..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Olympiakos 2-1 Arsenal: Rosicky strike not enough as Gunners miss out on top spot

Olympiakos came from behind to beat Arsenal in Piraeus, as the Gunners finished runner-up in Champions League Group B behind Schalke.

Tomas Rosicky had put the away side into the lead before second half goals from Giannis Maniatis and Kostas Mitroglou earned the Greek side a surprise victory.

Though a dead rubber for the home side, Leonardo Jardim named a strong side with Superleague top scorer Rafik Djebbour starting up front and Algerian teammate and leading assister Djamel Abdoun in midfield.

With qualification already guaranteed, Wenger made seven changes to the team that lost 2-0 against Swansea at the weekend; Rosicky returned to the side and 20-year-old Jernade Meade was handed his full debut at left back.

Arsenal started well with Gervinho bursting past Kostas Manolas down the left before skewing a shot wide from inside the box. A cute one-two with Rosicky saw the Ivorian play Marouane Chamakh through on goal, but Vassilis Torossidis was able to get back and dispossess the Moroccan.

Olympiakos looked lively down their own left flank through Torossidis and Abdoun; The Greek fullback had a header cleared off the line by Rosicky and Abdoun forced Wojciech Szczesny into a good save either side of a fluffed half-volley from Aaron Ramsey.

The game was increasingly becoming an end-to-end shoot-out with Gervinho especially dangerous on the counter, though his poor decision-making brought several attacks to a premature end.

Eventually the Ivorian got it right, jinking into the box before cutting the ball back to the edge of the area for Rosicky to curl into the far corner via the palms of Roy Carroll just before halftime.

Andrey Arshavin replaced the Czech goalscorer after the break and brought even more speed to Arsenal’s offense on the break. The Russian had a chance to double the lead but headed Chamakh’s cross over the bar from 10-yards.

Olympiakos, playing only for pride, continued to push forward, affording Arsenal space to break into. Abdoun’s neat through-ball was prodded wide by Ljubomir Fejsa before another swift Gunners counter saw Arshavin’s stinging shot clawed away by Carroll.

Drissa Diakite’s floated cross met the head of Paulo Machado, and the Portuguese midfielder’s header was tipped behind by Szczesny (who claimed he had not touched the ball). From the resulting corner, Kostas Manolas’ header ricocheted off the chest of Ramsey and into the path of Maniatis who buried the ball in the back of the net.

The Greek champion pressed for a winner immediately, as Djebbour headed Machado’s cross wide from close range. Substitute Mitroglou was more clinical however, creating a yard of space on the edge of the box before curling a low shot past the outstretched arm of Szczesny and into the bottom corner.

Arsenal struggled to mount a response and rarely troubled Carroll. Rosicky’s creativity was missed in the second half and Olympiakos saw out the match in determined style as the Gunners now pray they avoid the likes of Barcelona or Borussia Dortmund in the next round.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Montpellier 1-1 Schalke: Howedes helps Germans secure top spot in Group B

Schalke finished as the winner of Group B after a Benedickt Howedes goal earned a 1-1 draw with Montpellier on Tuesday.

The Germany defender nodded home from close range after Christoph Metzelder flicked on Julian Draxler's free kick after a tame opening 50 minutes in France, but a quick-fire equalizer from Emanuel Herrera was enough to earn the home team a deserved share of the spoils.

Tuesday's clash at Stade de la Mosson was always likely to be something of a more tepid affair, with both sides making wholesale changes to their lineups as their fates in the tournament were already sealed.

Indeed, it took until the 25-minute mark to carve out the first meaningful chance, and it was a glorious one at that. Some more clever interplay between Carica and Draxler allowed the latter time and space to cross for Teemu Pukki, but the Finland international somehow contrived to side foot wide with the goal at his mercy.

Both sides were struggling to seize the upper-hand on an uneven pitch, with Tranquilo Barnetta summing up the frustrations with the surface as he completely missed his kick after the ball bobbled horribly on the edge of the area, all after some more sharp link-up play between Marica and Holtby.

Draxler looked the real danger man for the visitors and almost carved out a chance for Marica after flicking the ball brilliantly past Daniel Congre, but Ligali saved bravely at the feet of the striker after he took a heavy touch following Draxler's cross.

Montpellier was searching for their first win of the competition, but it took until the 50 minute mark for them to carve open a genuine chance. Anthony Mounier latched on to substitute Roman Pitau's through ball, and after Timo Hildebrand failed to deal convincingly with the effort, Emanuel Herrera's shot was cleared superbly off the line by Atsuto Uchida.

Just a few minutes later, Schalke struck the first blow of the match. Draxler's free kick was headed down by Christoph Metzelder, and Howedes nodded home from close range to put the visitors in the lead.

Suddenly, the match had sparked into life, and within just three minutes the hosts were level. Herrera met Mounier's cross at the far post and although Metzelder blocked his initial header, he was alert to prod home on the line.

Pitau's introduction had sparked the home side into life, and suddenly the club was in control of the match. Cabella tested Hildebrand with a shot from 25 yards, before Herrera almost connected with another deep cross to prod in a second.

Schalke responded by throwing on Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, but it was Pukki who had the chance to hand his side the lead after a brilliant free kick from Holtby, but he was unable to connect and Montpellier cleared.

Pitau almost created a late winner for the home team as his cross found Herrera again, but Hildebrand got a vital touch to the Argentine's shot to divert the ball wide.

Herrera was denied again late on, with his shot disappointingly straight at the Schalke stopper after some clever footwork to create space inside the area.

Ultimately, a draw was a fair reflection of the match, as Montpellier finishes the competition at the foot of the table while the Germans progress as the group winner, just ahead of Arsenal.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid 4-1 Ajax: Dutch claim Europa League berth despite defeat by los Blancos

Real Madrid recorded a 4-1 win over Ajax in Tuesday evening's Champions League Group D match at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring early in the game after some good work from Karim Benzema, before Jose Callejon doubled the hosts' lead around the half-hour mark. Kaka then made it three after the break, only for Derk Boerrigter to peg one back after 60 minutes of play. However, Callejon restored Madrid's three-goal lead in the dying minutes of the game.

The Blancos started the match with attacking intentions and seemed to open the scoring after only seven minutes of play when Benzema tapped home from close range, only to see the referee disallow the goal for offside. Shortly after, Madrid again threatened as Fabio Coentrao hit the post with a powerful shot from the left.

Madrid remained the better side of the two and did eventually break the deadlock in the 13th minute. Benzema escaped the offside trap after a fine pass from Luka Modric, and then kept his calm to set up Ronaldo, who found the empty net with a confident shot from inside the area.

Benzema continued to cause the Ajax defense all kinds of trouble with his intelligent movement and came close to adding his name to the score sheet after being set up by Kaka, but Kenneth Vermeer reacted alertly and denied the Frenchman.

The Ajax goalkeeper was beaten in the 28th minute after a superb counterattack, though. Modric bullied Siem de Jong off the ball inside his own half, before unleashing a magnificent pass over the top of the Ajax defense for Callejon, who superbly controlled the ball and calmly slotted home.

The Eredivisie champion, meanwhile, failed to really threaten at the Bernabeu, with Viktor Fischer's low shot after an individual action as its only noteworthy feat of the opening 45 minutes.

Jose Mourinho's men immediately charged forward again in the second half, and were rewarded within five minutes when Kaka showed his class. The Brazilian picked up a pass from Ronaldo inside the Ajax half, dribbled a few yards, and then beat Vermeer with a placed shot from 20 yards out.

Ajax pegged one back at the hour mark after some poor goalkeeping from Antonio Adan. The 25-year-old failed to collect a cross from the left after rushing off his line, and Boerrigter had no trouble finding the empty net. Adan made amends for his error some five minutes later, though, when he saved Boerrigter's free kick from the edge of the box.

Danny Hoesen then should have helped Ajax further back in the game after shaking off Ricardo Carvalho, but the young striker wildly blasted the ball over the bar from a dangerous position.

The hosts would eventually restore their three-goal lead after some good work from Alvaro Morata, though. The youngster went by his direct opponent down the right, and then sent in a perfect cross for Callejon, who doubled his personal tally with a good header.

Madrid has finished second in its section with 11 points from six games. Its resumes domestic action at the weekend away against Valladolid.

Ajax has qualified for the Europa League round of 32 following Tuesday's results as it has to settle for third place in Group D. Its next match is the Eredivise game at home against Groningen on Saturday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Porto: Hapless Helton gifts Parisiens top spot in Group A

Paris Saint-Germain saw off the challenge of Porto as the club recorded a 2-1 victory which saw it top Group A of the Champions League in an entertaining fixture at the Parc des Princes.

The Ligue 1 side raced out of the blocks in the early exchanges, before taking the lead thanks to Thiago Silva's powerful header. The Portugese giant would soon equalize after a defensive lapse allowed Jackson Martinez to restore parity.

However, the visiting side would be undone by an error from its own goalkeeper, who embarrassingly let Ezequiel Lavezzi's weak effort squirm past him. Zlatan Ibrahimovic would later miss from six yards out, though the home side held on to progress as the group winner.

Carlo Ancelotti re-instated the likes of Javier Pastore back into the starting lineup, and the Argentine produced a fine assist in towards Ibrahimovic, who narrowly sliced his effort wide after just two minutes, as the Parisians aimed to rebound from their malaise over the past week.

PSG was rather more aggressive in its approach play in the opening stages with Ibrahimovic and Gregory van der Wiel somehow escaping yellow cards after rash challenges before Ezequiel Lavezzi's angled shot was deflected over in a period of domination for the French side.

Nevertheless, Vitor Pereira's side was patient as they searched for an opener. Jackson Martinez, who excelled in the side's reverse fixture against PSG on matchday two, spurned a decent chance after his opportunistic shot was blocked by a last-ditch challenge from Thiago Silva.

Les Parisiens appeared more resolute than the side that lost meekly to Nice in Ligue 1 on Saturday, as the capital club continued testing Helton in the Porto goal. First, Alex's header from a corner was well saved by the goalkeeper, before Ibrahimovic couldn't quite connect with a well-worked Van der Wiel corner as Porto remained defiant under pressure.

It would be just before the half hour where the Portuguese side would finally crack. Nicolas Otamendi's ill-timed tackle on Menez earned him a booking, but the ramifications for his side would be far greater as Silva rose magnificently to thump home a powerful header in off the crossbar for the game's opening goal.

The lead would only last four minutes, however. Porto raced through on a counterattack, led by right back Danilo whose fantastic cross met Jackson Martinez as the Colombian ghosted past the static Alex to head the equalizer and cue heavy boos from the Parisian faithful inside the Parc des Princes.

The second half commenced in much the same vigor from the French side, as Menez surged through from the left flank, cutting past a diving Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala before seeing his low effort well blocked by Hilton.

For all of Porto's enterprising resistance, the club would once more fall behind to a calamitous error from goalkeeper Helton. Lavezzi held off his marker before his weak shot squirmed under the goalkeeper and humiliatingly crossed the line to hand the home team the advantage again on 61 minutes.

Pereira's men issued a response, but a glaring chance would subsequently be spurned. Martinez was found in an open space before his chip was denied by an on-rushing Sirigu, before former Marseille midfielder Lucho Gonzalez fired over from the rebound.

Late on, the French side's profligate finishing was evident once more as Pastore's fierce strike was spilled by Helton, before Ibrahimovic flashed the ball hopelessly wide, though it didn't matter as Ancelotti's men held on for victory.

Porto's defeat means they lose back-to-back competitive fixtures for the first time since 2009, and finish the group stage in second position. Paris Saint-Germain will enter the last 16 draw as the group winner, avoiding the likes of Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

UEFA Champions League 2012.12.05 Final Group Stage Fixtures

UEFA Champions League 2012.12.05 Final Group Stage Fixtures

Group E

Shakhtar Donetsk Vs Juventus

Chelsea Vs Nordsjaelland

Group F

LOSC Vs Valancia

Bayern Vs BATE

Group G

Barcelona Vs Benfica

Celtic Vs Spartak Moskva

Group H

Manchester United Vs CFR Cluj

Braga Vs Galatasaray

​

 

[charitha chandi]

api kapuna...! T_T

 

[akilarandev]

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[zome]

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[Wolverine GTR]

Bayern Munich 4-1 BATE Borisov: Brilliant Bavarians batter Belarusians to seal top spot

Bayern Munich sealed a first-place finish in Group F with a 4-1 victory over BATE Borisov at the Allianz-Arena on Wednesday.

Goals from Mario Gomez, Thomas Muller, and Xherdan Shaqiri gave the Bavarians revenge for their defeat in Belarus in October, despite Jerome Boateng seeing red just five minutes into the second half.

Bayern began the game in complete control and could have been ahead before its opponent had even had a kick on two minutes, but Bastian Schweinsteiger scuffed his shot from the edge of box safely into the hands of Andrey Gorbunov in the BATE goal.

The visitors defended deep and pressed whenever Die Roten approached the final third, looking to catch the Germans on the counter or from a set piece. That’s not to say their approach could be described as anti-football, Viktor Goncharenko’s side moved the ball extremely well and always looked to play short.

Indeed, they might well have taken an early lead when their first real pattern of passing ended with Artyom Kontsevoi striking across goal from 20 yards, but his shot lacked sufficient power to truly trouble Manuel Neur.

Having already secured qualification and aware that a win of any kind would see them top Group F, the hosts perhaps looked a little too relaxed in the opening twenty minutes, but took the lead when Shaqiri shifted up a gear. The Switzerland international was fortunate to evade Denis Polyakov’s challenge on the left, but did superbly to pick out Gomez for a tap-in after having made it to the byline.

Toni Kroos sparkled only intermittently but almost doubled the Bavarians’ five minutes before the break, turning to strike a fierce shot from the edge of the box that was well stopped by Andrey Gorbunov.

BATE, too, played largely in second gear, with its route to the Europa League already sealed, and the game looked little like picking up until five minutes into the second half when Jerome Boateng was shown a straight red card for needless two-footed tackle on Rodionov.

But just as it looked like the visitors were going to show more ambition and really take the game to the ten men, a deep free kick was flicked on by Bastian Schweinsteiger for Muller to cushion his volley past Gorbunov from a few yards; fortunately for Bayern, the referee’s assistant failed to spot that the Germany international was half a yard offside.

Shaqiri made it three shortly after the hour mark, heading home from six yards after a fine cross from Gomez on the left. Polyakov’s miserable night was complete with twenty minutes remaining when he was dismissed following a second booking for simulation following a ludicrous attempt to win a penalty for his side; his first booking for a foul on Shaqiri as the little winger wriggled towards goal after half an hour was probably Polyakov’s only positive contribution all evening.

David Alaba rounded off the scoring with his first ever Champions League goal, controlling well before coolly volleying fellow substitute Franck Ribery’s corner past Gorbunov from 18 yards.

Egor Filippenko then tucked his neat finish inside Neur’s post from the edge of the box with two minutes remaining, but it was nothing more than a consolation.

The victory ensured Bayern ended the group stage on a high with its 16th victory in its last 17 home Champions League ties.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lille 0-1 Valencia: Victorious Che forced to settle for second best

Valencia steadied its recent poor form but had to settle for second place in Group F after a 1-0 victory over Lille at Grande Stade Lille Metropole.

The La Liga outfit ground out a victory that came courtesy of Jonas’s first half penalty but Los Che couldn’t oust Bayern Munich from top spot after the German outfit's comfortable victory over BATE Borisov.

The win ensures that Ernesto Valverde’s reign at Valencia starts on a much brighter note after stand-in coach Salvador Gonzalez masterminded the victory in France.

With both sides’ European fates ultimately decided before kickoff, the match possessed an end of season feel to it and both clubs struggled to register any sort meaningful effort in the opening stages.

The most either team could muster was a headed effort on goal. Adil Rami got above his former colleagues to meet Tino Costa’s free kick but his header barely troubled Steeve Elana’s in the Lille goal, while at the other end Marko Basa nodded comfortably wide after getting on the end of Lucas Digne’s center.

The home side was able to pick up its efforts just before the half hour mark but Rudi Garcia’s men proceeded to waste three genuine chances for which they were punished before the break.

Ronny Rodelin squandered the first opportunity as he pick-pocketed Tino Costa on the edge of his own area but could only direct his shot straight at Vicente Guaita.

Next to test the Valencia goalkeeper was Rio Mavuba but the central midfielder’s low effort was easily reached by Guaita and Salomon Kalou made it a hat trick of chances squandered as he blazed wide a free kick from a dangerous area after he was brought down by Ricardo Costa.

Lille was made to pay for its profligacy in front of goal and the visiting side took the lead towards the end of the first half when the club was awarded a penalty by referee Aleksandar Stavrev for Marko Basa’s foul on Jonas.

The Brazilian was bundled over by the Lille center half after taking down Aly Cissokho’s cross with a deft touch and wriggling past the Montenegrin, the Macedonian Stavrev having no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Jonas picked himself up and placed the ball on the spot before dispatching the ball low into the left corner and out of the reach of Elana and giving Los Che the advantage at halftime.

Lille started the second half with a much more attacking impetus and began to threaten the Valencia back line for the first time in the contest.

The warning signs were there when Gianni Bruno was inches away from getting on the end of Digne’s inviting cross and Les Dogues should have been level after 50 minutes but for a goal line intervention from Nelson Valdez.

Rodelin fired in a low shot after the ball fell kindly to him in the area and while his low drive beat Guaita in goal, Valdez read the situation perfectly and was able to block the effort before it could nestle in the far corner.

Valencia soaked up a great deal of pressure from the French side and almost added a second with 20 minutes remaining but while Jonas’s effort had Elana rooted, the ball whizzed just wide of the upright.

Kalou had a glaring opportunity to grab his side a point late on but his effort from inside the box was kept out by Guaita’s diving save and substitute Payet clipped the crossbar with less than five minutes left on the clock on a frustrating night for Rudi Garcia’s men.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Shakhtar Donetsk 0-1 Juventus: Own goal gifts Bianconeri top spot

Juventus clinched top spot in Group E with a 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in their Champions League clash at the Donbass Arena on Wednesday evening.

Needing only a point to qualify for the round of 16, an own goal from Olexandr Kucher shortly before the hour mark sent the Bianconeri to victory, leapfrogging the Ukrainians, who were forced to settle for second place, with third placed Chelsea dropping into the Europa League despite its victory over FC Nordsjaelland.

Paul Pogba was handed a start in midfield for the visitors, with Sebastian Giovinco and Mirko Vucinic tasked with leading the charge up front. Shakhtar named a strong team despite already sealing qualification, but Luiz Adriano was banned after his controversial goal during the game against Nordsjaelland.

The match took some time to get going, with the first sniff of an opportunity falling Juve’s way, when Giovinco clipped a pass through to Vucinic, whose first time volley from an angle was sent into orbit.

Neither side seemed in any hurry to commit great numbers forward, though Juve did manage a late flurry to end the first half. Stephan Lichtsteiner’s volleyed cross had to be cleared expertly by Darijo Srna, before a swerving drive from Giovinco from 30 yards out forced Andriy Pyatov into a difficult catch.

The pattern changed completely in the second half. Shortly after the restart, Gianluigi Buffon was forced to punch a dangerous free-kick back into his own area, where Alex Texiera connected, but his effort went over the bar.

Moments later, Andrea Pirlo had a great chance after evading his marker at the edge of the box, but his shot clipped the post on its way out. Shakhtar countered almost immediately, and Henrik Mkhitaryan was released on goal, but he too failed to find the target when in range.

The breakthrough was coming though, and it fell Juve’s way. A low, hard cross from Lichtsteiner was contested by Giovinco and Kucher, with the Shakhtar man’s final touch leading the ball over the goal line.

Shakhtar nearly got back into the match with 20 minutes remaining, as Razvan Rat's telling cross was deflected onto the post after a messy scramble in the box. Not long after, a Juve counterattack saw Vucinic round Pyatov, but the visitors were able to get men back to take the sting out of the attack, with Pogba eventually firing wide.

With time trickling away, Shakhtar seemed to accept its fate, and failed to really test Buffon in the closing stages as Juve finished in control of the match and the group.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Braga 1-2 Galatasaray: Turkish delight as Terim's men clinch qualification

Galatasaray booked its place in the knockout stages of the Champions League the hard way, coming from behind to defeat Braga 2-1 at the Estadio AXA on Wednesday evening.

The Turkish champion appeared to be heading out when Mossoro gave its Portuguese opponent a fully deserved lead shortly before the half-hour mark.

The situation worsened for Gala when qualification rivals Cluj went a goal up on table-toppers Manchester United, but Burak Yilmaz and Aydin Yilmaz scored second-half goals to see Fatih Terim's men through in dramatic fashion.

Braga went into the game with nothing to play for at the Estadio AXA but it dominated right from the off, with Mossoro firing over after being picked out in the area by Alan before Ismaily called Fernando Muslera into action for the first time with a low drive.

The hosts should have taken the lead 15 minutes in, after Mossoro had slipped Eder in on goal, but the forward took far too long to get his shot away, allowing Felipe Melo to deflect the ball over the bar.

Just moments later, Gala was indebted to Dany Nounkeu for an equally important block, with the ball having dropped invitingly for Paulo Vinicius.

Braga continued to press as the half wore on and Ismaily, Eder and Alan all tried their luck before Mossoro showed his teamsmates how it was done 32 minutes in.

Braga attacked down the right-hand side and after Melo had completely missed his kick in trying to clear on the edge of area, Mossoro took a sublime touch to take him past his fellow Brazilian before curling the ball into the bottom corner.

The goal finally raised the visitors from their slumber and Selcuk Inan drew a fine fingertip save from Quim with a 30-yard free kick from a central position but Braga still finished the half the stronger, giving Terim much to think about during the break.

The former Turkey boss decided he had seen enough from Johan Elmander and Hamit Altintop, replacing them with Aydin and Amrabat, respectively.

The visitors suddenly looked far more potent up front and they drew level just before the hour mark when Burak rose to nod in Emre Colak’s wonderful inswinging cross from the left wing.

Ismaily very nearly put the hosts back in front with a venomous effort which flew just wide, but the momentum was now with the visitors and they nicked the victory which saw them progress to the last 16 when Aydin turned in the rebound after Quim was unable to keep hold of a shot.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Celtic 2-1 Spartak Moscow: Hooper and Commons seal the deal for Lennon’s Bhoys

Celtic advanced to the knockout stages of the Champions League for first time since 2008 after a nervous win over Spartak Moscow at Celtic Park.

A first half strike from Gary Hooper and a second-half Kris Commons penalty secured the win after a tense night of football in Glasgow.

The opening stages of the game were tetchy and evenly contested, with neither side establishing much of a stronghold on the contest or creating many clear chances, until Spartak midfielder Kim Kallstrom caused Celtic heart’s to flutter a little after a quarter of an hour when he played a neat one - two on the edge of the area, before placing his left foot shot narrowly wide of Fraser Forster’s post.

With Brazilian striker Emmanuel Emenke looking lively for the Russian side, it looked like Celtic would be set for a night of struggle, however not for the first time in this season’s competition the club showed its clinical side.

Greek striker Georgios Samaras picked up the ball on halfway and weaved past several Moscow players before launching a long ball up field which was poorly controlled by defender Juan Insaurralde and Hooper pounced to lash the ball first time past the helpless goalkeeper.

Celtic had a few more half chances as the first half wore on, however Spartak came back into the contest and when the equalizer came it was hardly against the run of play.

Standout man Emenke was once again at the center of the action as he shrugged off a challenge in central midfield and drove the ball forward before feeding Ari on the right side of the box, and the Brazilian nonchalantly chipped the ball over Forster for the equalizer.

That was the last major drama of the first half, but five minutes into the second period Celtic came within a whisker of going back in front.

Right back Mikael Lustig did well to find some space on the right flank as he put in a decent cross which was met on the half-volley by Samaras. His shot cannoned off the post with Spartak goalkeeper Sergei Pesiakov well beaten.

That looked like being the best chance the club was going to have, however, with the home side mindful not to get carried away with chasing the game, wise in the knowledge that losing the game would certainly put it out of the tournament.

On 80 minutes Celtic did get the goal it needed when Samaras went down in the box under very minimal pressure.

Kris Commons stepped up and thumped the ball in via the underside of the crossbar to secure the victory, and Celtic’s passage into the knockout stages, with a late Kallstrom red-card aiding the cause even more.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barcelona 0-0 Benfica: Point not enough for Portuguese to progress

Benfica failed to ensure it was they who followed Barcelona into the last 16 of the Champions League as the two sides played out a 0-0 draw at Camp Nou. The Blaugrana will be holding their breath after Lionel Messi was stretchered off with a knee injury late.

The Portuguese paid the price for wasting an abundance of chances that could have seen them take a memorable three points against a largely second-string Blaugrana team, as a win for Celtic in Group G's other fixture meant they would have to settle for a spot in the Europa League.

Tito Vilanova sprung a number of surprises with his Barcelona line-up, but the biggest came as Messi, one strike away from equalling Gerd Muller's record of 85 goals in a calendar year, began the game from the bench.

After a brief attempt from Adriano to fill the Argentine's shoes with a scything run through the visitors' back line, a defensive lapse enabled Rodrigo to race through on goal at the other end.

The former Real Madrid youngster had Nolito in support but went alone and failed to bend his shot into the corner, instead watching it skip wide after 12 minutes.

It proved not to be a momentary slip as the Blaugrana defense looked extremely disorganized. In the 21st minute they did not pick up Nolito on the left and his cross found an unmarked Lima in the box. The Brazilian, however, was unable to direct his diving header on target and Pinto was untroubled.

Benfica continued to look more threatening but its profligacy in front of goal did not appear to be ending. Lima's shot came back off the post after the slightest of touches from Pinto, and John shot into the side netting after cutting inside Carles Planas with ease in the 35th minute.

The second half looked to be heading the same way as the first when, within the first minute of the restart, Nolito saw his curling effort from Lima's cross sail narrowly wide of the target.

The Catalan giants finally began to create some chances through David Villa but when those were not taken, Tito Vilanova introduced Messi in the 58th minute.

Yet the Argentine did not quite have the desired game-altering impact. After a rather tame 79th-minute free kick he was denied the fabled 85th goal following a great recovery save from Artur at the death, though he seemed to do himself some damage in attempting to find the net and he was subsequently taken off on a stretcher.

For Benfica the point was not enough to book a spot in the next round as it finished third, two points adrift of Celtic, while Barcelona finished on top of the pile.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester United 0-1 CFR Cluj: Luis Alberto strike stuns understrength United

Manchester United’s final Champions League group game ended in disappointment for the home side as Sir Alex Ferguson’s much-changed side fell to a 1-0 defeat to CFR Cluj.

With top spot in the group secured and the Manchester derby looming on Sunday, Ferguson unsurprisingly made wholesale changes to his team. David de Gea returned in goal while there were starts for Scott Wootton, Alexander Buttner and Nick Powell with Ryan Giggs captaining the side.

CFR Cluj, meanwhile, arrived at Old Trafford safe in the knowledge that the club could finish no lower than third in the group, and the Romanians comfortably held their own in a first half which saw chances for both sides but no goals.

Cluj had the best of the early openings. Midway through the first half Madou Sagou was put clean through on goal but was denied by a superb challenge from Wotton who slid in at the crucial moment to block his shot and force the corner.
Minutes later and the action switched to the other end as Tom Cleverley had an excellent chance to open the scoring. With Danny Welbeck closing down the Cluj defense and managing to nick the ball away, the possession switched to the midfielder but his heavy first touch allowed goalkeeper Mario Felgueiras the chance to come smartly off his line and block his shot.

With halftime looming, United improved and carved out another excellent opportunity. After Felgueiras had saved well from Welbeck and Rooney, United kept the momentum alive and found Smalling from a corner but he could not direct his header on target from close range as the first half ended goalless.

CFR Cluj began the second half in determined fashion and took the lead after just 10 minutes
.
Substitute Paul Scholes, who replaced Cleverley at the end of the first half, gave the ball away and it eventually fell to Luis Alberto. The midfielder was allowed to take a few touches before unleashing an unstoppable shot which flew into the top corner from 25 yards.

With United struggling to work Felgueiras in the CFR Cluj goal, Sir Alex brought Federico Macheda on for Nick Powell with 20 minutes remaining to add some attacking impetus.

Yet for all United's efforts the team found it tough going against a CFR Cluj side content to hold the lead. Felgueiras in the visitor's goal in particular was in commanding form, alive to any danger, and always quick off his line to deny any potential goalscoring opportunities.

While the result mattered little to United, it did to CFR Cluj which despite recording a famous win at Old Trafford still exit the competition. A win for Galatasaray in Braga in the other game in the group, enough to relegate the Romanians to the Europa League.

Manchester United, meanwhile, heads through as the group winner but will now turn its attention back to domestic matters and the small matter of a trip to Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea 6-1 Nordsjaelland: Torres double in vain as Champions League holders crash out

The new Chelsea manager secured his first win in four attempts but he was left to reflect on an evening that ultimately ended in eviction from the Champions League. Benitez’s team was relatively impressive in annihilating Group E minnow Nordsjaelland 6-1 but a points haul of 10 was not enough to prevent the European champions from becoming the first holders to fail to qualify for the last 16.

With Juventus simultaneously defeating Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 to join the Ukraine club in February’s knockout stages, Benitez will lead his team into the far less glamorous environs of the Europa League.

That is, if the Spaniard is still screaming out instructions from the home dugout at the Bridge by then.Nothing can be taken for granted where Roman Abramovich is concerned, even if Benitez might have bought himself a smidgen of room to manoeuvre with this comfortable win, albeit against weak Danish opponents.

The manager could at least take solace in a less poisonous welcome from the home fans and a brace of goals from his under-performing No. 9 Fernando Torres, which were supplemented by a David Luiz penalty, a Gary Cahill header and Juan Mata and Oscar strikes.

Joshua John scored what turned out to be a consolation for the visitors but there could have been even more goals had Nicolai Stokholm and Eden Hazard not traded penalty misses in a crazy few minutes before Luiz showed them how it was done.Benitez might not be able to pit his wits against Europe’s finest coaching minds in the new year but he can at least take solace in a more efficient display from his team.

Unsurprisingly, given the inexperience of the opposition, Chelsea controlled the opening exchanges but its finishing initially lacked punch, as if the team unconvinced whether it would make any difference to the evening’s equation.

An uninspiring game became an eventful one around the half-hour mark, with three penalties awarded in a madcap six minutes, each for handballs of varying degrees of culpability.

Petr Cech dived low to his right to save Nicolai Stokholm’s spot kick after 32 minutes but Jesper Hansen then matched the Chelsea No. 1 by flinging himself to his left to keep out Hazard’s rather feeble penalty.

The third spot kick was perhaps the most contentious of the lot, awarded when a close-range shot hit defender Patrick Mtiliga’s arm that was resting by his side. Luiz paced out a fast bowler’s run-up and emphatically rammed the ball home.
Torres doubled Chelsea’s advantage on the brink of halftime, in a manner that will provide encouragement to Benitez and his coaching staff.

After out-pacing defender Michael Parkhurst in the quest to latch on to Victor Moses’ smart through-ball, the Spaniard’s first attempt was beaten away by Hansen but the striker kept his composure to steer the rebound over the goalkeeper and inside the far post.

It prompted a thousand Twitter jokes about Torres ending his drought but it was in fact the Spaniard’s eighth Chelsea goal of the season.

Nineteen seconds after the break, Nordsjaelland got a foothold in the match when the brilliantly named Joshua John steered in from a tight angle.

Cahill got on the scoresheet after 51 minutes with his sixth goal of the season and, from then on, it was about how many Chelsea would win by as its part-time opposition tired.

Torres got his ninth of the campaign soon afterwards, while Mata and Oscar also scored late on as the final group game developed into a training match.
Ultimately, it was of little consequence. Long before the end, Chelsea’s support had accepted their fate.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sunderland 1-3 Chelsea: Torres fires twice to give Benitez first league win

Fernando Torres struck twice as an improved Chelsea saw off Sunderland 3-1 at the Stadium of Light for its first Premier League win in eight games.

The forward followed up on his midweek double by finishing smartly from a swift counterattack before bagging his second from the spot after Sebastian Larsson fouled Ramires.

Juan Mata added a third on the rebound after Torres hit the woodwork, while Adam Johnson's fine second half strike gave Chelsea pause before holding out.

After Steven Fletcher failed a late fitness test, Martin O'Neill handed Connor Wickham his first start up front since December 2011 while Rafa Benitez opted for the same XI who beat Nordsjaelland.

Chelsea threatened immediately, Mata and Eden Hazard twice combining well, before a cross ricocheted awkwardly off both Sunderland centre-backs to drop for Torres at the far post. Mignolet, however, snuffed out the chance.

The Spaniard finally struck after 11 minutes, though, finishing a lightning-fast Chelsea counter. Oriol Romeu won the ball deep before igniting a break, Victor Moses feeding Hazard on the left, who crossed towards the six-yard line, where Torres was waiting to dispatch it coolly.

The visitors were settled and playing well – though that did not stop their fans from singing for Roberto Di Matteo in the 16th minute. Benitez, meanwhile, was forced into an early change when Romeu came off badly in an aerial duel and made way for Oscar.

Sunderland came back into it, however, with a succession of corners and several scrappy Chelsea clearances, the game quietening as the first half went on.

The Blues had their second just before half-time, however, when Sebastian Larsson needlessly clipped Ramires on the edge of the penalty area and Mark Halsey blew for the penalty. Torres stepped up to put away his fourth goal in as many days.

It took only three minutes after the break for another Chelsea goal to come. Phil Bardsley stood, leaden, and allowed a cross to bounce off him into Torres' path. The striker thought that he had his hat-trick but his shot came back off the woodwork and towards Mata, who finished emphatically on the rebound.

Moses nearly added a fourth when he sliced a low shot inches wide but the Blues were cruising until the 67th minute.

After unsettling the Blues defenders from a set piece, Sunderland regrouped and found Johnson in space on the left flank. His angle was acute but the winger cut a brilliant left-footed finish across Petr Cech and into the net.

Buoyed, the Black Cats pushed for more, Johnson drawing a fine save from Cech with a goalbound free kick. At the other end, John O'Shea kept hope alive by intercepting Torres' cutback.

The good news was all but over for Sunderland as the match petered out but there was time for Craig Gardner to power a free kick against the bar in stoppage time, after which the full-time whistle confirmed a first league win for the Blues under Benitez.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal 2-0 West Brom: Arteta double eases the pressure on Wenger

Arsenal secured its first win in five matches by beating West Brom 2-0 at the Emirates, dampening the visitors’ hopes of a top-six finish.

It was a tale of two controversial penalties in north London, with both dispatched in similar fashion by Mikel Arteta. In the first instance, Mike Jones pointed to the spot after Santi Cazorla cut inside Steven Reid and threw himself to the floor, although replays showed that no contact was made.


The second penalty was correctly awarded for a foul on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain by Chris Brunt, but the Baggies will again feel aggrieved as it appeared that the Gunners’ winger pushed Goran Popov to the ground just moments before the decision.

Arsene Wenger made three changes to the side that lost 2-0 to Swansea last weekend, as Bacary Sagna, Olivier Giroud and Oxlade-Chamberlain replaced Carl Jenkinson, Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott.

The opening exchanges were hotly contested, with both sides keen to avoid going behind early on. But it was Arsenal who went the closest to taking the lead, as Gervinho spurned an early opportunity 18 yards from goal and Cazorla fired wide from just outside the penalty area.

Cazorla then went close again, as Oxlade-Chamberlain raced down the right before hooking a cross deep into the box. The ball sat up nicely for the Spaniard to volley towards goal, but Steven Reid pressured him into smashing his shot over the bar.

The visitors then had a chance of their own, as Brunt attempted the audacious. The winger attempted to curl a first time shot into Wojciech Szczesny’s top corner, but was unlucky to narrowly miss the target.

The deadlock was eventually broken courtesy of an Arteta penalty. Cazorla cut into the box from the left, before dipping inside Reid and going down theatrically. Replays show that there was no contact from the right back, but Mike Jones pointed to the spot and Arteta rifled the ball past Boaz Myhill.

The Gunners were inches away from doubling their lead, as Gervinho embarked upon a mazy run into the area before drilling the ball across the six-yard box. Jack Wilshere slid in an attempt to make contact, but in spite of an open net gaping in front of him the 20-year-old could only manage to poke the ball wide.

The hosts started the second half the better side, keeping relentless pressure on the Baggies’ goal. Oxlade-Chamberlain was unlucky not to score with a chance from a narrow angle, while Gervinho passed up a glorious opportunity with an air shot from six yards out.

Arsenal then made it two, as the referee awarded a second penalty for a clear foul by Brunt on Oxlade-Chamberlain. However, the decision was not without controversy, as the Gunners’ winger appeared to push Popov to the ground in the play leading up to the foul. Arteta stepped up once again and smashed the ball straight down the middle.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Southampton 1-0 Reading: Puncheon lifts Saints out of bottom three

Southampton got back to winning ways as the club registered a 1-0 win over fellow straggler Reading at St Mary’s on Saturday afternoon.

Jason Puncheon’s fine second-half strike proved the difference as the visitors rarely created any meaningful openings, despite while Hal Robson-Kanu header against the post on the stroke of halftime.

The win pushes Saints out of the relegation zone and continues their fine run of form, while Reading is consigned to a fourth defeat in a row.

Nigel Adkins made two changes from the defeat at Liverpool, with Kelvin Davis starting in goal ahead of Paulo Gazzaniga, while Jay Rodriguez got the nod in place of Gaston Ramirez, who made the Saints bench.

Brian McDermott named an unchanged Royals side from the dramatic 4-3 defeat at home to Manchester United, with Adam Le Fondre starting up front alongside Jason Roberts, while Pavel Pogrebnyak missed out through injury.

It was a bright start for the home side as Jose Fonte headed down Luke Shaw’s cross towards Jay Rodriguez, who blasted low into the side netting from a tight angle.

Rickie Lambert drove a 25-yard volley wide before Southampton had another glorious chance to go ahead as Puncheon set Nathaniel Clyne loose on the right, but his drilled cross hit Morgan Schneiderlin in the chest and rolled wide.

The visiting side started to enjoy more possession, but was’t creating anything meaningful as the Saints defense stood firm. Lambert then had another attempt, curling an effort across goal which Federici did well to palm away.

Jay Tabb produced a superb counterattacking run to burst forward and drive an effort towards goal, which Davis comfortably parried away.

The home side then had a goal disallowed as Puncheon headed in at the far post from a corner, but the referee had spotted an infringement in the area and it didn’t count.

Southampton started brightly after the break and Puncheon forced another fine save from Federici as he tried a low curling effort from the edge of the box, before Rodriguez volleyed just wide from 25 yards.

Finally the home side took the lead on the hour as Lambert released Clyne who played a superb pass for Puncheon to gather and roll the ball across goal into the far corner.

Jobi McAnuff immediately had a chance to level after Clyne’s botched clearance, but blasted the ball well over the bar.

Puncheon drove another effort wide, this time from distance, before moments later substitute Guly Do Prado fired an excellent curling strike just over the bar.

Davis was then forced to punch away a Shorey free kick before Do Prado wasted a glorious opportunity, firing straight at Federici from 10 yards, but the home side held on to register another win and leap out of the relegation zone.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Aston Villa 0-0 Stoke City: Bore draw leaves hosts treading water

It was billed as a contest between the two form sides of the Premier League, but Aston Villa could only hold visiting Stoke to a goalless draw when the two sides met at Villa Park on Saturday.

Both teams came into the encounter unbeaten in three league matches, but could only play out a 0-0 draw – the fourth draw in a row between these two sides.

To the delight of the home fans, Villa began splendidly, forcing an early corner after barely a minute’s play and going on to enjoy 70% of possession in the opening 10 minutes.

Christian Benteke imposed himself to hold the ball up to good effect early on for the hosts and Tony Pulis’ men barely got a look in for the duration of the first half.

But the home side’s frantic early pace soon settled and the prospect of a bore draw became more inevitable by the minute.

Paul Lambert’s men have struggled for goals this season – notching just 12 in total so far, and for all their dominance, any early threat of a football match breaking out soon disappeared with a whimper.

After an uneventful conclusion to the opening half, the hosts were determined to begin the second period as quickly as they had the first, but Benteke hit a weak volley straight at the grateful Asmir Begovic after being played in by Kyle Lowton.

Five minutes later, Villa applied the greatest amount of pressure so far, peppering the Stoke goal with shots and crosses in abundance and also having a penalty appeal turned down after Gabriel Agbonlahor was brought to the ground.

Sixty-six minutes in, Lambert, it seems, had finally given in. On came number nine Darren Bent.

And the England international’s willingness to get forward was evident from the off, yet now it was no longer a case of the wrong personnel but rather inadequate service to the front man.

Ten minutes later, Crouch came on against his old club as Pulis showed his first signs of going for all three points.

But, alas, it was to no avail as both sides played out an uneventful draw and Stoke saw Ryan Shotton get sent off in injury time.

Impressively, this was Stoke’s eighth clean sheet of the season. But for Paul Lambert and his lackluster Villa side, four games unbeaten will never have seemed so disappointing.