Monitoring Desk
LONDON, England
(TheSportsNEXT) November 7, 2012: Dieumerci Mbokani's first-half goal kept
Anderlecht's UEFA Champions League hopes alive as they finally earned their
first win in Group C, reported FIFA’s official website.
Defeat in St Petersburg two weeks ago had left the Belgian
champions bottom of the group and needing victory at the Stadium Constant
Vanden Stock to have any realistic chance of reaching the last 16.
And Mbokani's neat finish coupled with a solid defensive
showing lifted them ahead of their opponents to third in the standings, a point
behind second-placed AC Milan after the Italians drew with Malaga.
Zenit's top-scorer Hulk missed the match due to injury,
while Anderlecht were without the suspended Marcin Wasilewski. Belgium defender
Nicolas Lombaerts, keen to make an impression in his homeland, volleyed
goalwards in the fifth minute, but Silvio Proto parried over.
Sergei Semak then fired wide before Mbokani, playing in a
mask to protect a broken nose, had Anderlecht's first chance, but he saw his
header saved by Viacheslav Malafeev. And it was the DR Congo international who
opened the scoring in the 17th minute, exchanging passes with USA international
Sacha Kljestan and finishing with a deft right-footed chip.
It was Anderlecht's first goal in the group, and Malafeev
dived to tip Milan Jovanovic's 20-yard left-foot drive around the post midway
through the half as the home side began to take control of the match.
Zenit's second Belgian, midfielder Axel Witsel, was booked
before half-time for a foul on Cheikhou Kouyate. Searching for inspiration, the
visitors sent on Portugal playmaker Danny - who only returned to action on
Friday following a cruciate ligament injury - in place of Semak at half-time.
Proto denied Witsel an equaliser when the tall midfielder
volleyed dangerously from 12 yards.
Lucas Biglia tried to create a second goal for Anderlecht
with an excellent run into the box, but his cross was cleared behind by Tomas
Hubocan. They came close to killing the game off in the 82nd minute when
Mbokani flicked on Jovanovic's pass and Oleksandr Yakovenko fired past Malafeev
but saw his effort rebound to safety off the crossbar.
Anderlecht held on at 1-0, though, to record their
first-ever win in the group stage and keep themselves in contention for the
knockout stages.
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