The Soccer Blogger
Manchester United and Arsenal took centre stage on Wednesday evening and they both booked their places in the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League.
Manchester United cruised to a 4-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev at Old Trafford to extend their 100 per cent record and qualify with two games to spare.
Celebrations at Old Trafford Against Dynamo Kiev
United’s first goal will probably not be one that will be rehearsed too often on the training ground. Michael Carrick headed Cristiano Ronaldo’s free-kick goalwards, only to see it strike the back of Carlos Tevez’s head, with Gerard Pique quickest to react and he headed home. Well, I’d like to see them try and rehearse it.
However where the first was a little slapstick, the second was classic United. Tevez driving at the retreating Kiev defence before playing a one-two with Rooney and drilling a shot beyond the goalkeeper. It was Rooney who made it 3-0 after the break, by volleying home from close range after a superb cross by Nani. The Utd scoring was completed in the closing stages with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his seventh in as many Champions League games.
Meanwhile Arsenal, who needed only a point to go through after their 7-0 demolition of Slavia Prague last time out at Emirates Stadium, earned just that after a stalemate in the return fixture in Prague
Arsene Wenger did a “Benítez” rotating his team and sent out a much-changed side. The Gunners however failed to hit their previous heights with Slavia prague actually coming closest to breaking the deadlock when they broke clear only for Manuel Almunia to smother the chance. Sevilla are on course to join the Gunners in the last 16 of the competition after their win away to Steaua Bucharest.
However, Rangers couldn’t equal their Glasgow neighbours Celtic’s result from Tuesday evening as they were beaten in Barcelona. Lyon’s triumph over Stuttgart moves them to within a point of the Scottish giants, while in Group C Inter and Fenerbahce look set to progress.
There was a late own goal from Anderson Polga as Sporting Lisbon were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw with Roma, who remain second in Group F. Marco Cassetti gave the visitors an early lead with an unstoppable shot into the top corner after Simone Perrotta had played the ball into his path on the left of the area. But a comedy of errors in the Roma defence allowed Sporting to level as Philippe Mexes took the ball away from Doni and allowed Liedson to slot home. And Liedson then dived to head home a second in the 64th minute from Marat Izmailov’s cross from the left, only for David Pizarro’s late long-range effort to take a wicked deflection off Polga and give goalkeeper Tiago no chance.
Barcelona, who were unable le to break Rangers down for 90 minutes in the fixture at Ibrox, needed only seven minutes to make the breakthrough at the Camp Nou, although it has to be said they enjoyed a slice of good fortune. Ronaldinho clipped a free-kick to the far post where the unmarked Messi headed back across goal for Thierry Henry to force the ball over the line. However, if you watch the replay you can see Henry’s final touch was off his arm.
Messi, who actually accused Rangers of playing ‘anti-football’ in the first leg, then made it two before half-time. Messi exchanged passes with Ronaldinho. The Brazilian’s shot was saved by Allan McGregor, only for Messi to reap the benefits of the rebound.
Lyon made the perfect start against Stuttgart opening the scoring after just six minutes, the goal taking a huge deflection. They then doubled their advantage with an excellent second after good work from Sidney Govou. But Stuttgart didn’t give in and they responded immediately as Mario Gomez pounced to fire home a loose ball after another shot that was too hot to handle.
But home side restored their two-goal cushion before the interval with an audacious piece of skill creating the chance for an equally ambitious shot. Stuttgart reduced the deficit after the interval with Gomez forcing the ball home from close range from a low centre, but they then missed a glorious opportunity to level as the goalkeeper made a superb save from Hitzlsperger’s penalty. Juninho added a fourth for Lyon in the third minute of added time with the French champions moving to just one point behind Rangers.
Sevilla are on course to join Arsenal in the knockout phase after their 2-0 victory away to Steaua Bucharest. Renato opened the scoring when he forced the ball home after Robinson Zapata was unable to hold Christian Poulsen’s powerful header from Jesus Navas’ corner, with the same duo combining for a superb second after the interval.
Inter Milan survived a scare against CSKA Moscow, coming from 2-0 down to triumph 4-2 and dump the Russians out of the competition. The San Siro was silenced with the opener after 23 minutes before an astonishing spell of three goals in four minutes. First CSKA doubled their advantage only for Inter to respond and immediately get back on level terms through Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s close-range strike and Esteban Cambiasso’s cool finish from Hernan Crespo’s dummy.
Then Cambiasso made it 3-2 as he drilled home from the edge of the six-yard box after Ibrahimovic’s cute flick from a corner with the Swede then unleashing an unstoppable effort into the top corner.
Fenerbahce are poised to join them in the next phase as they defeated PSV Eindhoven with two goals in the opening half hour. Teenage defender Dirk Marcellis put through his own net after Kazim Kazim’s shot from the edge of the box, before Semih Senturk added a second after 30 minutes, finishing a crisp passing move with a neat finish.
To the click to see all Wednesday’s Champions League results
The Soccer Blogger
