the Germans swept up field, with Rudy bursting down the right wing and crossing for an unmarked Kuzmanovic to head home the killer second goal with more than 30 minutes to play.
Had it not been for McGregor's heroics in goal Markus Babbel's men, who are third from bottom in the Bundesliga table, would have been out of sight moments later.
Rudy accelerated down the right wing and laid a pass into the feet of Cacau who stung the hands of McGregor with a fierce drive.
The rebound fell to the feet of Pogrebnyak, who looked offside, and with a clear sight of goal he should have added a third, but McGregor managed to fling out a leg and turn it over the bar.
The big Russian striker squandered another chance with 12 minutes to play. Hleb rode the challenge of Danny Wilson and laid a pass a little behind Pogrebnyak.
Afforded an abundance of time and space he swivelled in the box and crashed a shot against the outside of the post from close range when he really should have scored.
As the fans scurried for the exits McGregor kept the score line respectable as he repelled Stuttgart's target practice Pogrebnyak, Thomas Hitzlsperger and Timo Gebhart were all denied by the goalkeeper.

Fiorentina in the last 16

2009-11-25T00:34:00.001+02:00

Fiorentina dumped Liverpool out of the Champions League as Juan Manuel Vargas's penalty gave them a 1-0 win against Lyon at the Stadio Artemio Franchi to book a place in the last 16.

But the Serie A side had goalkeeper Sebastien Frey to thank for denying his fellow countrymen with two superb saves in the closing minutes.
Lyon's qualification was already assured, but the Viola are now in pole position in Group E and will swagger into Anfield for the last group match in two weeks time.
Rafa Benitez felt that Lyon would want to win the group to avoid stronger teams in the last 16 and boss Claude Puel started with eight of the players who drew at Anfield a fortnight ago. However, Fiorentina came close to opening the scoring with 10 minutes gone.
Mario Alberto Santana was given time to chest the ball down and after his volley smashed against the post, Lyon keeper Hugo Lloris reacted superbly to turn away the follow up from Alberto Gilardino.
And Gilardino was again left shaking his head when his towering header hit the Lyon woodwork for a second time.

Although Cris came close to connecting with a Lyon free-kick, the French side offered little in return.
As the Viola grew in confidence, Marco Marcionni stormed into the box on 28 minutes, only for Aly Cissokho's clumsy challenge to send the Italian sprawling.
The referee had little hesitation in pointing to the spot and Vargas confidently stepped up to send Lloris the wrong way to give Fiorentina a deserved half-time lead.
And it was the Viola who carved out the first real chance of the second period on 63 minutes. Marchionni beat the offside trap, but just as he prepared to pull the trigger, Cissokho slid in with a pinpoint tackle to deny the Italian.
Gilardino then scuffed a left-foot shot wide following Lorenzo De Silvestri's excellent pass as the visitors rocked.
Miralem Pjanic almost crafted an equaliser out of nothing for Lyon with a crashing free-kick that Frey punched awkwardly away, but there was no white shirt on hand to benefit from the rebound.
The French keeper redeemed himself with just minutes remaining.
Bafetimbi Gomis fired substitute Cesar Delgado's corner goalwards from twelve yards out, only to find Frey on hand to make a superb reaction save.
Then in the dying seconds, fellow sub Lisandro Lopez got clear on the Fiorentina left, but the Brazilian was denied by another excellent Frey stop to send the Viola through with their visitors, and send Liverpool out.

Barcelona crashes Internazionale

2009-11-25T00:32:00.001+02:00

Reigning champions Barcelona gave their chances of progression from Champions League Group F a huge boost with a 2-0 home win over Internazionale.

Defender Gerard Pique volleyed an early first from a corner before winger Pedro finished off a sublime move to make it two on 29 minutes, although Inter keeper Julio Cesar was at fault.
Following the earlier 0-0 draw between Rubin Kazan and Dynamo Kiev, the result puts Barca top of the table with eight points.
Rubin are second and Inter third - both on six points - and Dynamo have five.
With injuries to key forwards Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, there were nerves flying around in Barcelona prior to the match.
The Blaugrana had taken only one point from their last two European games and faced the prospect of becoming the first holders since the inaugural Champions League in 1993 to be eliminated at the group stage of the tournament.
Messi and Ibrahimovic were ultimately restricted to the bench, kept in reserve should Pep Guardiola have need of his superstars later in the match.
However he need not have worried: led by the silky-skilled Andres Iniesta, the home side were too good for Jose Mourinho's Inter team on the night.
The first match in Milan ended a disappointing 0-0 draw, and this was no classic - but the contributions of Iniesta kept visiting centre-halves Lucio and Walter Samuel constantly on their toes from the first moments, the Spain star unlucky to not find the arriving Xavi in the box with a curled cross on seven minutes.

Barca took the lead after 10, Xavi's corner flicked on by Thierry Henry for former Manchester United defender Pique to thump home first time on the far side of the box.
Henry struggled to find space all evening but in the process created it for young winger Pedro, a menace on the left, and Iniesta, playing in an advanced role: Pedro almost found Iniesta with a low pass after Inter were carved wide open by the diminutive attacker with the help of Seydou Keita.
Inter had barely attacked in the opening quarter before former Barca midfielder Thiago Motta was booked for a challenge on Sergio Busquets. Their main outlet was down the right with full-back Maicon, but a lack of possession killed their hopes of creating any chances for returning striker Samuel Eto'o.
Lucio just intercepted a Pedro centre after he had skinned Maicon then Javier Zanetti, but he could do nothing two minutes later when he arrived at the far side to finish an innovative move.
Xavi received the ball into feet and played an immediate one-touch diagonal pass which split the away defence, Daniel Alves racing on to it on the right; the Brazil wing-back's delicate lofted cross was perfect for Pedro, although his shot into the ground and into the far corner should have been parried more effectively by the usually-reliable Cesar.
Barca captain Carles Puyol went into the book for a studs-up tackle on Diego Milito - the Argentina striker enjoyed little success from deep but put himself about, including a retaliatory barge on Puyol following that tackle.
Milito forced a save out of Victor Valdes from 20 yards before half-time but Inter's best chance fell to Dejan Stankovic, who lifted the ball over the bar after the wayward keeper miscontrolled an Eric Abidal backpass.
Eto'o - booed by some but welcomed back by banners inside the ground in honour of his two Champions League triumphs - went down in the box when challenged by Puyol and again wanted a penalty in the second half when Alves shielded a dangerous ball from him.
There were few chances in the second 45 minutes as the game descended into niggly fouls and spells of treatment from the physios: the best of them saw Cesar brilliantly save a Xavi downward header from an Alves cross.
Pedro was booked while more pertinently Inter full-back Cristian Chivu was also shown yellow for a blatant block on Iniesta, ruling him out of the crucial final group match at home to Rubin.
Eto'o was halted by the offside flag on several occasions as his former team-mates left gaps in their own half - and when he broke free inside the box on the left he could only volley high and wide of the far post.
Javier Zanetti was also cautioned before the end as a frustrated Inter chased Barcelona around the pitch.
It was all in vain as the Italian champions' 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions came to an end, while Barca ended their poor recent run of form in Europe to take pole position in the group.

Arsenal 2-0 Standard Liege

2009-11-25T00:29:00.001+02:00

Arsenal booked their place into the last 16 as Champions League Group H winners as they beat Standard Liege 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners progress to the knockout stage while Liege will have to win their final game to stand any chance of qualifying.
It was a totally commanding performance from Arsene Wenger's men who were never in any trouble and never got out of third gear.
With Arsenal needing a draw to progress, it would have been easy for Premier League side to sit back and play for the point they required.
Instead, Wenger's side bossed the game from start to finish completely overshadowing their Belgian opponents who hardly threatened.
Thomas Vermaelen played a long ball towards Samir Nasri on the right-hand edge of the penalty area on 35 minutes. A back-tracking Reginal Goreux slipped as it dropped over his shoulder allowing Samir Nasri to stroke it past Sinan Bolat into the far corner.
Denilson made it 2-0 with an absolute screamer from 30 yards on the stroke of half-time. The midfielder, returning from injury, struck a swerving effort that moved in the air leaving the goalkeeper with egg on his face.

It could have been 3-0 on numerous occasions with Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Eboue and Theo Walcott all going close in the second period.
Standard Liege did have their chances. Dieudonne Mbokani hit a post after turning on the edge of the box with the game at 0-0. William Gallas was lucky not to concede a penalty after he bundled Goreux to the ground inside the area. Alex Witsel also struck an upright in the second half as Liege searched for what would have been a mere consolation.
Late on Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez was sent off for violent conduct.
But Arsene Wenger's side progress and their can now rest players for their final group game.

Liverpool sent out after victory

2009-11-25T00:28:00.001+02:00

Liverpool were sent crashing out of the Champions League at the group stage despite a 1-0 victory over Debrecen at the Ferenc Puskas Stadium.

Having progressed from the Champions League group stages five years in succession, Liverpool were dumped out of the competition after they were pipped by Lyon and Fiorentina in Group E as the Europa League now awaits for a beleaguered Benitez and his side.
David Ngog's fourth-minute strike was enough for Rafael Benitez's side to edge out the Hungarian side, but Fiorentina's 1-0 win over Lyon saw the Reds' European campaign come to a shuddering halt.
The visitors' joy after Ngog's opportunist finish was tempered as the news from Florence filtered through with a tannoy announcement confirming their worst fears in the 28th minute.
Liverpool started the game quickly and always looked set to secure a comfortable victory after a run of just one win in 10 games in all competitions left Benitez's side with their fate resting in the hands of the French side.
After beginning the match at a typically frantic tempo, the visitors took the lead as Ngog stole in front of Norbert Meszaros to stab home from Steven Gerrard's flick on inside the Debrecen penalty area.
Liverpool's lead should have been doubled as early as the 11th minute after Gerrard whipped in a devilish delivery from the right which beat the lunge of Marcell Fodor but Dirk Kuyt made a tame contact in front of goal and the chance was squandered.
It took until the 35th minute for Debrecen to force a clear-cut opportunity of their own as Gergely Rudolf stole in between Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger to meet Zoltan Szelesi's delivery from the right, but his header drifted wide of Pepe Reina's near post.
Ngog continued to impress with his pace and conviction in the final third, and the striker pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the Debrecen box and lashed his shot towards the far corner of the goal, only for Vukasin Poleksic to dive full-length to tip the ball wide.

Gerrard was characteristically brimming with urgency and purpose in the second half, while Benitez continued to confine Yossi Benayoun and Alberto Aquilani to the bench and was reluctant to introduce the pair of creative midfielders.
Indeed, the Liverpool skipper came agonisingly close to doubling his side's lead as he surged into the Debrecen box, but was denied by an impeccably-timed challenge from Fodor, who had no margin for error.
A minute later, another dynamic run and shot from Gerrard, including a slick one-two on the edge of the hosts' penalty area with Kuyt, brought a fine reflex save from Poleksic, who was forced to sprawl down to his right and parry the ball to safety.
Liverpool were left to bemoan having a lone striker in the 64th minute as Kuyt whipped in a superb delivery from the right, but Lucas headed wide of the near post with just Ngog providing the only additional presence in the box.
For all Liverpool's pressing and harrying in the Debrecen half, the visitors looked devoid of ideas on the whole as Debrecen steadily grew in confidence and introduced a second striker in the burly form of Adamo Coulibaly.
Benitez belatedly brought on Benayoun in the 77th minute at the expense of the goalscorer Ngog, but it was Debrecen who almost found a breakthrough as Coulibaly fired a shot from out on the right which took Reina completely by surprise, with the Spaniard just able to tip the ball over the bar.
Aquilani had to wait until the 91st minute until he got his paltry appearance as a dismayed Gerrard was taken off and all eyes turned to the Stadio Artemio Franchi stadium - but to no avail as Fiorentina clung on to dash Liverpool's hopes.
The final chance of the match fell to the hosts as substitute Coulibaly stormed through on goal but struck his shot straight at Reina as the reaction of the Benitez's forlorn side epitomised the feeling of the travelling supporters.

Tottenham 9-1 Wigan

2009-11-22T19:34:00.002+02:00

Jermain Defoe fired in five goals as Tottenham Hotspur destroyed Wigan Athletic 9-1 at White Hart Lane in the Premier League.

Peter Crouch scored the opener for Spurs with the returning Aaron Lennon, Niko Kranjcar and substitute David Bentley also hitting the target, but Defoe rightly hogs the headlines as he rocketed up to the top of the league scoring charts, overtaking Fernando Torres with 11 goals.
Defoe's haul eclipses that of his club captain Robbie Keane, who managed four in the 5-0 win over Burnley in September, and equals the Premier League record set by Andy Cole in Manchester United's 9-0 defeat of Ipswich Town in 1995.
The stunning exhibition of clinical finishing from the England striker also takes his record against the Latics to nine goals in six Premier League starts against them.
His hat-trick came in a frantic seven-minute spell early in the second -half in which Paul Scharner also scored Wigan's consolation goal, but it was Crouch who got Spurs off and running.
After a opening 10-minute onslaught in which he had already put two chances wide, Crouch got in behind Titus Bramble to stoop low and head in Lennon's cross to put Spurs ahead.
Lennon, making his first appearance since picking up an injury in the 1-0 defeat to Stoke a month ago, terrorised former Spurs left-back Erik Edman throughout the match, if this game can be called that.
After Chris Kirkland had kept his side in the match at the break with two good saves from solid Defoe strikes, his team completely fell apart in the second half and looked nothing like the side that has beaten Aston Villa and Chelsea this season.
Five minutes after the break Defoe got off and running when he steered Lennon's low cross into the roof of the net from close range.
Three minutes later it was two for him when Emmerson Boyce failed to intercept Wilson Palacios's through ball and Defoe fired a clinical low strike across goal into the far corner.

With Wigan 3-0 down they already looked dead and buried, but Scharner gave them a sliver of hope when he fired in Hugo Rodallega's cross after clearly controlling the ball with his arm. Referee Peter Walton ignored Tottenham's protests and gave the goal, but it was cancelled out moments later when a rasping shot from Lennon's ball from the byline sealed Defoe's hat-trick and restored Tottenham's three-goal lead.
From then on there was only one side in this game and Tom Huddlestone, Lennon and Kranjcar ran riot in midfield. Lennon got a goal he richly deserved when Crouch played him in on the right to smash a low finish past Kirkland, and four minutes later Defoe latched on to Vedran Corluka's through ball to fire in his fourth.
The match began to open up as Tottenham eyed a record scoreline and Wigan frantically tried to save face, but it all fell apart for the visitors as they conceded three more in the final few minutes.
Edman's awful miscontrol of a long ball allowed Defoe to saunter through and fire in his fifth, and in the very next minute Bentley saw his well-struck free-kick rebound off the bar and in off the back of Kirkland's head.
Bentley turned provider in the third minute of injury time when he found Kranjcar on the edge of the box, and the Croat midfielder rounded off the rout with a swift turn and rocket shot that flew in off the underside of the bar.

the Real Story Egypt vs Algeria in Sudan

2009-11-22T16:03:00.005+02:00

These are videos of Algerian fans before the match of Egypt vs Algeria in the Fifa world cup qualification in Khartoum holding knifes and making promises to hurt Egyptian fans.

This video was filmed by an Algerian fan before the match in Sudan on November 18.

He says that Algeria will send thugs to Sudan, "men who's own mothers won't cry over them." What does that tell you about their intention.They went to Sudan knowing that, no matter the outcome, they wanted to wreak havoc. They have proved to the world that they are nothing more than a pathetic country of barbarians that know nothing about modernity or about civilization.

Algerian going through on the Egyptian flag by their cars.

here is some videos of the damages of Egyptian offices of some companies in Algeria.

Algerian burned the office of Egypt air in the capital Algeria.

this a video of the attack on the Egyptian team bus before the match in Khartoum.

Two Algerian fans hits an Egyptian fan with knifes.

Thierry Henry handball video

2009-11-21T02:52:00.002+02:00

Thierry Henry has admitted that replaying France's World Cup play-off against the Republic of Ireland would be "the fairest solution" following his handball in the build-up to Les Bleus' decisive goal, with his former manager at Arsenal, Arsène Wenger, insistent a rematch is the only way of restoring French credibility ahead of next summer's finals.

Fifa has ruled that the 1-1 draw at the Stade de France on Wednesday cannot now be changed despite Henry's clear infringement before squaring for William Gallas to equalise in extra-time. The French Football Federation retreated conveniently behind that decision today, conceding it was a "bitter qualification" but it had "to abide by what Fifa say", despite Henry suggesting in a carefully worded statement that a replay of the play-off second leg was preferable.

The Barcelona forward did, however, fall short of apologising for using his hand and denied being a cheat, shifting the onus back on to Fifa to resolve the furore. "Naturally I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who definitely deserve to be in South Africa," said Henry.

"Of course the fairest solution would be to replay the game but it is not in my control. There is little more I can do apart from admit that the ball had contact with my hand leading up to our equalising goal and I feel very sorry for the Irish. I have said at the time and I will say again that, yes, I handled the ball.

"I am not a cheat and never have been. It was an instinctive reaction to a ball that was coming extremely fast in a crowded penalty area. People are viewing a slowmotion version of what happened and not what I or any other footballer faces in the game. If people look at it in full speed you will see that it was an instinctive reaction. It is impossible to be anything other than that."

The Ireland captain, Robbie Keane, praised Henry's "courage and honour" in addressing the issue publicly today and urged the FFF to lobby Fifa to have the game replayed, though a spokesman for the French footballing authorities suggested tonight that it was, in fact, time to "move on". That will do little to ease the acute sense of embarrassment that has accompanied Raymond Domenech's side's progress to South Africa with Wenger, who was present in Paris on Wednesday night, suggesting the FFF has a moral obligation both to Ireland and to Henry to press for a rematch.

"The French Football Federation have to call for the game to be replayed – the credibility of France going to the World Cup depends on that," said Wenger, who had successfully pressed, along with his vice-chairman David Dein, to have Arsenal's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Sheffield United replayed 10 years ago when Marc Overmars's winning goal was scored when the visitors had expected the ball to be returned to them after an injury.

"French football and France as a country have a duty not to leave Thierry out there alone against the whole world. France has to say: 'Yes, it was a handball and we offer a replay,'" Wenger said.

"We want all sport to be fair. Now let's be realistic. Football, and sport in general, is full of heroes who have cheated 10 times more than Thierry. For me people who bought referees, who took drugs, they are the real cheats in sport. Thierry Henry has 14 years behind of fair behaviour in sport and he is singled out today, for me, in the wrong way. You mustn't go overboard with Thierry's behaviour. He made one mistake, and who hasn't made mistakes in life?"

Henry's reaction in twice cushioning the ball with his left hand to ensure it did not drift out of play before squaring for Gallas to score, has drawn comparisons with Diego Maradona's infamous first goal against England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, though Wenger stressed the levels of intent were very different.

"I always said it was not the hand of God but the hand of the Devil, with Maradona," he added. "I never accepted what he did. Thierry's was an instinctive reaction of a striker. When the ball goes too far, you take your hand and use it… He meant to do it but what I mean is it is a reaction of a player when the ball is going out to keep it in.

"[He should apologise] because it is not a regular goal. You can understand at that moment, with the greed of wanting to score, he did that. With a little bit of distance, he is not a guy who wants to win pretty. He wants to win classy. But I am proud of the way France reacted. Everybody said: 'No, that's not the way we wanted to qualify.' The only people who didn't were political people. People are not happy."

Fifa kills Football

2009-11-19T05:06:00.004+02:00

Algerians home and abroad exploded with joy as the final whistle sounded in Khartoum to send the north African country to its first football FIFA World Cup™ since 1986.

this is what Fifa put on the official website.they did not mention what the Algerian fan did to the Egyptian fans of throwing stones and using knifes against them in Khartoum.

how is that a fair game,if the Algerian fans move in Khartoum like criminals or hooligans.

Fifa loose his credibility of supporting fair clean games by not referring to any of those incidents.

Algerian fans chasing Egyptian fans through the streets of Khartoum trying to hurt them any way they can.

IF Fifa let Algeria play in the world cup in south Africa 2010 this will be the end fair game which is the soul of Football as they only qualify through anger and intimidation by players or fans not through fair play or fair support.

Portugal 1-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina

2009-11-15T01:24:00.002+02:00

Portugal will take a slender advantage into the second leg of their FIFA World Cup™ qualification play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina after Bruno Alves scored the only goal of tonight's match in Lisbon.

A tightly-contested encounter was decided on the half-hour mark when Manchester United winger Nani crossed to the far post where Alves was on hand to head home.

Nani, who deputised on the wing in the absence of the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, was Portugal's most enterprising player. However, the hosts' hopes of finding a second goal were continually thwarted by a disciplined display from Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The visitors showed why only Spain were able to defeat them in the group stage and they could even have taken an away goal into Wednesday's second leg a minute from the end when Edin Dzeko headed against the crossbar before substitute Zlatan Muslimovic hit a post from the rebound.

While Bosnia-Herzegovina would have been enthused by their display, their hopes in the second leg will be undermined by bookings picked up by Emir Spahic, Elver Rahimic and Samir Muratovic which rules them out of Wednesday's game.

Portugal went into the game without star winger Ronaldo and his attacking craft was missed as they struggled to break down the visitors in the early stages when they gave away possession cheaply. Chelsea schemer Deco was most culpable as his usual creative influence deserted him while Simao Sabrosa and Liedson also failed to impart an influence.

The home side had been thwarted for half an hour before they finally created the chance to go ahead. Nani combined with Deco on the right side of the area before the former curled a cross to the far post where Alves was waiting to nod in the decisive goal.

Bosnia-Herzegovina had been happy to defend before the goal, but after they went behind showed a greater attacking desire. After 38 minutes Fejae Salihovic found space down the left flank before firing in a shot that Eduardo did well to save. Five minutes later Senijad Ibricic headed a corner just over the crossbar as Portugal just about held their lead into the break.

The hosts pushed for a second after the interval with a couple of counter attacks, but again Bosnia-Herzegovina held firm. Deco fed Liedson with a long ball that the striker superbly controlled with his chest, passed the ball over a defender and then narrowly shot over. Deco then shot narrowly over himself as the visitors sat deep.

Bosnia-Herzegovina weathered the storm and Dzeko almost squeezed a shot in at Eduardo's near post with a snap shot after 77 minutes. And the hosts almost had an away goal a minute from the end when Dzeko headed Miralem Pjanic's cross against the crossbar and Muslimovic also rattled the woodwork from the rebound.

Ireland 0-1 France

2009-11-15T01:22:00.002+02:00

On Saturday 14 November, Nicolas Anelka fired France a step closer to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ finals, with the Republic of Ireland's brave resistance finally wilting late on.

Anelka's 72nd-minute strike, which was deflected past Shay Given by Sean St Ledger, was enough to condemn Giovanni Trapattoni's side to their first defeat of the qualifying campaign and send the French into Wednesday night's return with a lead and a precious away goal.

In truth, it was scarcely more than Raymond Domenech's side deserved after a dominant second-half display which at times left the Irish chasing shadows. And they might have won more comfortably had striker Andre-Pierre Gignac not sliced horribly wide with the goal at his mercy with 10 minutes remaining.

However, it took a fine last-gasp save by keeper Hugo Lloris to deny Glenn Whelan an equaliser as a bumper crowd of 74,103 at Croke Park dared to believe once again.

If France had arrived in Dublin with any doubts about the determination of the Irish to pile on the misery for under-pressure coach Domenech, they were dispelled within seconds of their emergence at Croke Park.

Thierry Henry and his team-mates were greeted by a sea of green and a wall of noise, and the commitment off the field was more than matched by the efforts of the men on it.

Inevitably, the visitors held sway for much of the opening half-hour as the dangerous Anelka dropped deep on the right before either cutting inside or feeding marauding full-back Bacary Sagna, while Henry's searing speed and the brawn of central striker Gignac were constant threats.

But the doggedness of central defenders Richard Dunne and St Ledger - coupled with that of the two men immediately in front of them, Keith Andrews and Whelan - proved enough to limit France's front three and impressive playmaker Yoann Gourcuff.

Of course, there were occasions when Domenech's men were simply too good for the Irish - Dunne was spared punishment for a major error of judgement when he allowed Eric Abidal's 11th-minute clearance to bounce over his head and Gignac gleefully lobbed Shay Given, only for an offside flag to ruin his big moment.

Gourcuff warmed Given's hands with a well-struck 25th-minute snap-shot, while Gignac and Henry both fired wide as the Irish keeper enjoyed a relatively quiet first 45 minutes.

Opposite number Lloris was equally, if not more, under-employed, although he did not see the flag which had gone up for a foul by Kevin Doyle marginally before Robbie Keane ran on to his flick and forced a brave point-blank save before Liam Lawrence's follow-up was deflected behind by Patrice Evra.

Keith Andrews curled a 31st-minute effort two feet wide, but the tie remained finely balanced as the two sets of players headed for their respective dressing rooms.

The French resumed at break-neck pace and very nearly carved the Republic open within seconds as Evra, Henry and Anelka combined to set up Sagna to cross, but John O'Shea made sure it was he who made contact in the middle.

United team-mate Evra was devastated to have 69th-minute penalty appeals waved away after going down under Given's challenge as he pursued Gourcuff's through-ball. But the opening goal finally arrived with 18 minutes remaining as France made their dominance pay, although with the help of a cruel twist of fate.

It was Gourcuff who once again fashioned the opening, picking out Anelka on the edge of the box, and his shot deflected off St Ledger past the helpless Given and in via the upright.

Gignac should have made it 2-0 with 10 minutes remaining when he was presented with an open goal after Anelka had charged down Given's clearance, but he shot wastefully wide and out for a throw-in.

That might have proved costly had Lloris not produced a brave block to deny Whelan three minutes from time and then pushed away another dipping effort from the midfielder, but there was no way back for the home side.

Greece 0-0 Ukraine

2009-11-15T01:21:00.002+02:00

Greece and Ukraine's 2010 World Cup qualifying play-off tie remains in the balance after the two teams shared a goalless draw in Athens.

Theofanis Gekas, the overall top scorer in qualifying with 10 goals, wasted Greece's best chance, while Ruslan Rotan was guilty of poor finishing for the visitors on a night when both sides cancelled each other out at the Olympic Stadium. Sotiris Kyrgiakos almost won the game for Otto Rehhagel's Greece in the dying seconds but the Liverpool defender headed wide.

Both teams began brightly but it was the visitors who threatened first and registered the first shot on target when Alexandros Tzorvas pulled off a comfortable save from Andriy Shevchenko's 25-yard free-kick. Giorgos Karagounis responded for the hosts with a shot from distance which was comfortably held by Andriy Piatov in the Ukraine goal.

Former Chelsea and AC Milan forward Shevchenko then tried his luck again from another free-kick in the 13th minute but his tame effort drifted wide. Greece had the ball in the net after 16 minutes when Gekas turned in Dimitris Salpigidis cross but the assistant referee had already raised his flag for offside.

Rotan wasted a golden opportunity three minutes later after a defensive mix-up from the home side when he dragged his shot wide of the left post from the edge of the box. The visitors continued to look the more dangerous, particularly on the counter attack and Tvorvas was called upon in the 36th minute to make a smart save from Oleg Gusiev's shot from an acute angle.

Greece threatened twice before half-time but striker Giorgos Samaras' control let him down when Salpigidis picked him out with a low centre before Gekas headed straight at Piatov from Karagounis' free-kick. Samaras, who was a peripheral figure in the first half, drew a save from Piatov with a speculative shot from distance as Greece began strongly after the break.

However, again the visitors threatened and Karagounis came to Greece's rescue with a last-ditch tackle to deny Artem Milevskyy in the 55th minute. Tzorvas was called into action again in the 68th minute to push away a rasping Taras Mykhalyk's drive.

Rehhagel then handed 21-year-old striker Kostas Mitroglou his international debut as a replacement for Salpigidis with 19 minutes left as he looked to add attacking impetus to his team. However, the Olympiakos forward failed to make a significant impression and it was Samaras who next went close with a powerful shot which flew just inches over the bar.

Ukraine continued to look dangerous going forward on the break but it was the home side who almost snatched a vital win through Kyrgiakos, but the defender headed Kostas Katsouranis' right-wing cross wide of the left post with only seconds remaining.

Russia 2-1 Slovenia

2009-11-15T01:19:00.001+02:00

Russia midfielder Sergei Semak admitted Slovenia's late goal in their 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ qualifying first leg play-off left him uneasy ahead of the return clash.

Russia dominated the match throughout and led comfortably through Everton midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov's brace. However, substitute Nejc Pecnik's header two minutes from time left the tie in the balance at 2-1, and they could even have levelled as Marko Suler forced a superb stoppage-time save from Igor Akinfeev.

"The match left me with mixed feelings," Semak told RIA Novosti. "On the one hand, I'm pleased we won, but on the other hand, the way the game ended doesn't leave you at ease in the run-up for the next match."

I'm pleased we won, but on the other hand, the way the game ended doesn't leave you at ease in the run-up for the next match.
Sergei Semak
Slovenia produced little in attack and Robert Koren's 88th-minute shot in the build-up to Pecnik's goal was their first on target. Semak added: "They didn't surprise us because it was obvious that they came here with the aim of not allowing a goal. Only after we scored the second goal did they go all out."

Goalscorer Bilyaletdinov opted to let his football do the talking, offering only the assertion that: "All commentaries will be after the second match."

Slovenia coach Matjaz Kek was relieved after Pecnik's contribution, and told the Slovenian FA's official website, nzs.si: "We have found a goal that keeps us in the game. In the first half we gave away a stupid goal, and we also started badly in the second half when (keeper Samir) Handanovic kept out some dangerous moves from the Russian team."

Kek is hopeful for Wednesday's clash in front of his nation's own fans, and continued: "The People's Stadium can create a positive outcome. We must recover and prepare for the return meeting."

Europe play-offs first leg

2009-11-14T11:06:00.001+02:00

The prospect of a FIFA World Cup™ without Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry will move a step closer if Portugal and France come unstuck in the first leg of their South Africa 2010 play-offs on Saturday.

Having failed to secure automatic qualification for the South Africa showpiece, Portugal must overcome Bosnia-Herzegovina while France face a stern test against Giovanni Trapattoni's rejuvenated Republic of Ireland. Both France and Portugal, who lost to the French in the 2006 semi-finals, have been hampered by injury, with Les Bleus deprived of the services of Franck Ribery and Portugal missing talismanic captain Ronaldo.

France coach Raymond Domenech, apparently immune to the welter of public criticism which has rained down on him for much of his tenure, insists the French will go through. "I know my men are ready," said Domenech, whose side face Ireland in Dublin on Saturday prior to the return leg in Paris next Wednesday.

"Any pressure is internal. If the players don't feel it inside then there's something wrong and they have no place here." Yet even as Domenech seeks to throw a protective arm around his squad he himself has been squarely in the firing line, coming in for criticism from the Irish and his own countrymen alike.

Ireland defender Richard Dunne, whose side went unbeaten in qualifying only to be pipped to automatic qualification from Group 8 by reigning champions Italy, insists that with the likes of Henry and Nicolas Anelka on board, France should already be through.

"Every time a tournament comes round, France have all these world-class players and then a man who seems intent on messing them up," Dunne told The Guardian newspaper. "And we know that if we can get in front, they probably have not got the man at the top to pull them back around."

Domenech took time out to attend the Paris Masters tennis tournament this week and was promptly booed by fans when cameras picked him out in the crowd. And L'Equipe sports daily picked up on criticism by depicting the Irish team lined up behind Domenech beneath the headline, 'Their luck is him!'

The pressure is on them (France) more so than us, but we are both playing for a place in the World Cup finals, so it's enormous,
Republic of Ireland assistant coach Liam Brady.
Former Irish star Liam Brady, now an assistant to Trapattoni, says the men in green fear nobody. "The pressure is on them more so than us, but we are both playing for a place in the World Cup finals, so it's enormous," he said. "But if we were to carry a lead to Paris, the pressure would pile on them."

French forward Sidney Govou shrugged off the mind games regarding Domenech. "They (the critics) just want to put the pressure on - but it's not him who'll be out there on the pitch."

For Portugal's Deco, meanwhile, the loss of Ronaldo must not be allowed to weigh too heavily on Carlos Queiroz's side. "We have enough quality to plug the gap - we can't use his absence as an excuse. We know it won't be easy but we are confident," the Chelsea midfielder insisted.

As France and Portugal seek redemption in the form of tickets to South Africa, 2004 European champions Greece also face a fight as they go up against Ukraine, who edged Croatia out of the runners-up spot in England's group. The inconsistent Greeks lost out in their group to Switzerland and have the perceived disadvantage of playing the second leg away.

Guus Hiddink's Russia, who were unable to overhaul Germany in their group, host Slovenia. "We should never underestimate Slovenia on any account," Hiddink warned his UEFA Euro 2008 semi-finalists.

Arsenal 4-1 AZ Alkmaar

2009-11-05T03:49:00.000+02:00

Two goals from captain Cesc Fàbregas set Arsenal FC on their way to a comfortable victory against AZ Alkmaar which left the Gunners on the verge of qualifying for the last 16 from UEFA Champions League Group H.

On top
Fàbregas scored in the 25th and 52nd minutes, either side of Samir Nasri's first-half strike, before Abou Diaby added a fourth in the 72nd minute and Jeremain Lens grabbed a consolation goal for the visitors. Arsenal top the section by four points from Olympiacos FC – beaten 2-0 at R. Standard de Liège – and need just a point from their remaining two matches to be certain of a place in the first knockout round.

Early pressure
Stung by AZ's added-time equaliser in the Netherlands two weeks ago, Arsenal made their intentions clear from the off. Robin van Persie tried his luck in the fourth minute after a series of short passes put the Dutchman through for an angled drive that flew narrowly wide of the far post. Though it signalled the start of the home team's pressure on the AZ penalty area, a string of clear-cut chances was not to follow.

Fàbregas celebrates
With the Dutch champions' well-organised defence seemingly impervious to aerial attack, it was going to take something special for Arsène Wenger's men to make a breakthrough and that duly arrived when Fàbregas, who had also given his side the lead in Alkmaar, collected the ball on the edge of the box from William Gallas. It may not have looked like a scoring position, and there was not a great deal of power behind his well-concealed shot, but goalkeeper Sergio Romero could only get his glove to the Spaniard's daisy-cutter as it zipped inside the near post.

Second strike
The setback gave AZ more urgency going forward, yet just as Ronald Koeman's charges appeared to be coming back into the game, Arsenal put it further out of their reach. Two minutes before the break, Andrei Arshavin picked up the ball in midfield and fed Nasri, who deftly skirted the last defender before steering a shot into the bottom left-hand corner.

AZ threat
Seven minutes after the interval, Arshavin was again the provider as AZ gave possession away in central midfield and the playmaker slipped the ball through for Fàbregas to smack a first-time effort past Romero. To their credit, AZ shrugged off the latest blow and very nearly pulled one back when Graziano Pellè chested the ball down and volleyed a searing shot which Manuel Almunia parried, sending it against the underside of the bar and out.

Game over
Fàbregas left the field to huge applause when he was replaced by Aaron Ramsey in the 67th minute, with Van Persie also making way for Eduardo in what Wenger clearly believed was a match already won. It certainly seemed that way in the 72nd minute when Eduardo's clever back-heel released Arshavin on the counter and the Russian teed up Diaby to beat Romero from close range. However, the final goal went the way of AZ – who could still qualify in second spot despite propping up the section – as Lens raced through to finish neatly after a swift break on 82 minutes.

Standard de Liège 2-0 Olympiacos FC

2009-11-05T03:47:00.001+02:00

R. Standard de Liège's first UEFA Champions League win proved to be worth the wait as the Belgian titleholders defeated Olympiacos FC at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne to revive their Group H qualification prospects.

Slender advantage
Bottom on one point ahead of Matchday 4, László Bölöni's troops lifted themselves up a rung and within two points of second-placed Olympiacos thanks to Dieudonné Mbokani's coolly taken strike after 31 minutes and Milan Jovanović's late header. The first goal owed much to a defensive lapse, but Standard deserved it for their more enterprising approach in the opening half, even if they did creep dangerously back into their shells to protect their slender advantage after the restart. They will look to continue their renaissance at Arsenal FC on 24 November, when their Greek rivals will attempt to bounce back at AZ Alkmaar.

Committed tackling
The visitors lined up with five at the back and, with Standard lacking the requisite quality to find a way through, the first 25 minutes were more notable for some committed tackling than any goalscoring chances. Finally, with 27 minutes gone, the hosts put together a fluid move. Igor De Camargo started things off in midfield by freeing Mehdi Carcela-González on the right, and the 20-year-old slipped a pass through to Jovanović, whose cutback was scooped over by Mbokani.

Mbokani breakthrough
That one moment sent volts of energy through what had been an uneventful encounter and moments later goalkeeper Sinan Bolat almost palmed a lofted Enzo Maresca pass into the feet of Raúl Bravo. It was Standard who made the breakthrough, though, Mbokani holding off Avraam Papadopoulos and shooting low beyond Antonis Nikopolidis after Olof Mellberg had let Eliaquim Mangala's hopeful long ball pass him by. With the crowd in raptures, Les Rouches sought to capitalise and the gifted Carcela-González volleyed a superb arcing effort on to the bar from 25 metres after controlling with his chest.

Galletti injury
Jovanović then fired wide, with Olympiacos going closest through an off-target Kostas Mitroglou attempt but handed a major blow when Argentinian schemer Luciano Galletti was forced out of the fray through injury three minutes before the interval. The response from Zico's men after the break was to attack in greater numbers, and they gave the locals a fright when Maresca sent a diving header too high.

Mellberg attempt
With a new intensity to their play, Greece's champions threatened again as Mellberg volleyed a Maresca free-kick straight at Bolat from in front of goal. How Standard trainer Bölöni must have wished his charges had the luxury of a second goal on the scoreboard, yet instead of striving to secure the points they became encamped in their own half, a tactic that had allowed Arsenal FC to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win on Matchday 1.

Late goal
Indeed, given the pressure his side were under, Mangala ought to have done better when he headed a corner wide from point-blank range. It was not to prove costly, though, as Jovanović nodded in the rebound two minutes from time after Mbokani's shot had been saved by Nikopolidis.

Sevilla FC 1-1 VfB Stuttgart

2009-11-05T03:45:00.002+02:00

A superb long-range strike from Zdravko Kuzmanović with eleven minutes left gave VfB Stuttgart a merited point against a Sevilla FC side who nevertheless marched into the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds with this draw.

Man down
The 1-1 scoreline was secured after Jesús Navas had established a first-half lead for the Group G pacesetters, who were then hindered by injuries to Arouna Koné and substitute Aldo Duscher, leaving the Spanish Liga club a man short for the last quarter of an hour. The end product was Kuzmanović's stunning effort, slightly deflected off substitute Julian Schieber and launched from Duscher's abandoned beat.

Going solo
The fact both coaches initially opted for a lone striker put the solo abilities of the two centre-forwards, Luis Fabiano for Sevilla and Stuttgart's Pavel Pogrebnyak, in direct comparison. That neither team was clever enough in its use of the ball for the frontrunners to have it easy only emphasised how effective Fabiano was with whatever scrap of possession he gained. Stuttgart's Russian international showed willing, Fabiano class. Where home coach Manuel Jiménez normally prefers a 4-4-2, here he deployed three creative players – Navas on the right, Arouna Koné centrally and Diego Capel on the left – behind the Brazilian dubbed "the best centre-forward in the world" by FC Unirea Urziceni coach Dan Petrescu.

Provider
'O Fabuloso' displayed both precision and vision when the opening goal arrived. Fabiano was lurking 30 metres out when Ndri Romaric gave him a hard, low pass to feet. The diagonal volleyed flick that followed was glorious and measured perfectly for Navas's run into the Stuttgart box. The captain's uncomplicated right-foot finish earned him his second UEFA Champions League goal, handed Sevilla the lead and made Fabiano the leading assist provider of the group stage with four. Injury then forced Sevilla to introduce Álvaro Negredo in place of Arouna Koné. This prompted a return to the twin-striker system and within minutes the replacement nearly scored. Matthieu Delpierre carelessly presented the ball to Navas who cut it back for Negredo, whose left-footed strike was smothered by Jens Lehmann.

Tactical battle
Whatever the deficiencies away coach Markus Babbel witnessed in his side's first-half performance, he would nonetheless have spotted opportunities down Sevilla's left flank. The Bundesliga outfit duly drafted Stefano Celozzi and Sebastian Rudy down their right, for Khalid Boulahrouz and Roberto Hilbert, and the switch worked. The ensuing flurry of possession and chances for the visitors made Sevilla's advantage look slim. It culminated in a fierce 54th-minute effort from Kuzmanović that Javi Varas saved with his knees. From the rebound Pogrebnyak bounced a header off the bar and, with Varas struggling for position, Serdar Tasci wasted his opportunity by nodding the loose ball straight at the goalkeeper. Jiménez responded to the tactical power play by sending on Diego Perotti and Duscher.

Parity
If equilibrium appeared to have been restored, Duscher's departure with a hamstring problem helped rip up the script. The rest was done by Kuzmanović's 20-metre missile after the midfielder received a square pass from Pogrebnyak. The result ended Sevilla's 100 per cent home record in the UEFA Champions League in their seventh match at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.

Unirea Urziceni 1-1 Rangers

2009-11-05T03:43:00.000+02:00

Marius Onofraş struck an explosive equaliser with two minutes remaining to keep FC Unirea Urziceni firmly in contention to progress from UEFA Champions League Group G and frustrate a Rangers FC side who believed they had just breathed new life into their campaign.

Unirea advantage
Lee McCulloch, who put through his own net as the Romanian champions won 4-1 in Glasgow two weeks ago, scored at the right end this time with an emphatic drive in the 79th minute. It pointed Rangers towards their first victory in the section but Onofraş, an early substitute, had other ideas to keep Unirea three points clear of fourth-placed Rangers, and two in front of VfB Stuttgart in third.

Nervous start
There was a cagey feel to the initial exchanges, befitting the importance of the game to both teams. While Kenny Miller was operating as a lone front man for the visitors, Steven Davis and Steven Naismith in particular were quick to push on from midfield and lend support. Unirea funnelled back in numbers to plug any gaps while the inventive touches of Serban Dacian Varga offered them possibilities going forward.

Early efforts
Worryingly for Rangers, Unirea were able to find their central striker Marius Ioan Bilasco seemingly at will, although 17-year-old defender Danny Wilson was creating a solid impression on only his second competitive appearance. An early shooting chance emerged for Tiberiu Bălan but he snatched at the attempt. Rangers probed away and soon manufactured openings themselves. From Kevin Thomson's free-kick, Giedrius Arlauskis was grateful to scramble the ball away. The goalkeeper then stretched to gather a Naismith header.

Onofraş on
As at Ibrox, Unirea coach Dan Petrescu opted to introduce Onofraş at an early juncture with Bălan making way. The switch appeared to inspire his side and Onofraş himself gave Allan McGregor palpitations with an ambitious effort from 40 metres that landed on the roof of the net. McGregor had already been relieved to push a Vasile Maftei free-kick around the post and then responded well when Sorin Frunză's drive deflected off a defender. At the other end, Miller shimmied his way past two defenders yet could not squeeze his shot beyond Arlauskis. Moments before half-time Kyle Lafferty was only narrowly wide of the far post with a curling strike.

Miller close
There was no quick second-half goal to warm supporters who had been soaked through by the incessant rain. In the 62nd minute Rangers worked the best opening of the night so far with Davis slipping Miller into a great position to give his team the lead. However, the Scottish international prodded the ball too close to Arlauskis and with the attempt lacking sufficient power, the keeper was able to make the save.

Varga flair
The reprieve lifted Unirea and with Varga eager to get on the ball and display his tricks, the home crowd willed their favourites to punish Rangers. However, the deadlock was broken by the Glaswegians when McCulloch, receiving a short pass from Lafferty, let fly with a shot that bounced in front of Arlauskis and skidded in. There was little time for Unirea to respond but Onofraş came to their rescue after the hard-working Bilasco had set him up.

Fiorentina 5-2 Debreceni

2009-11-05T03:42:00.000+02:00

ACF Fiorentina moved within sight of the UEFA Champions League knockout stages with an entertaining victory against Debreceni VSC.

Ruthless diplay
Although Gergely Rudolf gave the visitors brief hope by cancelling out Adrian Mutu's opener, Cesare Prandelli's men ran amok in the second half. Marco Marchionni, Riccardo Montolivo, Dario Dainelli and Alberto Gilardino all found the net to take the Serie A side second in Group E, a point behind Olympique Lyonnais who drew 1-1 with Liverpool FC. While Fiorentina and Debrecen had traded seven goals in Budapest two weeks before, it was difficult to envisage a similar scenario here at half-time, but inspired by substitute Montolivo, the Viola emerged with new purpose and even Adamo Coulibaly, whose header made it 4-2, was denied the final word.

Dainelli header
Visiting coach András Herczeg had decided to pack his midfield yet it did not take Fiorentina long to breach the Hungarian champions' defences. Mutu had his first shot on target within five minutes after dancing past Luis Ramos and Ádám Komlósi. The Romanian's effort was blocked, but from the resulting corner Manuel Pasqual picked out Dainelli who headed just wide; Komlósi also went down with a head injury that prompted his substitution.

Mutu strike
The hosts sensed confusion in Debrecen's ranks and began to test their guests down the flanks. Juan Vargas fired a warning after skilfully chesting down Zoltán Szélesi's clearance and shooting first time from 20 metres. That attempt may have flown centimetres wide but moments later Fiorentina were ahead. Marco Donadel released Marchionni down the right and the winger crossed invitingly for Mutu, who nodded at full stretch past Djordje Pantić.

Gilardino chance
Although the away team created half-chances on the break, with Rudolf and Péter Czvitkovics troubling Vlada Avramov, Fiorentina's goalkeeper was enjoying a quiet competition debut until Debrecen equalised. Pantić had just watched Gilardino's looping header from a Vargas corner clip the top of the bar when Debrecen surged forward down the left. Leandro sent over a deep cross and Rudolf evaded Per Krøldrup to steer in at the far post.

Dainelli header
The equaliser forced Fiorentina to up the tempo and Gilardino soon elicited a fine stop from Pantić on the turn. The Italy striker threatened again shortly after the restart, directing Pasqual's assist over before teeing up Mutu, whose shot was saved, with a clever back-heel. As the Tuscan outfit turned the screw, Montolivo's strike from distance was again kept out by Pantić, yet the sustained spell of pressure told when Dainelli leapt to head in Gianluca Comotto's cross.

Quick strikes
Fiorentina now had the bit between their teeth and netted twice more in the space of three minutes. Montolivo arrived unmarked at the far post to connect with Vargas's dangerous delivery, and with Debrecen exposed Marchionni stole in to score following a quick exchange between Mutu and Gilardino. Not to be completely undone, Debrecen gave themselves hope on 70 minutes, Coulibaly heading in Péter Szakály's centre. However, Gilardino restored the three-goal cushion within four minutes, glancing in a Vargas free-kick to round off a highly enjoyable evening for the Viola.

Lyon 1-1 Liverpool FC

2009-11-05T03:41:00.000+02:00

A last-minute leveller from Lisandro fired Olympique Lyonnais into the UEFA Champions League knockout stage for the seventh season running, cancelling out Ryan Babel's superb strike and delivering a major blow to Liverpool FC's qualifying hopes.

Late drama
It looked as though the visitors' campaign had been revived by Babel's pinpoint 20-metre shot on 83 minutes as a close game burst into life in the dying moments. Liverpool had produced a spirited performance, keeping OL quiet for long periods and forcing Hugo Lloris to make a series of fine saves. Yet with seconds remaining, Michel Bastos's flicked header sent Lisandro galloping into the penalty area, and the Argentinian supplied a cool finish over the advancing Pepe Reina. The draw means Lyon are guaranteed a top-two spot in Group E, while Liverpool fall five points adrift of second-placed ACF Fiorentina.

Attacking intent
Mindful of his side's urgent need for points, Rafael Benítez filled his midfield with attacking players, although Yossi Benayoun, Andriy Voronin and Dirk Kuyt all showed impressive defensive discipline early on as the Reds' compact formation denied Lyon space. Aside from long-range efforts from Bastos and Bafétimbi Gomis, both claimed easily by Reina, there was little threat from the home team in a tense first half shaded by Liverpool.

Insúa inspiration
Boosted by the presence of Fernando Torres despite a groin problem, the five-time European champions raided with purpose whenever an opportunity arose. Emiliano Insúa laid on the match's first chance for Torres on 12 minutes, the Spaniard meeting his cross with a low first-time strike that Lloris saved with his boot. Anthony Réveillère was struggling with an injury when Insúa found room again moments later, this time squaring for Benayoun whose control teed up Kuyt only for Lloris to tip over the Dutchman's volley.

Lloris excels
Réveillère was subsequently replaced, soon to be followed by another injury victim Miralem Pjanić, as OL's concerns grew. Fortunately for Claude Puel's charges, Lloris was very much on his game, the France goalkeeper brilliantly denying Voronin, again with his foot, after the Ukrainian had latched on to a long through pass. The contest remained tight and tactical as both sides probed but failed to find the killer pass. Aly Cissokho tried hard to stir the Ligue 1 outfit early in the second period, twice surging up the left and delivering good crosses, yet Ederson rifled the first over before Bastos's looping header sailed narrowly over the crossbar.

Fine stops
Most of the good openings were going to the Merseysiders, however, and only another wonderful Lloris stop kept Liverpool at bay when Insúa picked out Lucas, who had ghosted into space on the left of the penalty area. The Brazilian's placed attempt looked goalbound but Lloris displayed stunning reflexes by thrusting out his left hand, Cissokho clearing Kuyt's overhead follow-up effort off the line. Not to be outdone, Reina then pulled off a fine save at the other end, rushing out to foil Lisandro after Sotiris Kyrgiakos's weak back-header, and it seemed as though that save would prove crucial when Babel found the top corner with a thunderous strike. However, there was to be no denying Lisandro, and Lyon, at the last.

Dynamo Kyiv 1-2 Internazionale

2009-11-05T03:37:00.001+02:00

Destined for the bottom of Group F with four minutes remaining as they trailed FC Dynamo Kyiv 1-0, FC Internazionale Milano were travelling to the summit by full time as goals from Diego Milito and the excellent Wesley Sneijder earned a dramatic win.

Late drama
If the Ukrainian side ended the night at the foot of the section, for a long time they had been destined for the top after former AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko's goal midway through the first half. The Nerazzurri squandered a host of chances but just as their campaign was ebbing away, Sneijder slipped Milito through and the Argentinian coolly slotted in. It was an opportune moment to register his first UEFA Champions League goal, and three minutes later he chalked up his first assist of sorts. Stanislav Bogush was unable to gather Sulley Muntari's low effort and though the goalkeeper kept out Milito from the angle, Sneijder pounced to bundle in the loose ball.

Inevitable breakthrough
The Dutchman had come close to breaking the deadlock two minutes in when his attempt skimmed the bar, yet in freezing Ukraine it was the locals, and the lively Andriy Yarmolenko, who wrested control and on 21 minutes they were ahead. There was some inevitability about the scorer, as Shevchenko collected Artem Milevskiy's flick on his chest on the edge of the area and looped a volley off Esteban Cambiasso and over Júlio César. It was his fourth goal against the Nerazzurri in the UEFA Champions League, his 15th overall. Coach José Mourinho cut a worried figure on the touchline as Dynamo threatened to enhance their lead on the counterattack.

Golden chance
Still, on 35 minutes, Milito had a golden chance to haul his team level. Having finally escaped the attentions of Yevgen Khacheridi, he played a slick one-two with Dejan Stanković but shot straight at Bogush. Valeri Gazzaev's men were soon back on the attack and after Milevskiy had been brought down by Lucio on the stroke of half-time, Shevchenko's free-kick was deflected wide. Mourinho had seen enough, making a double change at the break: Mario Balotelli and Thiago Motta coming on for Cristian Chivu and Cambiasso.

Dominating possession
Set-pieces still looked Inter's best hope as Walter Samuel headed just wide from Sneijder's delivery, and the Serie A titleholders began to boss possession. Yet if Inter needed any reminder of their opponents' quality, Miloš Ninković supplied it on the hour when his shot rippled the side-netting. Back the away side came and they should have equalised four minutes later when Samuel Eto'o steered his header wide of a gaping net after Bogush charged out for and missed Sneijder's corner.

Great chances
The keeper redeemed himself, however, tipping Eto'o's next header on to the post after another Sneijder set-piece and then doing enough to force Balotelli to clip wide after being released by Eto'o's exquisite through ball. The Cameroonian striker again nodded wide but just as previously winless Inter appeared set to pay for their missed opportunities, Milito set up a thrilling finale that left Dynamo – who will be without Leandro Almeida on Matchday 5 through suspension – crestfallen.

Rubin Kazan 0-0 Barcelona

2009-11-04T23:42:00.002+02:00

FC Rubin Kazan produced a disciplined defensive display to earn a goalless draw against FC Barcelona on a freezing night in UEFA Champions League Group F.

No way through
A fortnight ago the Russian titleholders shocked European football by winning 2-1 in Camp Nou but there was to be no repeat as Josep Guardiola's side dominated this Matchday 4 encounter without ever being able to make the breakthrough their play may have warranted. The teams went level at the top of the section with five points from four games ahead of the day's later fixture between FC Dynamo Kyiv and FC Internazionale Milano.

Ibrahimović chance
Rubin had been boosted by the return of captain Sergei Semak after an adductor injury yet if the home supporters were hoping the cold weather – it was -7C at kick-off – would help Rubin, they were mistaken. Barcelona were immediately on the attack and almost forged ahead inside three minutes. Andrés Iniesta's delightful through ball sent Zlatan Ibrahimović one on one with Sergei Ryzhikov, but his shot grazed the post with the Rubin goalkeeper beaten.

Key interceptions
Rubin were trying to hit the European champions on the counterattack yet Barcelona's monopoly of possession, particularly in midfield, restricted their efforts. Little by little, however, the hosts found their rhythm and only a last-ditch Carles Puyol challenge prevented Gökdeniz Karadeniz from breaking clear, before a tackle from Daniel Alves stopped Alejandro Domínguez bursting through. Barça continued to hold sway, though, and on 19 minutes Xavi Hernández's chip narrowly cleared the crossbar. Then Ryzhikov had to dive at the feet of Lionel Messi to thwart the Argentinian.

Same scenario
There were echoes of Matchday 3 – Barcelona were bossing play but the Rubin defence looked a tough nut to crack. The Tatar outfit had still to register an attempt on goal until five minutes before the break, when it took a smart low save by Víctor Valdés to keep Aleksandr Ryazantsev from firing them ahead. At the other end, Ryzhikov blocked from Iniesta after Ibrahimović's quickly taken free-kick had caught the Rubin rearguard unawares.

Bukharov opportunity
The second period started much as the first had ended, with the Spanish Liga's finest continuing to pour forward. Barcelona were upping the tempo and exerting more pressure on Ryzhikov's goal, while for Rubin, Domínguez cut a lonely figure up front and rarely saw the ball. In a bid to alter the flow of the game, home coach Kurban Berdyev brought on Aleksandr Bukharov for Gökdeniz but the change hardly checked the Azulgrana: Ibrahimović was next to threaten with a free-kick that flew straight at Ryzhikov.

Off target
Even so, Bukharov could have won the match for Rubin, only his control let him down when faced with a clear sight of goal. The same player also glanced a Semak corner over the woodwork late on. With time running out, substitute Thierry Henry screwed an effort wide to preserve the stalemate in a contest that became increasingly stretched in its final throes.

Atlético Madrid 2-2 Chelsea FC

2009-11-04T00:47:00.001+02:00

Chelsea FC secured their place in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round with two Group D games to spare despite a spirited display by now eliminated Club Atlético de Madrid, Didier Drogba's double proving enough for the visitors despite two spectacular Sergio Agüero goals.

Frantic finale
Having suffered a heavy defeat when these teams met at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago, Atlético put in an improved performance under new coach Quique Sánchez Flores and even took a 66th-minute lead thanks to a fine Agüero volley. Drogba headed Chelsea level with eight minutes to go, however, and looked to have turned the game around completely with a second six minutes later. Although there was still time for Agüero to reply with a fine free-kick, FC Porto's win at APOEL FC leaves the Spanish side vying with the Cypriot champions for a place in the UEFA Europa League.

Bright start
Aiming for the victory that would kick-start their UEFA Champions League challenge, Atlético set the early pace with some quick and neat passing. Diego Forlán came closest to opening the scoring when the Uruguayan let fly with a left-footer from distance that zipped wide. The visitors responded quickly and following a defensive error Michael Essien fed Drogba who lashed across the face of Sergio Asenjo's goal.

Controlled performance
José Antonio Reyes was taking full advantage of Quique Flores's decision to leave Maxi Rodríguez and Sergio Agüero on the bench by giving an energetic display and the 26-year-old unleashed curling effort was palmed to safety by Petr Čech. Reyes then played a clever backheel for Cléber Santana to blast over from outside the area. Carlo Ancelotti's men – who came into this game having scored 17 goals without reply in their previous four matches – nevertheless always looked threatening on the break and Frank Lampard sent the final opening of the first period narrowly wide.

Close call
Making his first UEFA Champions League appearance of the season following a three-match suspension, within five minutes of the restart Drogba displayed his eagerness to mark his return with a goal, striking a bouncing free-kick that Asenjo touched on to the upright. The home side's slow start to the second half prompted their new coach to introduce Agüero and the Argentinian immediately looked to cause the Chelsea rearguard problems.

Inspirational introduction
The substitute duly had the intended impact in the 66th minute. Gaining possession on the left, Antonio López delivered a cross that John Terry could only head on to Agüero, and the 21-year-old reacted unerringly, volleying into the top corner – Atlético's first goal of the group stage and the first conceded by Chelsea in this season's competition. Drogba lashed a shot wide as the visitors looked to counter, yet the momentum was with Atlético and they could have doubled their lead had Agüero connected with Simão's centre.

Drogba double
Instead Chelsea pegged back their hosts in the 82nd minute, Drogba heading in Florent Malouda's centre, and the lights went out on Atlético's hopes of reviving their campaign when Juanito's slip allowed the Ivorian striker to score at the second attempt six minutes later. Depite Agüero's late free-kick, it was Chelsea who advanced, Atlético aiming for a win at APOEL on 25 November to ensure a UEFA Europa League campaign.

APOEL FC 0-1 FC Porto

2009-11-04T00:46:00.001+02:00

Falcao scored the only goal as FC Porto completed back-to-back victories against APOEL FC to qualify for the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds with two matches to play in Group D.

Playing for third
Porto had shaded a tight match when Falcao made amends for missing an earlier one-on-one by finishing superbly from outside the area with six minutes to play. The victory sends Porto through along with Chelsea FC after their draw at Club Atlético de Madrid, leaving APOEL and the Spanish club to fight for third spot and a place in the UEFA Europa League.

Keepers shine
The goalkeepers were to the fore in the first half, particularly Dionisios Chiotis who was central to much of the drama. The Greek comfortably saved the first effort to come his way, from Raul Meireles in the second minute, and was largely untroubled until almost fumbling a hopeful cross from Hulk into his net in the 26th minute. Chiotis made amends soon after, keeping both his eye on the ball and his nerve to deny Hulk as the Brazilian looked to burst clear on goal after being freed by Fredy Guarín's clever through ball.

Impressive Helton
Helton also made an eye-catching save to keep Porto on terms in the 14th minute. Nenad Mirosavljević 's turned well on the edge of the box to create space for a left-footed shot which was curling into the top corner before the visiting No1 leapt across goal to palm it to safety with his wrong hand. APOEL's Portuguese midfielder Hélio Pinto then had a chance to score against his countrymen with the final chance of the half, only to head wide from Jean Paulista's cross from the left.

Falcao chance
Although APOEL began the second half with more zest, it was not long before Hulk – the scorer of both goals when Porto beat the Cypriot champions a fortnight ago – was making his presence felt again. The striker powered through a couple of challenges just outside the box in the 55th minute to work an opening for Falcao who had time to pick his spot but could only find the frame of Chiotis, well placed to deny the Colombian.

Sub makes mark
The game had now opened up and although Constantinos Charalambides found himself increasingly involved down the APOEL right, it was 61st-minute substitute Nectarios Alexandrou who looked the most threatening. The 25-year-old almost found Charalambides with a deep cross and then released Mirosavljević in the area only for the Serbian to shoot straight into the arms of Helton from a decent position.

Winner
Falcao would make no mistake as the game looked to be heading for a draw, however, as he collected a pass from Cristián Rodríguez some 25 metres from goal before drilling a lovely low shot into the corner of Chiotis's net. A Porto win against Chelsea on 25 November would clinch first place; APOEL will aim to defeat Atlético here the same night to move into third.

Olympique Marseille 6-1 FC Zürich

2009-11-04T00:45:00.001+02:00

Needing nothing short of victory to keep themselves in contention for progress from UEFA Champions League Group C, Olympique de Marseille duly delivered with an emphatic triumph against FC Zürich.

Abriel role
Marseille had emerged victorious in the teams' first meeting on Matchday 3 and they picked off their Swiss rivals once again to move to within a point of section leaders AC Milan and Real Madrid CF, three ahead of Zürich. Fabrice Abriel prompted the initial blows with a pair of free-kicks inside the opening eleven minutes, the first being turned in by Zürich midfielder Silvan Aegerter and the second nestling in the net without a touch. That left the 1993 European champions looking entirely comfortable, but doubts crept in after Alexandre Alphonse struck for the visitors and it took an expertly taken Mamadou Niang goal on 51 minutes to settle the encounter, before Hilton, Benoît Cheyrou and Brandão registered late on.

Set-piece breakthroughs
Zürich coach Bernard Challandes had urged his players to "introduce a little madness" in southern France, but he is unlikely to have meant they should concede a third-minute own goal, which is precisely what happened when Aegerter glanced an Abriel free-kick past goalkeeper Johnny Leoni. It was just the start OM had hoped for, on the other hand, and they exposed the visitors' nervousness at set-pieces again just eight minutes later, as Abriel's delivery from a similar position on the left evaded everyone – including a bamboozled Leoni.

Rare swagger
Galvanised by such a telling start, Marseille began to display a swagger rarely seen on recent UEFA Champions League nights, with fit-again Cheyrou forcing Leoni to tip over after setting himself up by playing the ball back over his own head and away from opposition attentions. An unmarked Brandão then blasted Bakari Koné's low cross over from close range, and if that hinted at a return to type for the hosts, they had their lead reduced from Zürich's first real attack. Served on the edge of the area by Dušan Djurić, Frenchman Alphonse squeezed between two defenders before blasting low to the left of Steve Mandanda.

Niang finish
OM's response came in the form of yet another free-kick, Leoni this time palming wide as Souleymane Diawara attempted to hook Cheyrou's delivery into the top corner. Their opponents had regained composure, however, and nearly levelled when Onyekachi Okonkwo swerved an effort narrowly wide from distance. Admir Mehmedi then spurned an even better chance right after the break, but it was the home side who registered next, and without a set-piece in sight. Racing down the left channel, Niang played a searching ball in towards Koné and the Ivorian international flicked it up over the FCZ defence for his onrushing captain to finish in style.

Late goals
Challandes's side were not finished yet, though, and it took an exquisite sliding tackle from Garry Bocaly to prevent Djurić pulling the trigger after he had rounded Mandanda. Spared on that occasion, Marseille promptly went on to give their victory real gloss with Hilton firing in a loose ball after another free-kick, Cheyrou striking gloriously from distance and Brandão turning in Niang's low pass. Zürich now need to win in Madrid on 25 November, when OM will aim to reproduce this display at Milan.

AC Milan 1-1 Real Madrid

2009-11-04T00:44:00.001+02:00

The honours were shared at San Siro after Karim Benzema's 29th-minute strike for an enterprising Real Madrid CF was cancelled out by Ronaldinho's penalty just six minutes later. Two weeks after AC Milan won 3-2 in a dramatic finale in Spain, both sides settled for a draw which kept the hosts top of Group C ahead of Los Merengues on goal difference, while Olympique de Marseille moved within a point in third after their 6-1 victory over FC Zürich.

Strong start
Having lost their home encounter with Milan two weeks ago, Madrid began the match as though intent on settling a score. Within the first 15 minutes they had rained five shots in on goal, with Kaká, back in familiar surroundings, at the heart of the visitors' every move. Benzema was the first to test Dida from 18 metres, after a fine run from the Milan old boy. Two minutes later Gonzalo Higuaín's shot was well covered by Dida, while Benzema, full-back Sergio Ramos and Higuaín, again, tried their luck from range – the defender coming closest with a diagonal shot which fizzed a whisker wide.

Pato chance
Milan's liveliest figure was Pato, constantly lurking on the shoulder of Álvaro Arbeloa, hoping to use his pace to the hosts' advantage. He almost did so midway through the first half, when Milan broke on the counterattack; Clarence Seedorf played the Brazilian in down the right, the 20-year-old skilfully cut inside Pepe but Iker Casillas saved bravely at his feet.

Benzema strike
Pato would soon rue that miss as Benzema gave the visitors the lead with an opportunistic strike. Milan lost possession in their own half and Kaká seized the chance at pace, weaving his way past three players before unleashing a low shot which Dida could only parry. The ball ran into Benzema's path and the Frenchman made no mistake with an angled shot from close range.

Ronaldinho penalty
It was no less than the Spanish side deserved but their lead lasted just six minutes as Milan were awarded penalty for handball. As Gianluca Zambrotta hared down the left and attempted a cross, Pepe slid in to make the tackle. The ball struck his arm, referee Felix Brych pointed to the spot and Ronaldinho accepted the chance, blasting into the roof of the net.

Ambrosini header
Madrid failed to reassert their earlier dominance after the break, although the running battle between Pato and Arbeloa, who were both cautioned, made for an intriguing sideshow. Milan should have snatched a lead on 58 minutes when Massimo Ambrosini headed Andrea Pirlo's free-kick over from four metres out – and Pirlo almost picked out Marco Borriello soon afterwards before Xabi Alonso came to the rescue. Real, meanwhile, were now shooting from distance, but neither Kaká or Marcelo's strikes seriously threatened Dida.

Inzaghi agony
The match became stretched again as both sides threw caution to the wind in the closing stages, each team eager to assert a stranglehold on the group standings. Milan substitute Filippo Inzaghi scuffed a glorious chance from close range on 83 minutes, while his counterpart, Raúl González, saw his 88th-minute strike spectacularly turned over by Dida to ensure the contest finished all-square.

Besiktas 0-3 Wolfsburg

2009-11-04T00:42:00.001+02:00

VfL Wolfsburg remain second in UEFA Champions League Group B after goals from Zvjezdan Misimović, Christian Gentner and Edin Džeko ended injury-hit Besiktas JK's hopes of reaching the knockout phase on a freezing Istanbul night.

Dominance rewarded
Misimović produced a superb goal on 14 minutes to reward Wolfsburg's early dominance, and the home side remained largely on the defensive thereafter. In the last ten minutes Gentner and Džeko increased the lead and Besiktas will now hope to pip PFC CSKA Moskva to a UEFA Europa League berth. Wolfsburg go to CSKA on Matchday 5 three points ahead of the Russian side in second and knowing a draw would take them through.

Misimović strikes
Besiktas had lost goalkeeper Rüştü Reçber, İbrahim Toraman, Fabian Ernst and Nihat Kahveci to injury in Saturday's win against MKE Ankaragücü and with the enforced changes it was little surprise that replacement custodian Hakan Arıkan was put under pressure early on. Christian Gentner and Ricardo Costa both went close in the first ten minutes before Zvjezdan Misimović broke the deadlock with a superb strike from more than 20 metres out.

Wolfsburg on top
Wolfsburg coach Armin Veh had predicted an attacking display from Besiktas compared to the 0-0 draw a fortnight ago but it was the visitors who were pouring forward, and the home side did not have a real chance until the 34th minute. Bobô's incisive pass found Serdar Özkan but his shot went across the face of goal. Bobô then headed just over while at the other end Edin Džeko was unable to double the lead despite several fine efforts.

Half-time changes
Mustafa Denizli brought on Rodrigo Tello for Serdar Özkan on the right-hand side for the second half while there was a tactical change from Wolfsburg with Makoto Hasebe withdrawn, Peter Pekarík coming on at right-back and Sascha Riether moving from that position to hold the midfield. Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio denied Rodrigo Tabata and then Michael Fink as Besiktas pushed hard to keep their hopes alive. German defender Fink tried his luck again but those proved increasingly rare forays for Besiktas, who were seldom threatening the Wolfsburg goal.

Win confirmed
Ten minutes from time the visitors effectively made the game safe through Gentner. Hakan Arıkan advanced to the edge of his box to block from Džeko but the ball fell to Gentner who, after pausing to control, curled a confident shot around the grasp of the goalkeeper and inside the near post. Džeko, who scored in Bosnia-Herzegovina's crucial 2-1 FIFA World Cup qualifying win against Turkey in this stadium in October 2008, repeated the trick with three minutes left as he beat the Besiktas offside trap and confidently beat Hakan Arıkan. The visitors left the pitch to generous and deserved applause from the home fans knowing a place in the last 16 in their debut season is within their grasp.

Manchester United 3-3 Cska Moscow

2009-11-04T00:40:00.004+02:00

Group B leaders Manchester United FC struck twice in the closing six minutes to drag themselves back from two goals down and preserve their long unbeaten UEFA Champions League home record in a thrilling 3-3 draw with PFC CSKA Moskva.

Drama
United have not lost at home in the competition since February 2005 but that record looked set to fall when Alan Dzagoev, Miloš Krasić and Vasili Berezutski gave the visitors a 3-1 advantage. Yet after Paul Scholes had headed a goal back with six minutes remaining, Antonio Valencia rescued a point for the English champions when his long-range shot deflected off Georgi Schennikov. It was tough on visiting goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, who had made a string of fine saves, and CSKA then lost Deividas Šemberas to a red card but the ten men at least held on for a well-earned point on a remarkable competition debut for Leonid Slutski.

Portents
The portents hardly favoured a CSKA side with just one win from 13 previous UEFA Champions League away games and whose new coach Slutski had lost to Irish minnows Saint Patrick's Athletic on his last trip to the British Isles with former club PFC Krylya Sovetov Samara in July. Yet, urged by captain Akinfeev to emulate compatriots FC Rubin Kazan's shock win at FC Barcelona, they almost caught United cold inside the opening minutes. To the hosts' relief a three-on-two break ended with Dzagoev shooting over and Šemberas was equally wayward after riding a couple of tackles minutes later.

Acute angle
The hosts were lacking spark without a long list of regulars but still they had chances. Owen missed his kick when teed up by Valencia, then Darren Fletcher and Federico Macheda - the former back from injury, the latter appearing for the first time in the competition - sent shots centimetres wide before Akinfeev saved well at Owen's feet. With 25 minutes played CSKA broke the deadlock. Tomáš Necid laid the ball off wth his chest to Dzagoev 30 metres from goal and the 19-year-old headed for the United area. Pulling clear of Jonny Evans, he looked to have carried the ball too far wide only to lash past Edwin van der Sar from an acute angle.

United stunned
Owen appeared to have restored the natural order when he struck from close range after Nani had flicked on Valencia's cross, his first goal in the competition since October 2004. Yet within two minutes CSKA were back in front, Necid flicking on for Krasić to beat the offside trap and round Van der Sar to score. Although Macheda and Scholes both tested Akinfeev's reflexes, CSKA stunned United with a third goal two minutes after half-time as Berezutski profited from slack marking at the far post to head in Dzagoev's free-kick.

Rooney on
On came Wayne Rooney – starting on the bench after the birth of his son yesterday – and Patrice Evra but United could find no way past Akinfeev who repelled Scholes' free-kick and then produced a fabulous double save to keep out Owen's header and Rooney's follow-up. United were now laying siege to the CSKA goal and after Macheda's header hit the post, Akinfeev denied Rooney again, yet the goalkeeper was powerless in the dramatic conclusion to an absorbing contest.

Maccabi Haifa 0-1 Juventus

2009-11-04T00:40:00.003+02:00

Juventus took a huge stride towards the UEFA Champions League last 16 after a dogged 1-0 win at Maccabi Haifa FC, whose fourth straight loss confirmed their elimination from this year's competition.

Dogged display
Mauro Camoranesi struck in first-half added time and his goal ultimately secured the points for Juve, who had the upper hand for large swathes of the contest but could not add to their tally. The win leaves them well placed to progress from Group A with a four-point gap over third-placed FC Bayern München, who lost at home to FC Girondins de Bordeaux, while the Israeli champions will look to overtake their German counterparts over the last two matchdays to secure the section's UEFA Europa League spot.

Buffon brilliance
The visitors put pressure on their hosts right from the opening whistle and Nir Davidovitch was soon called into action, beating away Diego's sixth-minute shot and then tipping wide the same player's free-kick. However, Haifa survived the early pressure and then nearly took the lead themselves, only to be denied by some brilliant goalkeeping. A 28th-minute Yaniv Katan corner was headed down by Dekel Keinan and Vladimer Dvalishvili reacted fastest, flicking the ball over a prostrate Gianluigi Buffon, only for the Bianconeri No1 to claw the ball away to safety.

Camoranesi intervention
The game's overriding pattern soon reasserted itself as Davidovitch had to charge out of his goal to deny Amauri after the Brazilian striker was released by Diego. At the other end, Martín Cáceres's last-ditch tackle rebuffed Devalishvili before the Uruguayan made a telling contribution in attack on the stroke of half-time. Playing with a facial mask to protect his broken nose, Cáceres picked up Diego's sweeping pass before delivering an accurate cut-back which was met by Camoranesi. The Italy midfielder hit a firm first-time shot which took a slight but significant deflection off Dekel Keinan to beat Davidovitch and give the Serie A outfit a lead at the break.

Last chance
With the knowledge that he had nothing to lose, Haifa coach Elisha Levi gambled on a more attack-minded formation as Mohamad Ghadir replaced Jhon Jairo Culma at the interval. In the 54th minute Amauri had an effort ruled out for offside before Diego, at the heart of all Juve's best work, flashed a shot wide of the post. The hosts' best, and final, chance came 13 minutes from time as replacement Lior Refaelov's telling cross beat the visitors' experienced back line, but eluded both Shlomi Arbeitman and Ghadir at the far post. The Italian side had settled for their lot and although Haifa pushed in the closing stages, they could not find a way past Buffon and are still without a goal or a point in this season's UEFA Champions League.

Bayern München 0-2 Bordeaux

2009-11-04T00:37:00.002+02:00

FC Girondins de Bordeaux's exceptional set-piece prowess again came to the fore as they clinched their place in the first knockout round with a 2-0 win at FC Bayern München.

Stealing through
Dead-ball delivery has invigorated Bordeaux's Group A campaign, and when Yoann Gourcuff stole clear to nod in Wendel's 37th-minute free-kick, it was the French champions' fifth goal of the section, all from set-pieces. Marouane Chamakh added a second from open play in the final minute to ensure Les Girondins will finish in the top two, while Bayern's destiny was taken out of their hands following Juventus's victory at Maccabi Haifa FC in the night's other encounter.

Early scare
Coach Laurent Blanc had told Bordeaux to be wary of an early Bayern onslaught, but his words almost rang hollow two minutes in when goalkeeper Cédric Carrasso turned Edson Braafheid's swirling centre on to his own crossbar. That scare, however, belied an otherwise confident start by the visitors. The well-drilled organisation which has made them Ligue 1's meanest side shone through as the same lineup that triumphed in France on Matchday 3 comfortably fended off the hosts.

Spectacular save
With Bayern badly missing the creativity of the injured Franck Ribéry and with their other attacking catalyst, Arjen Robben, consigned to the bench, Bastian Schweinsteiger was expected to supply invention from midfield; and he almost gave his team the lead just after the half-hour. Michaël Ciani's foul on Luca Toni presented Bayern with a centrally placed free-kick, but though Schweinsteiger's execution was impeccable, Carrasso leapt spectacularly to his right to palm the ball away. The Bordeaux keeper deserved his fortune in the ensuing goalmouth mêlée as Ciani and Alou Diarra combined to deny Miroslav Klose on the goalline.

Set-piece lesson
Bayern's failure to take their chance proved still more costly soon afterwards as Bordeaux's brilliance from set-pieces again provided a breakthrough. Bayern had been given fair warning of the danger in their defeat of 21 October, yet they received another unforgiving lesson in the art of the dead ball as Gourcuff arrived late and unmarked to head home Wendel's long free-kick at the back post.

Promising
Louis van Gaal's men should have restored parity within two minutes of the restart. Toni wrestled his way past Marc Planus, only to blaze wastefully over with just Carrasso to beat. Mark van Bommel then had a goalbound shot blocked by Diarra's telescopic leg before Robben, introduced at half-time, grazed a post with a low drive across goal. Had Carrasso not moved smartly to smother an incisive through ball, another Bayern substitute, Mario Gómez, would have had a clear opportunity as the Bundesliga outfit enjoyed a promising spell.

Helping hand
That was as good as it got though for Bayern though, and the heavy rain that poured on the Fuβball Arena München for much of the second period contributed to dampening the locals' enthusiasm. Their misery was complete when communication broke down between the last defender, Holger Badstuber, and goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt as both went to clear a long punt forward by Fernando. Chamakh promptly slid the loose ball into an unguarded net to send Blanc's boys through with two games remaining.

Real Madrid 2-3 AC Milan

2009-10-22T02:04:00.001+02:00

Real Madrid CF and AC Milan played out a UEFA Champions League classic as the Serie A side recovered from Dida's early error to breathe life into their Group C campaign with a 3-2 win.

European heavyweights
With 16 European Champion Clubs' Cups between them and a plethora of stars on display, fans flocked to the Santiago Bernabéu expecting something special – they were not disappointed. Raúl González opened the scoring midway through the opening period but two second-half goals in four minutes from Andrea Pirlo and Pato turned the game on its head. Royston Drenthe's low drive restored parity before Pato decided the contest with a dramatic volley two minutes from time.

Last-minute change
So Madrid's night ended as it had begun – on a sour note. Gonzalo Higuaín picked up an injury during the warm-up to join a daunting list of absentees. Yet Manuel Pellegrini is hardly short on talent and, with Esteban Granero handed his UEFA Champions League debut, the hosts set the early pace. Granero and Karim Benzema bristled with intent and the pair were in the thick of things as Madrid broke the deadlock on 19 minutes. Benzema drew defenders on the edge of the Milan area before teeing up Granero for a speculative effort. It was straight at Dida yet the Brazilian, playing in place of the injured Christian Abbiati, let the ball slip on to his knee and into the path of the prowling Raúl who clipped in his 66th UEFA Champions League goal.

Madrid pressure
The Rossoneri were stunned, and as they allowed their opponents more possession they might have been punished further had Lassana Diarra applied more finesse to his chip. The French international sent another attempt just wide from distance and Marcelo also warmed Dida's hands. Milan threatened only once in the first half, Clarence Seedorf's cross needing a timely Raúl Albiol interception to deny the lurking Filippo Inzaghi with the scores at 0-0, and the second period started in a similar fashion. Raúl flashed a left-footed drive wide before Kaká measured a teasing pass across goal to no avail.

Casillas culpable
Dida was getting plenty of opportunity to atone for his error, denying Benzema and then, following a defensive lapse, Raúl. It all looked so comfortable for Madrid but, in the space of four minutes, they were behind. Receiving possession 30 metres from goal, Pirlo unleashed a blistering strike that crept inside Iker Casillas's near post. The goalkeeper could do nothing about that, yet was culpable when he opted to come out to meet Massimo Ambrosini's lofted pass soon after but misjudged the bounce, leaving Pato to slide the ball into an unguarded net and give Leonardo's side the lead.

Sting
It was merely the beginning of the drama. With 14 minutes left, Drenthe met Raúl's corner with a crisp low shot that levelled matters, yet these sides had played enough European Cup football – 526 matches between them – to suspect another sting in the tail. It duly came: Pato latching on to Seedorf's flighted pass with an emphatic volley to finally settle a thrilling contest.

FC Zürich 0 - 1 Marseille

2009-10-22T02:02:00.004+02:00

Gabriel Heinze's second-half volley kick-started Olympique de Marsille's UEFA Champions League campaign at the third time of asking as the French side earned three vital points at FC Zürich to move back into Group C contention.

Open group
The visitors knew anything less than a win would leave them in a precarious position and produced a display of enterprise and endeavour. Yet they had to wait until 21 minutes from time to break the deadlock in a tight contest, with Zürich looking more determined to avoid a repeat of their opening 5-2 home defeat by Real Madrid CF than to build on their victory at AC Milan last time out. Marseille's success, along with Milan's triumph in Madrid, leaves the Spanish giants and their Serie A rivals on six points apiece, while Zürich and Marseille both have three.

Early warning
Marseille went into the game chasing their first points after losses to Milan and Madrid, and had the ball in the net after just three minutes, though Hilton was adjudged offside after Johnny Leoni had parried Benoît Cheyrou's shot. Undeterred, the Mediterranean team continued to press and Cheyrou fizzed another long-range effort over, while Lucho and Brandão probed as the visitors sought a way through the Zürich defence.

Late flurry
There was no shortage of neat short passing or running off the ball, but both sides struggled to find that decisive final pass or to elude particularly effective offside traps. Zürich midfielder Milan Gajić tried to inject menace with a low drive from the edge of the area but two clearer chances fell to the Ligue 1 club in quick succession just before the break. Hilton rose highest to meet Mathieu Valbuena's left-wing cross but could only direct his header over. Next, Leoni conjured a superb reflex stop when Brandão complemented Mamadou Niang's inviting low centre with a flicked shot from close range.

Marseille momentum
Zürich made a brighter start to the second half, demanding of Steve Mandanda his first real save of the match as he tipped over a wickedly swerving shot from Johan Vonlanthen. However, Marseille quickly recovered their poise and attacking momentum. Their midfielders were constantly looking to release Brandão as they pushed on and there was an opening for Valbuena who hooked a hopeful effort centimetres too high.

Heinze strikes
If Marseille were beginning to wonder whether they would ever get tangible reward for their efforts, the question was answered emphatically by Heinze. A quick throw-in gave Lucho space to swing over a cross from the right and the Argentina defender, completely unmarked at the far post, coolly volleyed past Leoni and into the far corner. To their credit, the Swiss champions responded immediately and Mandanda had to react sharply to turn Gajić's bouncing free-kick round the post. Zürich duly threw everything at the Marseille goal in the closing stages and might have levelled when Alain Rochat was allowed a free header at the very end. His effort flew too high, however, and Didier Deschamps' men held on for a crucial win ahead of the reverse fixture at the Stade Vélodrome on 3 November.

Chelsea FC 4 - 0 Atlético Madrid

2009-10-22T02:02:00.003+02:00

Three games, three wins and still to concede a goal. Chelsea FC may have encountered some difficult waters in the Premier League but in the UEFA Champions League they are once again making serene progress through the group stage as Club Atlético de Madrid found to their cost at Stamford Bridge.

All to do
Two goals from Salomon Kalou helped inflict a second successive defeat for the Spanish side who conceded twice more through Frank Lampard and Luis Perea's own goal. Chelsea can seal qualification in Madrid in two weeks' time when Atlético, five points behind second-placed FC Porto, will have it all to do to keep their hopes alive.

Carvalho dropped
There was a lively opening in west London where Atlético knew there was no benefit for adopting a strategy of containment, their predicament of a single point from two games demanding they seek out attacking opportunities. They may also have been encouraged by the way Chelsea had been conceding goals in the Premier League and the latest demonstration of these frailties, Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa FC, cost Ricardo Carvalho his place with Branislav Ivanović installed at centre-back.

Early chances
Diego Forlán embarked on an early run but failed to trouble Petr Čech with his shot. Then, following Simão's burst of pace that took him beyond Michael Essien, a glorious chance presented itself to the Uruguayan but Čech was equal to his near-post header. Two minutes later and the noisy band of Spanish supporters were ready to acclaim a Sergio Agüero strike as he chased a flick-on with Ivanović slow to respond yet his firm left-footed drive only found the side-netting. The action was coming thick and fast. Next to feature was Lampard as his free-kick was palmed into his own net by Sergio Asenjo but a flag indicating Kalou's offside position spared his blushes.

Blushes spared
Kalou then missed badly as Deco and Michael Ballack combined to play him in but he came good four minutes from the break when he turned in Ashley Cole's cross. Atlético's hope of a comeback unravelled within seven minutes of the restart as Kalou scored again. For Asenjo it was a short period of contrasting fortunes. He first denied Nicolas Anelka who had let fly with a shot of real venom. From a throw-in soon after Asenjo had to hurriedly scramble to claw the ball to safety, but from Lampard's ensuing corner he was undone again as the Ivorian striker climbed imperiously at the far post to nod in.

Lampard makes sure
An immediate chance arose for Agüero to reduce the deficit when he was sent clear again but the Argentinian hesitated, allowing Čech to get down and make the save. Chelsea made sure of the points when Lampard played a one-two with Essien before beating Asenjo at his right-hand post from the edge of the box. Substitute Maxi Rodríguez twice came close to a consolation but, in added time, the visitors suffered the final cruel cut as Perea headed Florent Malouda's free-kick into his own net.

FC Porto 2-1 APOEL FC

2009-10-22T02:01:00.002+02:00

Jesualdo Ferreira celebrated his 100th win in charge of FC Porto as Hulk inspired a 2-1 comeback victory over APOEL FC that strengthened the Portuguese titleholders' hand in UEFA Champions League Group D.

Turnaround
Caught cold by the Cypriot outfit's first real foray forward on 22 minutes, which ended with Álvaro Pereira helping the ball over his own goalline, Porto reacted with wounded pride and levelled through the excellent Hulk eleven minutes later. The Brazilian striker was a constant menace and it was fitting that he should deliver the telling blow, scoring from the spot three minutes into the second period. Mariano González's late dismissal gave APOEL hope of salvaging a draw, yet they never really threatened to add to their solitary point in the section.

Hulk run
Their defensive injury concerns worsened by Christos Kontis's pre-match withdrawal, APOEL nonetheless kept faith in the cautious approach that had posed their previous opponents problems. A style based on closing spaces and harrying the opposition, it tested Porto's talent for invention, although Hulk almost passed that examination single-handedly with 14 minutes gone. The No12 raced past three defenders down the right before shooting off target.

Surprise opener
That effort aside, he and his colleagues were reduced to trying their luck from distance, until a close-range overhead attempt from Cristián Rodríguez, claimed by APOEL goalkeeper Dionisios Chiotis, suggested they were finally zeroing in on their objective. To general surprise, however, the deadlock was broken at the other end, Pereira bundling the ball into his own net in an attempt to prevent Constantinos Charalambides from connecting with Chrysostomos Michail's centre from the left.

Porto momentum
Briefly stunned, the hosts responded 12 minutes before half-time and it was a defensive mistake that let them in. APOEL's Portuguese midfielder Hélio Pinto headed the ball back towards his own area, only to feed Falcao, who skipped past a challenge and set up Hulk to slot low into the far corner. Soon after, Bruno Alves fired over from an indirect free-kick inside the box and Mariano fizzed an effort wide as Porto looked to make their dominance count.

Elia handball
If Ivan Jovanović's APOEL had finished the first period on the ropes, they began the second on the canvas as Hulk converted from the spot following Marios Elia's handball. Having switched flanks, the talented forward then fed Falcao with a perfect low cross which his attacking partner somehow failed to bury. Hulk also elicited a Chiotis save with a vicious drive.

APOEL effort
The home team were clearly anxious to put the contest beyond their rivals, but their intensity slowly waned. APOEL duly started to venture forward and, with 66 minutes gone, they attempted their first shot with Nectarios Alexandrou bringing Helton into the game. The visitors' hopes were further aided by a 74th-minute red card for González after he had clashed with Nuno Morais. Even that numerical advantage was not enough to get them back in, though, and they will need to be more adventurous when they welcome the same opponents on 3 November.

VfL Wolfsburg 0-0 Besiktas JK

2009-10-22T01:58:00.002+02:00

Besiktas JK picked up their first point of this season's UEFA Champions League as the Turkish champions produced a gritty performance to earn a goalless draw at VfL Wolfsburg.

Industrious display
After successive defeats, visiting coach Mustafa Denizli had set his squad the task of simply avoiding an unwanted hat-trick of Group B losses at a chilly VfL Wolfsburg Arena. Though they remain bottom of the section, the Istanbul side edged themselves back into the reckoning with an industrious display that stifled the hosts, for whom a frustrating night was completed with the 74th-minute dismissal of Grafite.

Early chance
Wolfsburg coach Armin Veh had asked his habitually attack-minded team to rein in their more cavalier instincts, yet it did not take long for the German titleholders to get on to the front foot. Ricardo Costa headed over a corner after Besiktas goalkeeper Rüştü Reçber had misjudged the flight of the ball. Then an unmarked Edin Džeko had an excellent opportunity to reproduce his headed strike of Matchday 2, but the Bosnian international failed to find the target.

Deft header
Besiktas were attempting to open their account after a point-less start to the campaign, and İbrahim Kaş tested Diego Benaglio with the home rearguard under pressure following a corner. However, with left-back Marcel Schäfer revelling in the space afforded him down that flank, Wolfsburg continued to threaten. A penetrating dart from the Germany player ended with low shot that forced Rüştü into a near-post save, before a pinpoint Schäfer centre found Džeko whose deft header sailed just wide of the far post.

Wolfsburg enterprise
Having dampened the locals' early ardour, Besiktas began to show more enterprise. Benaglio had to race off his line to gather at Bobô's feet before Nihat Kahveci's alert play enabled Rodrigo Tello to send a curling effort perilously close to the top corner. The danger posed by the away side proved fleeting, though. Wolfsburg used their overwhelming possession to good effect, even if the best of their first-half chances came courtesy of a miscued İbrahim Kaş header which released Džeko to fire tamely at Rüştü.

Suffocating pressure
The former Turkish international was fortunate not to be picking the ball out of his net during a suffocating burst of Wolfsburg pressure just after the break. Having come to punch clear a high ball, Rüştü was left stranded but Christian Gentner blazed over the unattended goal. The Besiktas No1 then saw Džeko strike the outside of a post from an acute angle after the Wolfsburg forward had wriggled clear of Matteo Ferrari.

Grafite off
The traffic was not all one-way, and Alexander Madlung was required to step across smartly to prevent Nihat racing clear. However, Wolfsburg's hopes of a second group-stage win effectively disappeared with Grafite's red card following an off-the-ball incident involving İbrahim Kaş. The striker will therefore be suspended for the clubs' Matchday 4 encounter in Istanbul on 3 November, when Besiktas will be seeking the victory that will breathe fresh life into their campaign.

CSKA 0-1 Manchester United

2009-10-22T01:57:00.002+02:00

Manchester United FC produced yet another late winner as they defeated PFC CSKA Moskva thanks to an 86th-minute goal from Antonio Valencia.

Far-post strike
The Ecuadorean winger followed up his first United goal last weekend by opening his UEFA Champions League account, beating Igor Akinfeev with a far-post shot to secure victory for the English titleholders on their return to the Luzhniki Stadium, scene of their 2008 final victory, and maintain their 100 per cent record at the Group B summit. Sir Alex Ferguson's men won their first two games with goals after 77 and 78 minutes but the fact they had to work even harder will be no consolation to a CSKA side beaten for the second time in three matches.

Regulars missing
Neither team entered the contest at full strength. Missing the injured Guilherme, CSKA coach Juande Ramos opted for a 4-4-1-1 system with lone striker Tomáš Necid supported by the lively Alan Dzagoev. United, for their part, had travelled out to Moscow without a handful of regulars – Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, Patrice Evra, Darren Fletcher and Ji-Sung Park – which meant a UEFA Champions League debut for the 19-year-old Brazilian Fabio at left-back.

Slow pace
Nemanja Vidić presented an early opportunity to the hosts when ceding possession but Miloš Krasić failed to direct his shot on target. If the game was unfolding at a slow pace that was through no fault of Fabio, the United teenager playing an active part down the left, where the visitors did most of their best work. Paul Scholes offered their first serious threat on goal when he tried his luck from distance after 25 minutes – the ball took an awkward bounce in front of Igor Akinfeev and the Russian international goalkeeper had to react smartly to push it over the crossbar.

Krasić miss
After headed opportunities for Necid and Berbatov, Krasić came close to opening the scoring for CSKA, firing past the far post from a tight angle on the right side of the United area. United then threatened through an unlikely source as captain Gary Neville picked up Berbatov's flick and tried his luck from distance, his shot striking the top of Akinfeev's net. The tempo picked up further after the restart and there were opportunities at both ends. Dzagoev put the ball in the United net in the 54th minute but was denied by an offside flag while his free-kick led to Sergei Ignashevich shooting just wide. At the other end Akinfeev showed his brilliance on the hour, denying Nani's diving header from Neville's cross.

Scent victory
Typically United started to scent victory in the closing stages. With ten minutes remaining Valencia and Nani exchanged passes on the edge of the box before the Ecuadorian sent the ball crashing against the crossbar. CSKA were trying to catch United on the counterattack but Valencia would not be denied and six minutes later after Berbatov had flicked on Nani's left-wing cross, he turned and fired past Akinfeev. Anderson almost added a second in added time, curling the ball past the far post, but one was enough for United.

Juventus 1 - 0 Maccabi Haifa

2009-10-22T01:55:00.001+02:00

uventus grabbed three precious points in UEFA Champions League Group A after toughing out a 1-0 win against ten-man Maccabi Haifa FC in a rainy Turin on Matchday 3.

High and low
Giorgio Chiellini's simple header two minutes after the break was enough to lift Juventus on to five points at the group's halfway stage. By contrast, the Israeli champions, who faded after a bright beginning and suffered the second-half dismissal of Tiago Dutra, still have nothing, not even a goal, to show for their efforts in the competition.

Early scares
After a fruitless first two group games, Haifa almost had the perfect start. Finding himself alone eight metres out, Vladimer Dvalishvili headed a bouncing centre powerfully towards goal but Gianluigi Buffon – warm enough with two minutes gone – stuck out a hand to leave the Georgian pulling his hair in frustration. Soon after, Buffon's opposite number, Nir Davidovitch, did the same to divert to safety Fabio Grosso's firm, if poorly disguised, free-kick from the edge of the area.

Dancing feet
Although the hosts had endured a winless month, there was a sprightliness to Juventus's early play. Driven on by Sebastian Giovinco's quick feet and Grosso's surging overlaps, the Bianconeri pestered the right side of Maccabi's defence. From one Grosso cross, Trezeguet, playing his 300th match for the Turin club, steered a volley centimetres wide with the outside of his boot. Giovinco was beating players for fun and had to be upended by Jorge Teixeira mid-slalom.

Test of nerve
Mohamed Sissoko glanced a Mauro Camoranesi set-piece narrowly off target, then Diego cracked a free-kick just past the woodwork, yet the first goal would not arrive before half-time to calm the Old Lady's nerves. Two minutes after the interval, though, she could relax and sit pretty. Haifa's defence retreated before Diego's firm, inswinging free-kick from the left and Chiellini popped up at the back post to nod in.

Sending-off
Diego almost doubled the advantage with a cheeky chip from 25 metres before Trezeguet and Giovinco forced Davidovitch into decent stops as the home team surged forward. The Ligat Ha'Al side were losing their discipline more than their shape. Midway through the second period, Chiellini was involved in another key incident when he fell under a dangerous-looking challenge from Dutra. The Haifa substitute was shown a straight red card to complicate matters further for Elisha Levi's charges.

Post rattled
Amauri replaced Trezeguet with ten minutes left as Juventus attacked with caution against the ten men – betraying their anxiety and the importance of a first victory. They were nearly made to pay for their conservative approach as first Dvalishvili, with a turn and shot, and then Dekel Keinan – back-post header – gave Buffon serious work to do. Camoranesi might have settled matters as the clocked ticked down, rattling the near upright with only the keeper for company. Giovinco's last-minute free-kick brought another scare for Davidovitch, but one goal was enough in the end. The clubs meet again in sunnier climes on 3 November.

Bordeaux 2 - 1 Bayern Munich

2009-10-22T01:52:00.001+02:00

Michaël Ciani scored for the second UEFA Champions League game running to make amends for his early own goal and enable FC Girondins de Bordeaux to see off nine-man FC Bayern München in a tense and eventful game.

Drama
Bayern got off to an ideal start thanks to Ciani's misfortune but the game slipped from their grasp in three disastrous first-half minutes when Ciani equalised and Thomas Müller was then dismissed. Marc Planus put Les Marine et Blanc ahead before the break and though Hans-Jörg Butt saved two second-half penalties, the latter after Daniel Van Buyten was also sent off, Bordeaux hung on to go two points clear at the top of Group A, with Bayern down to third before these sides' 3 November rematch.

Own goal
Ciani's first-ever European goal secured all three points for Les Girondins against Maccabi Haifa FC last time out, yet the defender's luck deserted him six minutes in as he deflected Holger Badstuber's corner into his own net from close range. Having just suffered a second straight defeat for the first time in Laurent Blanc's reign on Saturday, this early strike further dented the home side's confidence as Bayern's powerful midfield trio established a grip.

Ciani redemption
Bordeaux's principal creator, Yoann Gourcuff, failed to even touch the ball for nine minutes, but when he finally did, his diagonal pass found Marouane Chamakh who sliced wide from a tight angle. While chances from open play proved scarce, the Ligue 1 outfit succeeded in upping the pressure via set-pieces. Wendel had seen one stinging free-kick parried by Butt when, on 27 minutes, the Brazilian's corner was brilliantly flicked in by Ciani at the near post for the first goal against Bayern in the group, prompting an outpouring of relief from the 25-year-old.

Bordeaux ahead
The contest swung further in favour of the French champions when the visitors' in-form playmaker Müller picked up his second yellow card for a trip on Mathieu Chalmé, giving a now vibrant Bordeaux even more momentum. Wendel nodded Chalmé's cross over before Gourcuff's superb swirling shot produced a fine fingertip Butt save. However, the second goal duly arrived after 40 minutes, Planus forcing in Hamit Altıntop's attempted clearance after Wendel had whipped in a low free-kick from the right.

Penalty saved
The ten men of Bayern appeared content to allow Bordeaux possession in the second half, choosing their moment to spring forward with menace. On one such occasion, Luca Toni ghosted in at the near post before turning Bastian Schweinsteiger's cross wide. Gourcuff had the ideal opportunity to calm his side's nerves from the penalty spot after Butt had lost possession and fouled Chamakh, but the goalkeeper made amends by saving the French international's dinked effort one-handed. Gourcuff hooked the rebound wide of an empty net.

Toni denied
The drama continued on 72 minutes, Toni heading Mark van Bommel's centre against the post. That proved Bayern's final chance, but Bordeaux were made to sweat until the very end after substitute Jussiê had another spot-kick saved by Butt following a challenge on Chamakh for which Van Buyten was dismissed. Both he and Müller will miss the return.

Olympiacos FC 2 - 1 Standard de Liège

2009-10-21T05:07:00.001+02:00

A last-gasp Ieroklis Stoltidis header earned Olympiacos FC an invaluable UEFA Champions League Group H win against R. Standard de Liège in Piraeus.

Dramatic end
Standard had forged ahead through captain Igor De Camargo's composed finish late eight minutes before half-time but Kostas Mitroglou ensured the sides were all-square at the interval. Both sides had chances but the match seemed destined for a draw until deep into added time when substitute Stoltidis powered in Luciano Galletti's corner. Olympiacos closed within one point of leaders Arsenal FC, four ahead of AZ Alkmaar and five clear of bottom-placed Standard, who welcome the Greek champions on 4 November.

Frantic opening
Olympiacos coach Zico had urged his players to attack from the first minute and they did just that, Dudu blazing over after their initial attack. The visitors responded swiftly, Dieudonné Mbokani shooting wide. Yet the home side were soon on top and as the boisterous supporters in the stands tried to unsettle László Bölöni's team, Galletti – making his group-stage bow after injury – and Jaouad Zairi were doing likewise down the flanks.

Chances
Zairi tried his luck from distance, but Standard remained a threat and midfielder Wilifried Dalmat was presented with a chance to put the visitors ahead midway through the half. The impressive Mbokani dribbled past Olof Mellberg and Michał Żewłakow on the left before sending over a cross which landed kindly for Dalmat, but the Frenchman flashed his shot narrowly wide. Galletti replied immediately for Olympiacos, shaving the left post with a speculative strike.

Goal rush
Despite long spells of pressure from the home side it was Standard who opened the scoring. De Camargo, who passed a late fitness test after recovering from a broken toe, ran on to Milan Jovanović's clever through-ball and slotted low past Antonis Nikopolidis to stun the home crowd. Olympiacos were level two minutes before half-time, however, Mitroglou looping in a header from Galletti's free-kick.

Standard threat
The visitors were back on the attack after the restart and Jovanović was denied by a point-blank Nikopolidis save four minutes in. At the other end Galletti drew a smart save from Sinan Bolat with a shot from an acute angle while Mellberg flashed a header over as Olympiacos regained the initiative.

Exciting finish
Both teams continued to go for goals in an entertaining match, Mitroglou trying his luck with an improvised overhead kick before Jovanović rattled the crossbar with a stunning strike from distance. Olympiacos poured forward in the latter stages and Dudu had the ball in the net after 84 minutes but his effort was ruled out for handball. Maresca then drew a superb save from Bolat but the goalkeeper was finally beaten at the death by Stoltidis, a 72nd-minute replacement for Zairi.

AZ Alkmaar 1 - 1 Arsenal FC

2009-10-21T04:44:00.002+02:00

Arsenal FC looked destined to make it nine points from three games in UEFA Champions League Group H after captain Cesc Fàbregas struck in the first half, only for David Mendes da Silva to volley an equaliser for AZ Alkmaar in the third minute of added time.

Midfield tussle
The home side initially held their own, matching Arsenal in midfield, but failed to really test Vito Mannone in the visitors' goal. Arsenal struggled to create many clear-cut openings either yet still took the lead on 36 minutes when Fàbregas stroked in after linking superbly with Andrei Arshavin and Robin van Persie. The Dutch international came close to doubling his side's lead before and after the break, whereas AZ were only sporadically dangerous until Mendes da Silva struck, leaving his side in third place with two points, five behind leaders Arsenal who they visit on 4 November.

AZ hold their own
Arsenal almost took the lead on nine minutes when Van Persie gathered Abou Diaby's cross, cut inside and sent in a powerful shot from ten metres that forced a fine save from Sergio Romero. Despite the early chance for the visitors, AZ did not look like a team who had lost five of their last eight matches, winning the majority of challenges in midfield and keeping possession well. They nearly edged in front after 26 minutes, but Mounir El Hamdaoui's venomous drive from the edge of the box just cleared the bar. Three minutes later, Arshavin's clever curling shot dropped onto the roof of the net with Romero beaten.

Fàbregas strikes
Arsenal continued to probe the AZ defence and were rewarded nine minutes before the break. Arshavin dispossessed Niklas Moisander and released Van Persie, whose perfect centre was tapped into a gaping net by Fàbregas. Van Persie almost doubled his side's lead on 43 minutes, with Romero only just managing to deflect his thunderous shot over the top. The same player threatened first after half-time, but AZ's Argentinian international keeper got down well to palm his 25-metre free-kick away.

Van Persie threat
AZ were battling hard to get back into the match, but with an hour on the clock Mannone had not needed to make a save. Van Persie still seemed the most likely to score at the other end, but his drive on 63 minutes was high and wide. Ronald Koeman tried to break the pattern of the game by introducing striker Jeremain Lens for Maarten Martens soon after, but it was an Arsenal player who nearly brought the Dutch champions level, Diaby heading a Stijn Schaars corner onto the top of his own bar with just under 20 minutes to go.

Late drama
The AZ coach upped the ante even further by replacing midfielder Brett Holman with forward Graziano Pellè, though it was a defender who came agonisingly close, Moreno toe-poking a Schaars free-kick millimetres wide with Mannone stranded. Just as Arsenal looked destined to leave with all three points, though, Pellè headed on a high ball into the box for Mendes da Silva to volley in an equaliser in the third minute of added time and earn his side a precious point.

VfB Stuttgart 1 - 3 Sevilla FC

2009-10-21T04:43:00.002+02:00

Sevilla FC put one foot in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round as two Sébastien Squillaci goals helped secure a third successive Group G win at VfB Stuttgart, despite a spirited performance from the home team.

Clinical edge
The German side put in a promising attacking display but were ultimately made to pay for a failure to convert their chances. Two set-piece headers from French international defender Squillaci either side of a Jesús Navas strike did the damage for the visitors, who established a five-point cushion at the top of the section. They were forced to endure plenty of pressure against a positive Stuttgart team who perhaps deserved more than Élson's 74th-minute consolation.

Stuttgart surge
Stuttgart started purposefully, Julian Schieber heading Sami Khedira's cross just wide inside the first minute. Schieber was clearly keen to prove his worth having been preferred to Pavel Pogrebnyak up front, going close twice more in the opening 15 minutes while Aleksandr Hleb threaded a superb pass through for Cacau to cut in from the left, but his effort was comfortably saved by Javi Varas.

Squillaci surprise
With pressure mounting a goal appeared imminent and seemed to have arrived when Zdravko Kuzmanović shot in from the edge of the penalty area, but Schieber had strayed offside. The home crowd were in fine voice as their side dominated the opening exchanges, but 23 minutes in the stadium fell silent as Jesús Navas rolled a short corner to Adriano and the midfielder made the most of the time and space he was afforded, measuring a perfect cross for Squillaci to head in at the far post.

Positive response
Markus Babbel's charges refused to let their heads drop and almost responded immediately, Hleb's left-foot shot fizzing just wide and Kuzmanović firing narrowly over after some intricate footwork from the impressive Hleb. Sevilla coach Manuel Jiménez clearly took heed of the plentiful warnings, replacing Luis Fabiano with Aldo Duscher at the interval in hope of preserving the slender lead.

Sucker punch
The more defensive switch did nothing to alter the pattern of play, Stuttgart again enjoying the upper hand, yet once more they were caught out at the back ten minutes after the restart. Jens Lehmann could only palm out substitute Diego Perotti's awkward left-wing cross and the alert Jesús Navas was swift to profit, prodding into the yawning net. With Stuttgart forced to commit men forward Frédéric Kanouté took advantage of the resulting space and found himself clean through, rounding Lehmann only for Khalid Boulahrouz to spare Stuttgart blushes.

Squillaci again
Any lingering home hopes were nevertheless finished by another Sevilla set-piece on 72 minutes, Ivica Dragutinović delivering an inswinging free-kick from the right for Squillaci to glance past the exposed Lehmann. Although substitute Élson replied at once with a stunning free-kick from 25 metres, it was scant consolation for Stuttgart and Babbel's team now face an uphill struggle to progress ahead of the reverse fixture in Spain on 4 November.

Rangers FC 1 - 4 FC Unirea Urziceni

2009-10-21T04:42:00.001+02:00

FC Unirea Urziceni recorded their maiden UEFA Champions League win after inflicting Rangers FC's second straight 4-1 home defeat in Group G on a night of three own goals.

Second place
Rangers hoped to have banished their Matchday 2 loss to Sevilla FC when Ricardo Vilana deflected into his own net in the second minute. But Marius Bilasco equalised midway through the first half and after Daniel Tudor had saved Steven Davis's penalty, the second period began with both Rangers substitute Kyle Lafferty and team-mate Lee McCulloch scoring for Unirea. Pablo Brandán's clinching fourth lifted the Romanian champions to second place in the pool, two points ahead of VfB Stuttgart.

Rangers ahead
Unirea coach Dan Petrescu made nine changes from the side that lost to SC Vaslui at the weekend with Tudor making his UEFA Champions League debut and the goalkeeper's first task was to pick the ball out of the net after less than 90 seconds. From the first corner of the game Jérôme Rothen picked out Pedro Mendes on the edge of the box and the Portuguese midfielder's shot took a massive deflection off Vilana before looping over Tudor into the net.

Unirea change
It was the perfect start for the home side and Mendes, back in the side after recovering from a thigh strain, was the architect of Rangers' next opportunity ten minutes later when Kenny Miller headed over from a free-kick. To their credit Unirea then settled and Petrescu demonstrated his attacking intent by sacrificing wing-back Epaminonda Nicu for another striker, Marius Onofraş. However, twice in the space of a minute, Rangers could have doubled their lead when Miller and Steven Naismith passed up presentable opportunities.

Equaliser
However, Unirea made their pressure count just after the half-hour. Brandán was released down the left and his low centre picked out Bilasco, who slotted in from close range. Six minutes later Rangers had a penalty when Bruno Fernandes handled a David Weir header in the box, but Tudor dived to his right to deny Davis.

Visitors ahead
Walter Smith's response was to introduce Lafferty for Mendes at half-time as Rangers reverted to a 4-4-2 formation. However, it made little difference to the overall pattern of the game and indeed the substitute was in the wrong place when the visitors took the lead four minutes after the interval. A short corner was played to Iulian Apostol and his low cross was backheeled by Fernandes, taking the faintest of touches off Lafferty's left leg before nestling in the back of the net.

Victory sealed
To make matters worse for the home side, Unirea scored a third just before the hour and again it was an own goal, McCulloch diverting Tiberiu Bălan's free-kick past McGregor. An evening of defections was completed when Brandán's free-kick took a touch off Naismith's boot to give Unirea their maiden European victory and leave Rangers rooted to the bottom of Group G as they prepare to visit Romania on 4 November.

Internazionale 2 - 2 FC Dynamo Kyiv

2009-10-21T04:41:00.001+02:00

FC Internazionale Milano have now gone a year without a UEFA Champions League victory and it could have been worse after they had to twice come from behind to earn a share of the Group F spoils with an adventurous FC Dynamo Kyiv team.

Barren spell
The visitors controlled much of the first half and were ahead inside five minutes as Taras Mikhalik coolly slotted in. By contrast Inter were lacklustre, but dragged themselves back into the contest ten minutes before half-time. Dejan Stanković equalised after a blistering counterattack and, although the hosts went into the interval behind following Lucio's own goal, they were a different side from then on. Walter Samuel levelled again two minutes after the restart and 2-2 is how it ended, despite chances for both teams.

Attacking bent
Valeri Gazzaev had made a bold statement in selecting a three-man forward line and his audacity brought early reward. The game was just four minutes old when Artem Milevskiy, the centre of the attacking trident, flicked a corner into the path of Andriy Yarmolenko who somehow poked wide from two metres. Yet before the replays could show just how good a chance that was, Dynamo were ahead. An innocuous free-kick from the left deflected off Stanković and to Mikhalik, who turned adroitly and fired in off Júlio César's near post.

Stanković equaliser
José Mourinho's Christmas tree formation was showing little sparkle and Andriy Shevchenko, returning to a stadium he knows better than most, almost doubled the lead with a downward header on 26 minutes. That would have been the former AC Milan striker's 15th goal against the Nerazzurri but fortune was not on his side and, having created so little, the hosts were soon level after a move smacking of class. Wesley Sneijder spun into space inside his own half and spread the ball right to Lucio, who slid it to meet Stanković's delightfully-timed run. With Stanislav Bogush rushing off his line the Serbian midfielder finished low past him.

Set-pieces
Dynamo rallied and got the luck they deserved five minutes before the break. Milevskiy got the slightest of touches to another corner and Lucio, unable to adjust, headed into his own net. Mourinho was stung into action, introducing an extra attacker in David Suazo and sending his players out early for the second half. Within two minutes of the restart it was 2-2, Samuel swooping to flick a header into the far corner following Sneijder's corner.

Shevchenko chance
Inter pressed for the winner but with little joy as Dynamo defended deeply. Still menacing on the break, a hashed clearance by Lucio on 73 minutes allowed Shevchenko a clear run on goal but the veteran fired badly wide with only César to beat. Still Inter came and though Suazo did find the net in added time, the assistant referee's raised flag ensured this match ended 2-2. Wuth a single point separating the four teams in Group F, the sides will lock horns again in Kiev in a fortnight hoping for more.

FC Barcelona 1 - 2 FC Rubin Kazan

2009-10-21T04:39:00.001+02:00

FC Rubin Kazan's stunning 2-1 win at European champions FC Barcelona was both a triumph for their coach Kurban Berdyev and a sorry case of déjà vu for opposite number Josep Guardiola.

Unwanted statistic
Guardiola has now been involved in both victories by Russian clubs at Camp Nou – this remarkable triumph, courtesy of goals in each half from Aleksandr Ryazantsev and Gökdeniz Karadeniz, followed a PFC CSKA Moskva success in the 1992/93 UEFA Champions League which eliminated Guardiola and company from the competition as holders. The visitors displayed total confidence and even though Zlatan Ibrahimović blasted in a 48th-minute equaliser and hit the bar late on, there was no denying them a glorious first win in the group stage.

Glorious strike
Despite all the warnings from their coach against complacency, and specifically about the Russian champions' ability to shoot from range, Barcelona could not have expected such a rude awakening. Some fans were still taking their seats, and one or two European champions were evidently settling into the match, when Yaya Touré let the ball slip through his legs. Midfielder Ryazantsev swiftly collected possession, sized up the distance and unleashed a marvellous right-footed shot from well outside the box that fizzed past Víctor Valdés.

Resistance
Although the hosts tried to emulate Ryazantsev's thrilling strike for the remainder of the first half, they simply could not. Ibrahimović, victim of a knee injury which had kept him out of the weekend goalless draw at Valencia CF, led the way. Twice in 15 minutes he forced Sergei Ryzhikov to make decent saves, before Rubin's Spanish defender César Navas robbed the Swede with a terrific last-gasp tackle when Ibrahimović was about to pull the trigger. Pedro Rodríguez, scorer of the goal that gave Barça the UEFA Super Cup in August, then produced a prodigious leap to head towards the corner of the net – but Ryzhikov stopped the ball at full stretch. Indeed, the visiting No77 looked nothing like a goalkeeper who had already conceded four goals in Group F as he thwarted Lionel Messi shortly before the break.

Conviction
Nor were Rubin performing like a team whose 2-1 weekend league victory against FC Khimki had been their first win in six outings – Berdyev's charges showed great conviction throughout. Despite defending in numbers, they caused another flutter of Blaugrana nerves with a free-kick just before the break as Alejandro Domínguez stung Valdés's palms.

Clincher
Within three minutes of the restart, Ibrahimović's first UEFA Champions League goal for Barcelona seemed to herald a dramatic second-half turnaround, but the Spanish titleholders never appeared at ease and only another Ibrahimović free-kick threatened a second goal for the home side. So the group-stage debutants waited for their chance and took it with aplomb 17 minutes from time. Domínguez broke down the middle and supplied a perfect pass for Karadeniz whose blistering speed left Rafael Márquez floundering and allowed him the opportunity to rifle the ball across Valdés and in. Barcelona's new No9 almost rescued a bittersweet point with an effort off the bar, as did Touré's header against the upright. Yet this Russian triumph was as deserved as it was surprising.

Debreceni 3 - 4 Fiorentina

2009-10-21T04:36:00.001+02:00

An inspired performance from Adrian Mutu helped ACF Fiorentina to a thrilling 4-3 victory away to Debreceni VSC which strengthens the Viola's grip on second place in Group E.

First goal
Debrecen also conceded four at home to section leaders Olympique Lyonnais last time out and are still searching for a first UEFA Champions League point in their debut campaign, but can draw much hope from tonight's showing. They scored their first group-stage goal as Péter Czvitkovics fired them in front early on, only for two Mutu strikes and another from Alberto Gilardino to put the visitors 3-1 ahead. Gergely Rudolf and Fiorentina's Mario Santana then traded goals before Adamo Coulibaly headed in two minutes from time to set up a frantic finale.

Drama
It capped a stunning encounter which had begun when, with the fans still settling into their seats, Czvitkovics slid in at the far post to convert a teasing deep cross from newly-capped Hungary midfielder József Varga. Debrecen's joy was short-lived and four minutes later Mutu turned in the equaliser with a calm side-footed finish following Dario Dainelli's right-wing delivery.

Goals galore
Mutu and Gilardino were in inspired mood. It was Mutu's ball from a Juan Vargas slide-rule pass into the box which allowed Gilardino – who missed Matchday 2's 2-0 defeat of Liverpool FC through suspension – to fire the visitors in front on ten minutes. Vargas had hit the crossbar moments earlier in a rampant Fiorentina spell. Mutu's second of the evening, before 20 minutes were up, struck the post as it fizzed its way in. Gilardino had returned the favour to his strike partner with a subtle lay-off after bundling his way past defenders Norbert Mészáros and Leandro.

Rudolf strike
Incredibly, those goals were upstaged by something even better as Debrecen pulled a goal back when Rudolf rounded off a solo run with a stunning curling finish from a tight angle on the left edge of the box which gave Sébastien Frey no chance. The French goalkeeper had gone 428 minutes without conceding prior to Saturday's 1-1 draw at Juventus, yet here faced up to the rare sensation of picking the ball out of the back of the net for the second time.

Defensive difficulties
A sixth goal followed eight minutes before the break, a strike which highlighted Debrecen's difficulties in defending the second ball. Mutu's near-post shot was well saved by Vukašin Poleksić but the rebound fell to Santana, who side-footed in via a slight deflection off Zoltán Szélesi. Early in the second period Mutu could have completed his hat-trick but sent an unmarked diving header wide from close range.

Return fixture
Coulibaly three times went close to pulling a goal back for the Hungarian champions before finally heading in László Bodnár's free-kick with two minutes to play, although the drama ended there. Fiorentina will hope to take another step towards finishing in the top two when they host the return fixture on 4 November.

Liverpool 1-2 Lyon

2009-10-21T04:30:00.005+02:00

Olympique Lyonnais asserted their supremacy at the top of Group E in superb fashion as they came from behind to record a famous victory at Liverpool FC through goals from substitutes Maxime Gonalons and César Delgado.

Late turnaround
Liverpool looked on course to claim the three points after shrugging off a slow start and taking a 41st-minute lead through Yossi Benayoun but Lyon revived impressively in the closing stages and after young defender Gonalons had headed them level, the stage was set for Delgado's added-time winner. Miralem Pjanić sent Sidney Govou into the box down the right and though his cross evaded both Pepe Reina and Bafétimbi Gomis, Delgado was on hand to turn it in at the far post. For Lyon, a glorious denouement on their Anfield debut; for Liverpool, serious concerns after their second defeat in Group E and fourth in succession – their worst run since 1987.

Injury blows
Liverpool came into the game in need of a restorative result yet, already handicapped by the absences of Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson – necessitating a rare start for David Ngog and a first start for Martin Kelly respectively – they then lost Steven Gerrard, the captain lasting just 25 minutes of his return after a groin problem. At that stage, Rafael Benítez's team had struggled to trouble the visitors. Gerrard had seen an early shot deflect into the side-netting while Dirk Kuyt's push on Jérémy Toulalan meant his subsequent headed goal did not stand.

Lisandro opening
The best early opening had come at the other end with Lisandro looking certain to score when he got his head to Aly Cissokho's superb cross but directing the ball too close to Reina. Govou then tried a spectacular volley but blazed over. As it was, Gerrard's replacement, Fábio Aurélio, made a telling contribution as Liverpool seized control during a strong finish to the half. The Brazilian, operating in left midfield, almost set up a breakthrough after 36 minutes, retrieving an overhit Kelly cross and returning the ball to the middle where Kuyt's shot was blocked and Ngog's volley stopped by goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

Aurélio impact
Aurélio's next cross, driven low, did lead to a goal. The ball deflected off Cris and across goal where Kelly missed his kick but Benayoun, arriving at the far post, swept the ball past Lloris. That was Cris's last contribution, the defender leaving on a stretcher with apparent concussion having earlier felt Kuyt's knee crash against his head. Aurélio himself then almost added a second, his header from a fine centre by Kelly drawing an excellent one-handed stop from Lloris.

Lyon triumph
Liverpool remained on top after the restart but missed opportunities to extend their lead, Benayoun and Ngog both going close before Lloris turned behind Kuyt's header. To their credit Lyon kept going and their reward came in the 72nd minute with Gonalons' equaliser. After Reina had flapped at a corner, the Spaniard looked to have redeemed himself with spectacular saves from Toualalan and Jean II Makoun but despite Kelly's best efforts on the line there was no stopping Gonalons' ensuing header. Not a bad way for the 20-year-old makeshift centre-back, Cris's replacement, to score his first senior goal and there was even better to follow for the visitors as Delgado followed suit, the Argentinian opening his UEFA Champions League account in the most dramatic fashion imaginable.

Zürich shock AC Milan & Real Madrid 3-0 Marseille

2009-10-01T00:23:00.004+02:00

AC Milan 0-1 FC Zürich

FC Zürich pulled off one of the shocks of the UEFA Champions League group stage as Hannu Tihinen's tenth-minute goal earned the Swiss titleholders a memorable win at AC Milan.

Cheeky
Tihinen's touch of impudence – a back-heel from Milan Gajić's corner – stunned the Rossoneri, who created enough chances to equalise in an excitingly open match, but found ill fortune and an inspired Johnny Leoni in their way at every occasion. The Finnish international's goal proved enough to earn Zürich their first Group C victory, lifting them to second place, above Milan on head-to-head record thanks to this result.

Tihinen's moment
Milan, despite shaky domestic form, began with the composure of a side seasoned in European football and came close to a breakthrough when Ignazio Abate, on his first UEFA Champions League start, sent over a right-wing cross which almost fooled Leoni, who cleared off the line with his feet. Yet it was Leoni's opposite number Marco Storari who was most surprised when, from their first corner, Zürich took the lead as Tihinen steered in Gajić's centre with a clever back-flick.

Lost chances
Storari was furious at his team-mates, who responded by charging upfield and creating a chance for Filippo Inzaghi. The prominent Clarence Seedorf combined with Marek Jankulovski, whose pass to the far post eluded the stretching Inzaghi by fractions. Seedorf himself blazed over after Pato had teed him up midway through the first period, and Inzaghi glanced a header wide from another quality Abate delivery. As the Italian outfit turned the screw, Seedorf tried his luck again, blasting a 20-metre shot narrowly wide.

Zürich improvement
It was by no means one-way traffic though: Dušan Djurić, Silvan Aegerter and Gajić causing the hosts problems with their quick passing and movement. Indeed, Zürich looked the stronger of the sides as the half progressed. Djurić had already fired wide on 14 minutes before Xavier Margairaz sent an even better opportunity over the bar following a slick interchange and, on the stroke of half-time, Gajić elicited a diving stop from Storari.

Milan onslaught
Coach Leonardo introduced Ronaldinho at the break and Milan soon upped the tempo. Within minutes, the Brazilian had warmed Leoni's palms with a powerful free-kick. The Zürich No1 saved again on 58 minutes, brilliantly turning Inzaghi's goal-bound header away from the top corner. Nor could Inzaghi believe his luck seven minutes later when he met Ambrosini's cut-back only for Leoni's feet to deny him. During the onslaught, Pato had also raced on to Ronaldinho's slide-rule pass, only to chip narrowly wide.

To the rescue
Against the run of play, Milan were almost caught out when Margairaz hared through on goal but Storari's left foot kept his side in the match. Two-nil would have been an unfair reflection of events and, as the Serie A giants poured forward late on, Ambrosini and Inzaghi both came agonisingly close to equalising with the seconds ticking down. Gianluca Zambrotta even hit a post with a curling effort, but the night belonged to Zürich.

Real Madrid 3-0 Marseille

Real Madrid CF made sure of their second triumph in UEFA Champions League Group C after three second-half goals in quick succession helped Manuel Pellegrini's side break down a stubborn Olympique de Marseille at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Decisive spell
After a subdued first-half showing, the Spanish club finally opened up their Mediterranean guests with Cristiano Ronaldo registering twice and Kaká scoring from the penalty spot. Amid the flurry of goals, OM were reduced to ten men by Souleymane Diawara's sending-off.

Confident start
Marseille came into the match on the back of five straight away defeats in the competition and without the injured Bakari Koné, Garry Bocaly and Hilton, yet the visitors began confidently and Benoît Cheyrou missed the game's first chance with a shot over the crossbar. Didier Deschamps' team continued to seek out an opening as the half progressed and Stéphane Mbia almost found Mamadou Niang with a low pass into the centre, but Iker Casillas was alert to the danger.

Solid goalkeeping
Madrid had enjoyed a 100 per cent start to their season prior to this encounter with Ligue 1 opposition, yet against a five-man Marseille defence, Los Merengues struggled to show any fluidity and were limited to speculative efforts from Kaká and Ronaldo which Steve Mandanda handled comfortably. Just after the midway point, the visiting supporters sensed their moment had arrived when Lucho fed the sprightly Niang who eased past Pepe before firing straight at Casillas. At the other end, Ronaldo tested Mandanda with another strike from distance before Benzema almost found the target with an overhead kick that dropped over the bar. Benzema was again involved moments before the break when he accepted Kaká's flick-on and had his ensuing attempt saved by the Marseille keeper.

Madrid blitz
After a sluggish opening to the second period, the match changed completely in the space of six minutes as Madrid scored three times and Marseille lost a man. Ronaldo made the difference when he raced on to Pepe's long punt forward before rolling the ball underneath the leaping Mandanda. Shortly afterwards Ronaldo was the centre of attention again, the referee awarding a penalty after he had zipped past Gabriel Heinze and been halted by Diawara. The defender received a second yellow card. Kaká dispatched a cool penalty. With the hour mark reached and Madrid's fans in full voice, Benzema played a one-two with Kaká on the edge of the area before laying a ball across goal for Ronaldo to net his second, and his fourth of this UEFA Champions League campaign.

Record breaker
Raúl González kept the festive mood going when he entered the fray as a 78th-minute substitute – the 32-year-old becoming the capital club's record appearance maker with 709 outings in all competitions. Fellow replacement Gonzalo Higuaín might have added to the winning margin late on but failed with two attempts, before Brandão had an effort kept out by the otherwise underemployed Casillas.

Chelsea top of the group and porto sink Atletico Madrid

2009-10-01T00:01:00.005+02:00

APOEL FC 0-1 Chelsea FC

It was business as usual for Chelsea FC as, despite a few late scares from a determined APOEL FC side, a goal from Nicolas Anelka earned their second successive 1-0 victory in Group D.

Drogba suspended
With Didier Drogba two games into a three-match UEFA Champions League suspension Anelka once again harboured Chelsea's goalscoring burden in Nicosia, as he had at home to FC Porto a fortnight ago. His 18th-minute breakthrough had been coming but the visitors failed to press their advantage and were almost made to pay as an increasingly adventurous APOEL side laid siege to their goal late on. Yet there was no way through.

Belletti build-up
After a typically cautious start, the visitors gradually wrested control of the game and were almost in cruise control when Anelka – who also struck the only goal of the game against Porto – broke the deadlock on 18 minutes. Given freedom to roam down the right, Juliano Belletti attacked with purpose, making light work of Altin Haxhi before cutting back to Anelka. The Frenchman still had work to do but he did it with aplomb, firing his first-time shot inside Dionisios Chiotis's far post.

Growing threat
Despite Chelsea's dominance the goalkeeper – APOEL's hero as they earned a point at Club Atlético de Madrid on Matchday 1 – otherwise had very little to do. Ashley Cole, Florent Malouda and Anelka all tried their luck from distance, but with little menace, and on the counterattack the home side began to ask questions of the Blues' back line. Christos Kontis and Nenad Mirosavljević both threatened, briefly, and it proved the platform for a much-improved second-half performance from the home team.

Attacking bent
With the words of coach Ivan Jovanović ringing in their ears the Cypriot titleholders stepped up a gear after the restart, winning a succession of corners but Chelsea stood firm. An injury doubt before the game, striker Kamil Kosowski was introduced just before the hour to inject another dimension and, going into the final ten minutes, APOEL found it.

Charalambides chance
Attacking down the flanks they began to peg back Chelsea as Belletti and Cole had done earlier in the match and with six minutes remaining came their chance: Constantinos Charalambides sending his header a whisker wide. It was as close as they would come, despite the efforts of Jean Paulista and Kosowski, so Chelsea go three points clear in Group D ahead of their meeting with Atlético in three weeks. Still on one point, APOEL nevertheless travel to Porto with confidence restored.

Porto 2-0 Atletico Madrid

FC Porto made their second-half superiority tell as they saw off Club Atlético de Madrid 2-0 at the Estádio do Dragão to revive their Group D fortunes and move second in the section thanks to goals from Falcao and Rolando.

Improvised opener
Porto were desperate for victory after a Matchday 1 loss at Chelsea FC, and deservedly broke through on 75 minutes when Falcao beat Atlético's substitute goalkeeper David De Gea with a wonderfully improvised back-heel from a Hulk pass. Seven minutes later Rolando tucked the ball into the empty net after his central-defensive partner Bruno Alves's header from a corner had rebounded off the post.

Injured Roberto
The home side were quicker into their stride with powerful forward Hulk involved in most of their best moves. One superb delivery from the left wing would have resulted in the game's opening goal had home captain Bruno Alves been able to connect at the back post. By then Porto were aiming at a new goalkeeper. Roberto had watched efforts from Mariano González and Hulk sail well over before injuring his right leg trying to make a clearance. When Falcao headed just over on 25 minutes, Roberto ended up in a heap in the back of the goal and could play no further part.

Helton busy
With regular No1 Sergio Asenjo on duty with Spain at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt, Atlético coach Abel Resino turned to 18-year-old De Gea. The debutant had little to do for the rest of the half as the visitors grew into the game. Sergio Agüero and Diego Forlán both forced Porto No1 Helton into stops and with a slightly cleaner contact at the near post Juanito could have given the visitors the lead with a header from a Simão corner.

Thunderous drive
There could be no faulting Juanito's connection with another header from the same source early in the second half. This time, from a central position about six metres out, he could not keep the ball down. Just beyond the hour mark, De Gea suddenly found himself much busier, saving from a thunderous Bruno Alves free-kick, and then using his body to scramble a long-range effort from Porto substitute Fredy Guarín around the post.

Hulk assist
It was fitting that Hulk played a key role in Falcao's goal 15 minutes from time. De Gea could only return the big Brazilian's shot back to him. After initially miscontrolling the return, Hulk squared for Falcao, whose superb finish at last found De Gea wanting. The Colombian should have added another with a free header moments later, although Porto's second arrived soon after thanks to Rolando. Porto will take confidence from the victory into their double-header with APOEL FC, while Atlético have it all to do as they twice take on group leaders Chelsea with just a point to show from their opening two outings.

Manchester United & CSKA Mosco wins 2-1

2009-09-30T23:57:00.003+02:00

Manchester United FC 2-1 Wolfsburg

Manchester United FC came from behind to defeat VfL Wolfsburg 2-1 in an enthralling UEFA Champions League Group B contest at Old Trafford.

No fear
Anglo-German match-ups seldom disappoint and this was no different, with Wolfsburg playing with none of the fear of some first-time visitors to this stadium and taking a lead through Edin Džeko's towering 56th-minute header. As they so often do, however, United hit back, Ryan Giggs's deflected free-kick bringing them swiftly level before Michael Carrick struck a fine winner to take Sir Alex Ferguson's men top of the group.

Positive approach
Some teams shrink on the Old Trafford stage and visiting coach Armin Veh had said beforehand that he did not know if his players would be "inspired or scared". Happily it turned out to be the former as they took the game to United in the opening minutes, their positive approach almost rewarded when Nemanja Vidić's weak defensive header allowed Gratife to lay back to Christian Gentner but he shot straight at Tomasz Kuszczak.

Owen off
United came out mirroring Wolfsburg's 4-4-2 with Michael Owen partnering Wayne Rooney in attack, the former making his first start in the competition since November 2004 and a Real Madrid CF match in Kyiv. The pairing lasted only 20 minutes, however, before Owen made way for Dimitar Berbatov having aggravated a groin strain. To that point Veh's surprise inclusion in the Wolfsburg defence, Ricardo Costa, had enjoyed a relatively comfortable ride on his first start of the campaign in place of Andrea Barzagli. United's sole threat had come from a Rooney free-kick but with Berbatov's introduction that changed.

Chances
The Bulgarian fashioned United's first chance of note after 25 minutes, his cute back-heel sending Luis Valencia clear on the right but the Ecuadorean winger dragged his shot wide. Berbatov then played a defence-splitting pass for Carrick but the midfielder was foiled by Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio. United kept probing, with Carrick's diving header testing Benaglio, though it was not just one-way traffic, Gentner sending a header wide from a corner.

Breakthrough
Another Wolfsburg corner brought an early scare for United after the restart, Costa volleying over the crossbar. Anderson then brought a flying save from Benaglio, but the breakthrough in this intriguing contest came at the other end as Makoto Hasebe crossed to the far post for Džeko to power a header past Kuszczak. The visitors held the lead for only three minutes before Giggs replied with a free-kick that found its way into the bottom corner via a deflection off the defensive wall.

Carrick winner
The impressive Giggs soon had the ball in the net again, firing past Benaglio after the ball deflected his way off Carrick only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. United's seemingly ageless captain was undeterred, however, combining with Berbatov to tee up Carrick who curled the winner beyond Benaglio from the edge of the box. In an exciting end-to-end finish Josue shot narrowly wide for Wolfsburg but the points were United's. For the visitors, just an awful lot of pride.

CSKA Moscow 2-1 Besiktas

Alan Dzagoev and Miloš Krasić struck in each half to secure a long-awaited home win for PFC CSKA Moskva and leave Beşiktaş JK adrift at the bottom of UEFA Champions League Group B.

Valuable victory
Both teams tasted defeat on Matchday 1 and CSKA had not enjoyed a UEFA Champions League victory in Moscow since October 2006, yet it was the home side who responded more positively. Dzagoev opened the scoring within seven minutes, before a fine individual effort from Krasić doubled the advantage just past the hour. Although Ekrem Dağ ended the visitors' long scoreless run in added time, it was too little too late for Beşiktaş, who will go into their double-header against VfL Wolfsburg knowing their hopes already hang by a thread.

Positive start
CSKA have no such worries ahead of their home and away fixtures against Manchester United FC, having quickly showed their continued improvement under new coach Juande Ramos. The Muscovites immediately seized the initiative and converted their first chance. When a long ball, combined with Tomáš Necid's delicate back-heel, gave Dzagoev space outside the box, the 19-year-old took the ball in his stride before unleashing a dipping shot that caught Rüştü Reçber off his line and found the top corner.

Momentum builds
The hosts, who had failed to win a home game in their previous UEFA Champions League campaign in 2007/08, refused to sit back and quickly created further opportunities. Rüştü kept out Mark González's header from a Chidi Odiah cross, then grabbed Krasić's weak shot at the far post before a quick break caught CSKA's defence off guard. Filip Hološko charged clear only for CSKA keeper Igor Akinfeev to race off his line and block. That proved to be the Turkish team's best opening of the half, CSKA restricting them to long shots that lacked accuracy or crosses that were easily dealt with by Akinfeev.

Late flurry
Visiting coach Mustafa Denizli had to replace injured forward Hološko with Yusuf Şimşek midway through the half although his charges might have been back on level terms before the interval. A rare starter, Odiah lost possession and allowed Beşiktaş captain Mert Nobre to advance and unleash a fizzing 25-metre strike which Akinfeev tipped over. CSKA then nearly doubled their advantage, however, González's free-kick rocketing centimetres wide of the far post with Rüştü beaten.

Momentum turns
Beşiktaş started the second half in more determined mood and were soon pushing CSKA back. After a succession of corners, Turkey's champions finally produced a clear-cut opportunity when Dağ cut into the area and crossed low, but Nihat Kahveci miscued. The Army Men rode out the storm and managed to break through the opposition back line on the counterattack, only for Necid to shoot over with just Rüştü for company.

Krasić strikes
Krasić made no such mistake in the 61st minute, beating İsmail Köybaşı and then Matteo Ferrari with a superb solo run before firing in the second. Dağ did conjure up Beşiktaş's consolation goal two minutes into added time – their first score in six competitive outings – yet it was too little too late for the Istanbul side.

Bayern & Juventus in a goalless draw while Bordeaux wins

2009-09-30T23:53:00.004+02:00

Bayern München 0-0 Juventus

FC Bayern München and Juventus failed to make the most of their opportunities, the two heavyweights playing out a goalless draw to maintain their unbeaten records in UEFA Champions League Group A.

Heavyweight contest
The two sides boast six European Champion Clubs' Cup titles between them but punched below their weight in front of goal as they were unable to convert a number of chances in Munich. Bayern enjoyed the lion's share of possession and will be the more disappointed with the stalemate, although they nevertheless have two more points than Ciro Ferrara's Juventus, who extended their unbeaten run to 14 matches in all competitions.

Free flowing
With Oktoberfest in full swing in Munich, the two sides were clearly in the mood to produce an equally enticing spectacle with the opening minutes as free-flowing as the beer in the Bavarian capital. While David Trezeguet provided an inviting early cross into the Bayern box, the hosts almost produced an opening goal barely four minutes in. Arjen Robben skipped effortlessly inside Fabio Grosso before slanting a low ball into the feet of Thomas Müller. The youngster's clipped shot from an acute angle had the entire Bayern bench on its feet, but their expectations were disappointed as the ball dropped fractionally wide of the far post.

Breathtaking
Former Werder Bremen playmaker Diego was keen to impress on his return to Germany and forced Hans-Jörg Butt into his first save of the night, but the Brazilian found himself upstaged by Bayern's own source of inspiration, Franck Ribéry. The Frenchman produced a breathtaking shimmy that took him past two defenders before impudently chipping Gianluigi Buffon only for the ball to land on the roof of the net. Miroslav Klose then flashed a header narrowly over, but Juventus remained dangerous on the counterattack. Mauro Camoranesi fashioned a curling strike which Butt leapt full length to turn aside before David Trezeguet directed a half-volley centimetres wide of the top corner.

Robben off
Robben's injury-enforced exit late in the first half meant Bayern became ever-more dependent on Ribéry for forward momentum after the break, and the Frenchman – industrious and inspirational in equal measure – duly obliged. Breaking at pace down his favoured left flank, Ribéry's low cross found Klose in front of goal, but the forward, who played his first full 90 minutes since March on Saturday, miscued from close range. While Bayern had to work hard to create their openings, Juventus were presented with an opportunity on 65 minutes when Daniel Van Buyten misjudged a high ball, but Vincenzo Iaquinta spared the Belgian's blushes by wastefully firing over.

Iaquinta volley
The former Udinese Calcio striker almost made amends with ten minutes remaining, holding off Holger Badstuber and swivelling to fire a curling volley just wide of Butt's left-hand upright. The introduction of record signing Mario Gómez for the tiring Klose failed to revive the Bayern attack, and Louis van Gaal will be hoping his forwards can rediscover their goalscoring touch ahead of two potentially decisive encounters with FC Girondins de Bordeaux, while Juve next face Maccabi Haifa FC.

Bordeaux 1-0 Maccabi Haifa

Michaël Ciani's late header kick-started FC Girondins de Bordeaux's Group A campaign as the French champions overcame an enterprising and spirited Maccabi Haifa FC side.

Close encounter
Looking to build on their encouraging opening-day draw at Juventus, Les Marine et Blanc threw everything at the visitors but struggled to hit top gear, rarely troubling goalkeeper Nir Davidovitch in an intense and even encounter. For their part, as well as defending resolutely, Haifa attacked with skill and verve and could easily have returned to Israel with the three points. However, Ciani powering in a header from Grégory Sertic's 83rd-minute corner to clinch the all-important win that leaves Bordeaux on four points with Group A leaders and next opponents FC Bayern München while Maccabi are yet to get off the mark.

Maccabi press
The Israeli champions had boasted an excellent record against French clubs, having taken two wins and a draw from three previous meetings with Ligue 1 opposition, and Elisha Levi's charges showed no signs of apprehension against a Bordeaux side unbeaten in 21 matches. With Haifa's teenage wingers Eyal Golasa and Mohammad Ghadir pushing on at every opportunity, Bordeaux quickly found themselves on the back foot, visiting striker Vladimer Dvalishvili hooking over from close range before Eyal Meshumar's rising shot drew a save from Cédric Carrasso on 14 minutes.

Ciani saves
Laurent Blanc's charges have drawn gushing praise for their flowing football this term yet they rarely hit their straps in a disjointed first half. One long, stylish passing move culminated in Matthieu Chalmé crossing for Yoann Gourcuff, who headed wide, but such combinations proved few and far between. Only Ciani's beautifully-timed tackle prevented the pacy Ghadir from bursting clear at the other end, and Carrasso needed to demonstrate his reflexes again to parry Tsepo Masilela's stinging cross-shot just before the half-hour.

Blanc switch
As Haifa's excellent midfield pair of Jhon Jairo Culma and Baram Kayal continued to dictate play, Blanc must have wondered whether his decision to operate with two strikers in the UEFA Champions League for the first time had been wise. He altered the shape of his midfield at the break, Fernando replacing the more attacking Gourcuff, yet the pattern of the game remained unchanged, Carrasso's misjudgement immediately presenting Dvalishvili with a golden chance only for the Georgian – under pressure from Ciani – to nod wide of the open goal.

Bellion arrival
If Fernando Cavenaghi had struggled to make an impact, his replacement David Bellion proved more of a handful. The forward had two gilt-edged opportunities within minutes of coming on, firing wide from point-blank range after latching on to Marouane Chamakh's deft header, then surging clear but miscuing his shot, allowing Davidovitch to save easily.

Dramatic end
For all the French side's pressure, Haifa appeared more threatening in the closing stages. Golasa tested Carrasso from long range before, seconds later, substitute Lior Refaelov dribbled through the heart of the home defence only to see his precise low effort expertly saved by the Bordeaux No1. Haifa were made to rue those misses when Ciani struck, and their night worsened two minutes from time as Kayal received a red card for a dangerous tackle on Benoît Trémoulinas.

Arsenal scores twice while AZ Draws in Holland

2009-09-30T01:01:00.005+02:00

Arsenal FC 2-0 Olympiacos FC

Arsenal FC left it late again as two goals in the last 12 minutes from Robin van Persie and Andrei Arshavin finally ended the resolve of Olympiacos FC, and goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis in particular.

Late joy
The home side dominated throughout in north London but for the second UEFA Champions League outing in succession they left it late. A fortnight ago Eduardo struck an 81st-minute winner to down R. Standard de Liège and it was almost as late when Van Persie at last broke through. Andrei Arshavin put the result beyond doubt four minutes from time when he flicked a clever back-heel past the embattled Nikopolidis to leave Arsenal three points clear in Group H.

Cautious start
The Gunners made a vigilant start but slowly began probing the Greek defence and carved out their first chance after 14 minutes following Cesc Fàbregas' long cross-field pass to Gaël Clichy. The French defender surged in from the left flank and his cut-back was met by a low first-time shot from Arshavin which Nikopolidis got down well to save. It was a sign of things to come, the home team's early patience making way for increasing impatience.

Arsenal pressure
Fàbregas hit the crossbar with a shot on the bounce and Tomáš Rosický's angled follow-up was parried by the Greek goalkeeper, who needed another a smart save to deny Arshavin at the near post a few minutes later. Still the hosts came and Fàbregas should have done better than direct his effort into the waiting arms of Nikopolidis when found in space.

Greek threat
If the momentum was all one way, there was a warning for the home side late in the half when Vassilis Torosidis was given a free header, albeit from 15 metres out, which caused Vito Mannone little problem. Another warning followed soon after the break when former Aston Villa FC defender Olof Mellberg, scorer of the first ever goal at this stadium, sent in a close-range header which Arsenal's defence bundled away.

Van Persie chance
Whether or not they sensed a threat, the home fans started to find their voice and were nearly on their feet when Van Persie was teed up on the edge of the area but the Dutch striker slammed his left-footed effort straight at the magnetic Nikopolidis. Thomas Vermaelen fared no better with a far-post header from a Van Persie free-kick on the hour as Olympiacos continued to soak up the pressure.

Deadlock broken
Arsène Wenger had seen enough, Rosický making way for Eduardo as he sought to inject fresh bite into Arsenal's attack. The well-drilled Olympiacos defence, working in numbers, ensured the status quo so with 13 minutes Wenger added yet another forward into the mix in the shape of Carlos Vela. A minute later Van Persie broke the deadlock, steering in from close range after Eduardo had cut the ball back following a defence-splitting pass by Fàbregas. The Arsenal captain then set up Arshavin to set the seal on another late win.

AZ Alkmaar 1-1 R. Standard de Liège

AZ Alkmaar's hopes of a historic first UEFA Champions League win were dashed at the death at the DSB-Stadium where Moussa Traore conjured up a 91st-minute equaliser for R. Standard de Liège.

Late twist
The home side had looked set to claim three Group H points as reward for a largely dominant display, which had been capped by Mounir El Hamdaoui's rolled finish after 48 minutes. It was at the other extreme of the second half that the noisy celebrations of the Alkmaar fans were silenced, though – substitute Traore getting on the end of a hopefully punted free-kick into the AZ penalty area. The draw left both teams on one point after the first two matchdays of their debut campaigns in the UEFA Champions League.

Territorial advantage
The first chance of note had come on the quarter-hour, Maarten Martens firing a rising shot from just outside the box that Standard keeper Sinan Bolat turned behind for a corner. The game was being played mainly in the Belgian champions' half, but despite their territorial advantage AZ created few clear openings. In contrast, the visitors posed a threat on the break when Dieudonné Mbokani's attempt was deflected narrowly wide with AZ keeper Sergio Romero stranded.

Pressure rises
Minutes later it was the hosts who almost broke the deadlock, but El Hamdaoui's header from a Gill Swerts cross was tipped over by Bolat. Moussa Dembélé then cleverly made space for a low effort which he pulled wide from 20 metres. The same Alkmaar forward also volleyed El Hamdaoui's centre over the woodwork from close range as Ronald Koeman's Dutch titleholders upped the pressure. Standard must have been relieved to hear the half-time whistle.

On target
After the restart AZ continued where they had left off, keeping Standard on the back foot, and the results were immediate. Brett Holman released El Hamdaoui inside the area, and last season's Eredivisie top scorer rolled the ball past Bolat and into the corner of the net. Moments later he nearly doubled his tally, yet this time Standard's keeper prevailed in the one-on-one.

Standard response
AZ were now in full flow, combining effectively, and constantly looking to carve out opportunities. In response, Standard made two substitutions in quick succession, bringing on Landry Mulemo and Igor De Camargo for Ricardo Rocha and Mohamed Sarr, and they began to risk more in attack. This adventurous approach might have paid dividends after 68 minutes when Mehdi Carcela-González's swerving drive was palmed over by Romero.

Equaliser
Standard's spell of greater endeavour did not last, as the game slipped back into a pattern of forceful AZ advances, which suggested the Eredivisie outfit would hold on for a famous win on their home debut in the group stage. That, however, was counting without the belated impact of visiting coach László Bölöni's third change – the introduction of Sarr for Wilfried Dalmat. The former was in the right place, one minute into stoppage time, to turn in the loose ball after first Alkmaar defender Héctor Moreno, then Axel Witsel, had flicked on a free-kick pumped forward by Bolat.