By Alexia Krause
 |
| Joaquin Sanchez scores for Malaga as AC Milan were stunned |
MALAGA, Spain
(TheSportsNEXT) October 25, 2012: Malaga heaped the pressure on embattled
AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri after the Italian giants suffered a 1-0
defeat to the Spanish side in the UEFA Champions League.
Milan are languishing below mid-table in Serie A with only
two wins in eight games, a situation which has led to daily speculation about
Allegri's position as coach of the Rossoneri.
The Milanese came into this Group C game buoyed by a 3-2 win
away to Zenit Saint Petersburg, following a scoreless draw at home to
Anderlecht, and still sit second in the group. Their latest setback is likely,
however, to put Allegri's tenure firmly back in the spotlight.
Leaders Malaga meanwhile joined Porto of Group A as the only
team to remain unbeaten after three rolls of the Champions League dice.
The Spaniards dominated the first half, but their biggest
chance to break the deadlock came in the 44th minute when the hosts were
awarded a penalty following a foul in the area by Kevin Constant. Forward
Joaquin stepped up, but his shot went over keeper Marco Amelia's crossbar.
Joaquin then made up for that miss in style when he ran on
to a delightful chip over the Milan defence by Manuel Iturra to beat the
advancing Amelia at his near post in the 64th minute.
Milan were lucky not to be 2-0 down moments later. Malaga
won a free-kick just outside the area and Pereira dos santos Eliseu confidently
struck a superb curling effort which looked destined for the top corner until
Amelia produced a superb diving save.
Allegri sent on Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato in place of
Constant in a bid to bolster the Milan front line. And for awhile the ploy
appeared as though it might pay dividends.
In the 70th minute Milan striker Giampaolo Pazzini got his
head to a cross whipped in from the right, but his effort went just wide.
With barely a quarter-hour remaining, Allegri sent on Spain
international striker Bojan Krkic for defender Francesco Acerbi, prompting a
chorus of whistles from the Malaga crowd aimed at the former Barcelona man.
The changes seemed to invigorate Milan, and Stephan El
Shaarawy broke through into the area to unleash an angled shot that brought a
good block from Malaga keeper Wilfredo Caballero.
From the corner, French defender Phillipe Mexes pounced on a
rebound from a Milan header to hit an angled, first-time shot that went just
wide of the post. For Milan, however, it proved too little too late.
Zenit St. Petersburg
1-0 Andrelecht
Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg grabbed their first
win of this season's UEFA Champions League campaign with an unconvincing 1-0
win over Belgian outfit Anderlecht.
A 72nd-minute penalty by Alexander Kerzhakov gave the
Russians a barely-deserved three points and saw them climb to third in the
table. Spanish debutants Malaga top the table with six points from two games,
while AC Milan are on four and Anderlecht have just a point and are yet to
score a goal in this season's competition. Malaga host Milan later on
Wednesday.
Kerzhakov, who has had a tempestuous past few months with a
poor UEFA EURO 2012 and then going on strike over the huge wages being paid to
big-money signings Hulk and Axel Witsel, had the first serious effort on goal
in the seventh minute, his shot flashing past the near post.
Anderlecht returned fire when a nicely worked move saw Milan
Jovanovic slipped free, but his shot scraped the far post as the players
battled atrocious weather conditions. Hulk then went close after winning a
free-kick on the edge of the box, his whipped-in effort sliding past the far
post with Anderlecht goalkeeper Silvio Proto beaten.
The second half was not of great quality and had few clear
chances, Zenit substitute Vladimir Bystrov going closest in the 69th minute
with a shot that went over the bar. However Lady Luck smiled on Zenit two
minutes later as Jovanovic clumsily gripped Alexander Anyukov round the neck
and threw him to the ground in the box. Kerzhakov made no mistake with the
resulting penalty for his seventh goal of the season.
Jovanovic, who was booked for his moment of madness, almost
made up for his error with seven minutes remaining, firing in a fierce volley
from outside the area, but it went just over the bar.
Zenit's total lack of unity was encapsulated in two
incidents within seconds of each other towards the end of the encounter as
first Kerzhakov fired in a wild shot with Hulk in a better position and then
the bulky Brazilian opted to go on his own in taking on two Anderlecht
defenders with his strike partner free on the left.
Kerzhakov let his feelings be felt wringing his hands in
frustration and shaking his head in the direction of the former Porto star.
Indeed Hulk was to enrage Kerzhakov further in time added on as he produced a
barnstorming run into the penalty area, but again, instead of passing to the
unmarked Russian, he was dispossessed of the ball and received a volley of
abuse for his selfishness.
Olympiacos 2-1
Montpellier
Substitute Kostas Mitroglou scored an injury-time winner as
Olympiacos stunned French champions Montpellier in their UEFA Champions League
encounter. The Greek side had just two shots on target all night, but after
skipper Vassilas Torosidis scored his first goal in over two years, Mitroglou
tapped home the winner in the first minute of injury time.
It was rough justice on Montpellier, who had deservedly led
through Gaetan Charbonnier's clinical finish just after half-time. But their
failure to convert a host of chances thereafter was cruelly punished to leave
them bottom of Group B with just a single point.
Olympiacos had lost their opening two matches and looked
second best for a large part of the opening period. Montpellier's rough diamond
striker Younes Belhanda fizzed a low shot across goal from the edge of the area
before the hosts thought they had a penalty on 11 minutes. Kostas Manolas
handled in the area but the referee called the play back for an earlier foul
just outside the area.
Montpellier boss Rene Girard, who was serving a touchline
ban, cut a frustrated figure in the stands and his mood would hardly have been
helped when Anthony Mounier sliced his shot from the ensuing set-piece high and
wide. Belhanda blazed over from 30 yards after strong lead-up work by Mounier
but the hosts' early pressure began to fizzle out as the Greek side settled.
Benjamin Stambouli had to block a Rafik Djebbour header at
close quarters before the striker just failed to get a foot on Leandro Greco's
dangerous cross from the left. Greco caused more problems down his flank but
Paulo Machado wasted the chance. As the half ticked down, Montpellier returned
fire and Charbonnier almost dinked a shot over Roy Carroll but the goalkeeper
was alive to the danger.
The hosts did take the lead just three minutes after
half-time though thanks to some quick thinking from Charbonnier. The striker
initially flicked a header forward, and when the defence was only able to poke
the ball back into his path, he lashed his shot in from just inside the area.
Olympiacos passed up a glorious chance to draw level moments
later when Pablo Contreras floated a cross to an unmarked David Fuster at the
back post but he headed wide. Montpellier then should have killed off the game
but passed up a series of chances.
John Utaka forced Carroll into a save before Belhanda missed
their best opening. The striker latched on to another weak clearance but after
feigning by a defender he arced his shot wide.
It proved costly as Olympiacos drew level on 73 minutes
after Giannis Maniatis won a free-kick 35 yards from goal. Jose Holebas whipped
the set-piece to the top of the six-yard box where skipper Torosidis was able
to take a touch, after his marker Benjamin Stambouli slipped, before volleying
home.
Montpellier pressed forward in search of a winner they just
about deserved, but were instead caught on the counter-attack. After losing the
ball on halfway the French side still had a chance to clear the threat, but
Henri Bedimo was caught on the ball and Djamel Abdoun raced clear and centred
for Mitroglou to tap in.
FC Porto 2-0 Dynamo
Kiev
Jackson Martinez's brace proved just enough to edge out
spirited Dynamo Kiev in the UEFA Champions League tonight as Porto kept their
100 per cent record in Group A intact. Oleh Blokhin's men pegged the Portuguese
champions back twice, Oleg Gusev's header cancelling out Silvestre Varela's
fine individual effort within 20 minutes.
Colombian striker Martinez sent the hosts in ahead at the
break after good work from countryman James Rodriguez, only for Brown Ideye to
level in the 71st minute. But after Martinez hit his seventh goal of the
season, Porto held out to stay top of their group ahead of big-spending French
outfit Paris St Germain.
Dynamo Kiev were quickest out of the blocks and Ideye gave
Helton an early scare as his corner threatened to sneak in at the far post. But
in the 15th minute, Varela took Lucho Gonzalez's cross under control with one
confident touch, striding across the 'D' to flick up the ball and rifle it past
Olexandr Shovkovskiy.
Helton coped better than his counterpart five minutes later
as he tipped Miguel Veloso's shot round a post, but Dynamo would get their
equaliser from the resulting corner. Veloso swung the ball into the area, Gusev
rising above every Porto defender to glance home a header from close range.
A scrappy phase of push-and-run followed, Varela's dangerous
header a rare highlight, before Porto edged into the lead once again in the
36th minute. In a delightful move, Martinez squeezed the ball under Shovkovskiy
after fending off Yevhen Khacheridi to make the most of Rodriguez's sumptuous
pass.
Martinez threatened to grab his second just after the break
but his snapshot sailed over the bar, with Ognjen Vukojevic forced to block
Rodriguez's rising effort moments later. The Estadio do Dragao was subjected to
a 20-minute stretch of attritional football but Dynamo made up the required
ground to eke out an equaliser.
In the 71st minute, Nigeria international Ideye chested down
Andriy Yarmolenko's diagonal pass from deep before rattling the ball beyond
Helton. But Martinez ensured the parity would not last very long with his cool
conversion from Gonzalez's slide-rule pass just six minutes later.
Maicon fancied his chances of wrapping up all three points
with a swerving free-kick deep into stoppage time, but Porto had already done
enough.
PSG 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb
Zlatan Ibrahimovic turned on the style as PSG earned an
impressive and valuable 2-0 UEFA Champions League win in Croatia against a
lacklustre Dinamo Zagreb.
Sweden international Ibrahimovic, considered to be one of
the game's most enigmatic strikers, seems to have found a home with French club
and has been their stand-out player of the season so far.
He was brilliant tonight, scoring his 11th goal of the term
and then setting one up for Jeremy Menez, as Carlo Ancelotti`s men moved into
second place in Group A, three points behind leaders Porto, but crucially three
and six ahead of the two Dinamos (Zagreb and Kiev).
Ante Cacic Sova's side had no answer to Ibrahimovic tonight
and only the brilliance of goalkeeper Ivan Kelava kept the scoreline
respectable. PSG gave a nod towards what was coming as early as the second
minute when Ibrahimovic's shot from just inside the area was saved by Kelava.
Dinamo actually responded positively, with Domagoj Vida
going close with a header, but Ibrahimovic was soon working the home goalkeeper
again, with his edge-of-the-box piledriver only just kept out.
Again Dinamo had a chance of their own straight after,
Salvatore Sirigu doing well to tip over a vicious corner from Jorge Sammir,
before Kelava was again getting his gloves dirty, this time to deny Mathieu
Bodmer.
It was becoming a one-man show and the Croatia international
was then going down to keep out Menez, before Ibrahimovic drilled a shot into
the body of Ante Puljic and then over the bar as the pressure continued.
The goal was always going to come and it did in the 32nd
minute, with Ibrahimovic on the end of a pass from Menez, finally finding a way
past Kelava from 12 yards.
It would have been unfair for Ibrahimovic to hog all the
glory, though, and two minutes before the break he returned the favour, playing
in Menez from the left and the former Roma midfielder did the rest from close
in.
PSG would have been three ahead at the break were it not for
a fine Kelava save from an Ibrahimovic free-kick, while after that the sides
generated a flurry of chances, with Menez, Marcelo Brozovic, Jorge Sammir and
Javier Pastore all whistling efforts either over or wide.
Not content with his goal, Ibrahimovic piled on for more,
going close with a 12-yard hit, while Kelava again excelled as he denied
Pastore, with Thiago Silva then having a shot deflected away by Marcelo
Brozovic as the visitors finished as they had started.
Ajax 3-1 Manchester
City
Manchester City's hopes of qualifying for the Champions
League last 16 are looking grim after losing 3-1 at Ajax's Amsterdam ArenA in
Group D.
Samir Nasri opened the scoring against the run of play in
the first half but Ajax equalised just before the break through Siem de Jong.
City started the second period the better side but a Niklas
Moisander header and deflected Christian Eriksen strike gave the Dutch
champions a famous win.
City now prop up the group with one point, with Ajax on
three.
Borussia Dortmund top it with seven points after beating
Real Madrid, who have six points, on Wednesday.
Roberto Mancini gave Edin Dzeko a rare start after the
Bosnian complained following his match-winning brace as a substitute against
West Brom at the weekend.
Sergio Aguero looked the more dangerous player in a first
half which City started poorly, largely watching as Ajax knocked the ball
around with skill.
The Dutch champions lacked the outlet of a target man but
caused problems. On nine minutes Eriksen's arrowing half-volley flew just wide
after a chest-down and lay-off by fellow Dane Lasse Schone.
Captain De Jong, operating behind Tobias Sana with former
Liverpool winger Ryan Babel employed on the left side of attack, almost got a
head on a cross in the 20th minute before Eriksen employed a subtle touch to
beat James Milner then shot just wide from outside the area.
And on 22 minutes City took an undeserved lead. Micah
Richards fed the ball over the halfway line and inside to Milner who picked out
the run of Nasri into the box on the left and the France star finished into the
far corner with aplomb.
That gave City impetus. Aguero was almost immediately denied
a goal by a last-ditch block from Toby Alderweireld and the Argentina star
again burst into the box two minutes later, with another great challenge
denying him.
Richards then had space to enter the box and shoot from the
right, but hesitated as he expected Yaya Toure to take the ball on and home
keeper Kenneth Vermeer advanced far enough to pull off a superb block when the
shot finally came.
The equaliser, like all the goals on the night, came against
the run of play. Ricardo van Rhijn sent in a low cross from the right and De
Jong arrived just inside the centre of the box to crack home a low first-time
effort that left Joe Hart standing.
City raced out of the blocks in the second half, with Aguero
denied by a late Moisander block, and looked more composed on the ball. But
they were behind on 57 minutes when Moisander nodded a corner down inside the
far post with Joleon Lescott not close enough to his man.
Roberto Mancini hauled off Lescott and reverted to three at
the back, with Vincent Kompany flanked by Richards and Gael Clichy with incomer
Aleksandar Kolarov at left wing-back and Milner on the right.
Clichy did not look happy to be asked to play to the left of
centre and in the 68th minute his attempted block diverted the superb Eriksen's
shot past Hart for 3-1. The Denmark star tricked his way past Kompany to set up
the opportunity.
Soon after Hart saved from Sana after a one-two with Schone
put him through on goal - he should have scored - then at the other end Dzeko
sprung into life, bringing the ball down on his chest and angling into the box
with Vermeer making a point-blank save. It should have been a penalty as
Alderweireld had hold of his shorts.
Dzeko again surged into the area through two defenders and
away from the diving Vermeer before the keeper saved and moments later Nasri
claimed that Moisander had hold of some of his shirt as he tried to shoot, but
it would have been a harsh penalty to give.
Babel was always a menace cutting in from the left, but - as
with his time at Liverpool - his shooting let him down with Hart equal to
anything he had to throw at him.
Ultimately City fell short of the standards expected of them
in the competition this season and now face an uphill battle to qualify for the
knockout stages.
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