The Hunter: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

After making the move from Real Madrid to AC Milan during last summer’s transfer window, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has been a shadow of his former self. 13 weeks into Serie A play, and 5 matchdays into the Champions League season and ‘The Hunter’s’ aim has been anything but deadly, failing to score even a single goal. This disturbing slip in form had sent Italian media outlets into full-blown rumour mode, claiming that the club and Rossoneri Vice-President Adriano Galletti were unhappy with the Dutchman’s play, and that the side were looking to move him out of the San Siro in favour of somebody who could live up to their potential. On Sunday evening, away at Catania, Milan manager Leonardo opted to leave the young Dutchman out of the starting XI in favour of the strike tandem of Marco Borriello and young Brazilian phenom Pato. However, late into the match Borriello was relieved of his services (it was a weak game on his part to say the least) by an eager to please, yet snake-bitten, Huntelaar. As the match progressed into the dying minutes it looked as though the striker would be able to do little to break the stalemate that had developed between the Italian giants and a defensively determined Catania squad. However, in the 93rd minute The Hunter showed a glimpse of his former self, taking dead aim at net and unleashing a bullet that squeaked beneath the outstretched keeper from the Sicilian outfit.

Huntelaar proceeded to run directly to the Milan supporter section, jumping and celebrating as he ran, showing the Milanese “tifosi” that the hype surrounding his transfer might have been justified afterall. Just over one minute later, he proved it. Taking a pass on a backheel flick from fellow sub Filippo Inzaghi, Huntelaar proceeded to run away from the net only to blindly turn and chip the ball into the top left hand corner of the net over the unsuspecting Catania keeper, creating a cheddar bomb that nearly brought a tear to my eye. Needless to say, Signore Galliani was quick to issue a statement saying that Huntelaar was staying put, and that Milan was happy to see something come from their 15 million Euro investment.

See below for a full recap of today’s match, note that both goals come towards the last minute or so of the video.

With such a stunning display of fortitude, gusto and overall talent, Huntelaar has shown that he is still in fact ‘The Hunter’, the very same who tore up the Eredivisie with Ajax, and who had excellent performances during his brief stint with the then Dutch-heavy Real Madrid. Moreover his performance has once again had the Italian media, specifically those with Milanese tendancies, hailing him as the first true successor to Marco Van Basten’s legacy. While similar statements were made with reckless abandon while Huntelaar was at Ajax (another of Van Basten’s old squads), one does not want to put the cart before the horse. One thing is for certain though, with Huntelaar’s return to form, Milan will be exponentially more exciting to watch in the coming weeks as they mount their attack on table toppers, and city rivals Inter. At the very least, Huntelaar has garnered a starting XI spot for both the next Serie A matchup as well as the upcoming, and determining, Champions League round robin matchup against Zurich come December. I for one am looking forward to seeing The Hunter’s kill count mount.

By the by… I took the liberty of posting a Klaas-Jan Huntelaar compilation that might impress upon you what the Rossoneri can look for in the coming weeks… The Hunter at his best.

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It seems as though derby season is upon us; there have been quite a few this weekend and next weekend the most anticipated match in Roma’s season (and the greatest derby in Italy) gets underway. But, before we can start our countdown to a good Biancocelesti thrashing, we have to deal with all the derbies (and mundane regular matches) going down this weekend. Shall we?

Football:

Somebody get this guy a Red shirt.

Liverpool 2-0 Everton (The Merseyside Derby) – Well, the Scousers went head to head today as strugglers Everton took on strugglers Liverpool. It was a battle of the underachievers, with both Rafa Benitez and David Moyes’ sides badly needing the points and morale boost that come from a derby win. In a season when both sides have fared so poorly both in league and European competitions, it comes as no surprise that today’s match was decided not by a particularly heroic individual effort but by a particularly atrocious performance. A pair of grievous mistakes from Everton defender Joseph Yobo gifted the Reds a 2-0 victory, much to the dismay of the Toffeemakers’ fans at Goodison Park. Yobo put the visitors ahead in the 12th minute, putting his foot out and tipping a long-range effort from Javier Mascherano (which was veering well wide of the net, I might add) past Tim Howard and into the back of his own goal. It was a typically scrappy derby match, and Russian wiz Diniyar Bilyaletdinov nearly leveled the score 6 minutes later in the beginning of what was a very back-and-forth first half. Everton found the back of the net twice and were twice disallowed, but the home support were buoyed by their side’s performance and were left singing at the half despite the score remaining 1-0. However, they wouldn’t be singing at fulltime – their side failed to equalize in the second half with Pepe Reina denying the Blues over and over again, seemingly through sheer determination and a bit of luck. When it finally occurred on 81′, the second error from Joseph Yobo would all but put the game out of Everton’s reach. The Nigerian whiffed on an aerial clearance, leading to a shot from Albert Riera before Dirk Kuyt buried the rebound to make it 2-0. Ten minutes later, it was the away support who were singing as another Merseyside derby came to pass.

Manchester Utd 4-1 Portsmouth – Ah, our first non-derby match of the weekend. Still though, there is a bit of history here – the last time Avram Grant came up against Sir Alex Ferguson on the touchline was in the 2008 Champions League final, with Chelsea just one slip away from being crowned Champions of Europe. Despite being runners up in that competition and in the EPL, Grant was sacked as Chelsea manager, left to ponder what could have been. Yesterday he made his (unofficial) return to coaching, this time as manager of strugglers Portsmouth, who are looking to turn their fortunes around after going through 3 owners and 2 managers already this year. Fergie himself had to watch the match from the stands, as he is currently serving a touchline ban – luckily the match was quite a spectacle, abundant with soft penalties and controversy. On 25′ the visitors were awarded a somewhat questionable penalty which Wayne Rooney buried from the spot. The Fratton Park crowd could not complain too much, though, as 6 minutes later their side was awarded an even more inexplicable penalty which Kevin Prince Boateng was able to convert – apparently awarded for some rather run-of-the-mill shirt tugging by Nemanja Vidic. The teams went into the half level, but it would not take United much longer to find their stride. Within the first 8′ minutes of the second period Wayne Rooney would complete his hattrick with a low shot on 48′ and a second penalty on 53′. Ryan Giggs would top it all off on 87′ with the 100th Premiership goal of his career, making it 4-1 United and ensuring that Avram Grant will have Fergie-related nightmares for a while yet.

Tottenham 1-1 Aston Villa – It’s always difficult to come down after an incredible high. No, I’m not referring to my own struggles with substance abuse (fictional, I assure you), but rather the 9-1 victory which the Spurs were able to achieve over Wigan Athletic last weekend. Instead of repeating that incredible feat, the Lilywhites were held to an unremarkable draw at Villa Park. Gabriel Agbonlahor gave the home side an early lead on 10′, but Michael Dawson was able to level for Tottenham late in the match to earn his side a point and lift them to 3rd place in the English Premier League. Not an overly impressive performance from Harry Redknapp’s side, but they did just enough to keep themselves in the Premiership race.

Chelsea 3-0 Arsenal (The London Derby) – Realistically, there are more intense traditional rivalries in London town; historically Chelsea and Arsenal have been less concerned with each other than their other London neighbours. However, the rise of Chelsea into the big four of Premiership football means that in recent years these two sides have been forced into competition with one another at the top of the table and as a direct result their rivalry has become much more intense. Today’s London derby turned out to be an absolute rout from the Blues, who have been in tip-top form all season under Carlo Ancelotti, decimating Arsene Wenger’s depleted side who have been just shy of top form of late. It was another episode of the Didier Drogba show at the Emirates, with the big Ivorian grabbing the brace to all but destroy the Gunners and keep his fantastic record against Wenger’s side alive – Drogba has found the net in each of the last 9 matches played against Arsenal. Drogba opened the scoring on 41′, firing from close range into the top of Almunia’s net after some impeccable service from Ashley Cole. Just 4 minutes later Cole would again play the role of provider, but this time it was Arsenal man Thomas Vermaelen who turned the ball into his own net – giving the home side plenty to think about as they retired for the halftime interval. Just after the break Arsenal should have made it 2-1 when Andrei Arshavin blasted a rebound past Petr Cech and into the Blues’ net, but the goal was disallowed for an alleged foul on the Czech keeper by Gunners man Eduardo. Despite some dangerous efforts, Chelsea dominated play for much of the second half; their persistence paid off on 86′ when (guess who?) Didier Drogba struck again from a free kick just outside the area, blasting past the wall and away from Manuel Almunia into the back of the net. Ultimately, Ancelotti’s side would cruise to a relatively easy win, taking advantage of a depleted and demoralized Arsenal side to further their dominance atop the Premiership table. Chelsea have now recorded wins this season against all of their fellow big four sides – a positive omen if there ever was one.

Manchester City 1-1 Hull City – Oh, and City drew their 7th straight game after Shaun Wright-Phillips’ opener was cancelled out by a late penalty converted by Jimmy Bullard.

Calcio:

Inter 1-0 Fiorentina – Oh, Inter. I am growing to hate you so. In a game when Jose Mourinho’s side played poorly and were well-met by an organized outing from Cesare Prandelli’s men, it would be a penalty kick which separated the two sides in the end and allowed i Nerazzurri to go 8 points clear atop the Serie A table. It’s so typical of this side to underachieve thoroughly and then get by on the skin of their teeth that I shouldn’t be surprised, but yet I am disappointed each time a more deserving team outplays them and ultimately falls, especially due to this sort of misfortune. I’m not saying that the penalty wasn’t there, but had it not been for Gianluca Comotto’s hotheadedness, or had Alberto Gilardino buried his one-on-one chance against Julio Cesar instead of hitting the post just moments earlier, then Inter surely would have dropped points on the evening. In the end, Diego Milito’s penalty made the difference in a match full of could’ve-beens for La Viola that was perhaps ultimately a shouldn’t-have-been for La Beneamata.

Genoa 3-0 Sampdoria (il Derbi della Lanterna) – The Genovese derby, or il Derbi della Lanterna, as it is known, always produces some fireworks. This year’s was no different, as i Grifoni demolished i Blucerchiati in a game that had as many goals as it did red cards. Omar Milanetto opened the scoring for Genoa on 10′ with a spot kick after Reto Ziegler executed a clumsy tackle in the box. Genoa’s Giuseppe Biava was sent off for handling the ball as he fell to the ground, Sampdoria’s Marco Rossi received two yellows, and his teammate Fabrizio Cacciatore received a straight red late in the match. Meanwhile, Genoa’s Marco Rossi (yes, there are two of them) scored on 53′ and Raffaele Palladino capped off the victory with a spot kick on 75′. An eventful and exciting derby, and also a hard-fought one, which I’m sure an inspection of Antonio Cassano’s shins would tell you. They really don’t like that guy, eh? I bet Lippi calls up the whole team come June.

Cagliari 2-0 Juventus – La Vecchia Signora ha perso contro… gli Isolani? Cagliari managed to pull one (better yet, two) over on their visitors at the Stadio San’Elia today, snatching all three points from a rather toothless Old Lady. I think I’ve waited long enough to say this – Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has certainly been a huge flop at AC Milan this season, but realistically, what has Diego done for Juventus’ offense lately? I’ll tell you what he did today: not enough. Their confidence shattered by a midweek loss to Bordeaux, Juventus fell about play clumsily and were victimized by a sharp and determined performance from the Sardinians. The home side opened the scoring on 30′ when Nenê unleashed  35-yard screamer that blasted into Buffon’s top corner. Juventus struggled to respond, and with their own Brazilian Diego firing well-wide before the half, went into the break with a much-deserved 1-0 deficit. After the interval, Amauri thought he had grabbed a quick equalizer for his side, but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside, leaving Cagliari keeper Federico Marchetti more than happy to pick the ball out of the back of the net. Cagliari also had fair claim to a spot kick after Martin Cácares handled the ball in the area, but the referee adjudged it ball-to-hand and play continued. A late goal would come to pass, but it would not be the strike that Juventus needed: substitute Alessandro Matri turned Fabio Cannavaro absolutely inside-out before slotting past Gigi Buffon in the 89th minute. Both Diego and substitute Alessandro Del Piero would miss absolute sitters for the visitors in added time and Juventus were forced to swallow their second humbling defeat in 5 days, dropping to 8 points behind league-leaders Inter.

Vucigol had me praising the heavens with his 44th-minute header.

AS Roma 2-1 Atalanta – An ugly, nervy, but ultimately deserved away win. I couldn’t be happier. Though dominations at the Stadio Olimpico like the one last weekend over Bari are a joy to watch, they are expected – those are the games that we will always win, because the magic of the Olimpico rarely fails us. However, it is matches like today’s at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri D’Italia that are must-wins for i Giallorossi, because they are the ones where we so often lose our nerve and drop points against teams we would easily beat at home. It’s not called an advantage for nothing, you know. Luckily, Roma was able to pull out a comeback win against gli Orobici today after Fabio Ceravolo gave the home side the lead on 13′. Roma looked decidedly lackluster for huge spells during the first half, but were able to grab a set-piece goal just before the half as Mirko Vučinić nodded home a corner from David Pizarro on 44′. Simone Perrotta was able to give his side the lead 20 minutes later, ghosting into the box unnoticed to head home a cross from Vučinić. After gaining the lead, i Lupi simply fought to maintain it. The substitutions of Jérémy Ménez for Rodrigo Taddei and Roberto Acquafresca for Cristiano Doni changed the entire complexion of the game; suddenly Roma were on the backheel and fighting only to maintain their lead while the home side heaped on piles of offensive pressure. For the most part Roma held up nicely under the waves of attack; Riise almost scored an own-goal on 85′ but instead cleared the ball nicely, while Atalanta had a legitimate appeal for a penalty on Juan two minutes later which was happily waved off. Finally the fulltime whistle blew and Roma were able to take a much-needed 3 points home to Trigoria. We’ve finally cracked the top 10! Rejoice ironically – but only for a second. We have il Derbi della Capitale to think about.

Udinese 2-0 Livorno – The other Bianconeri were able to achieve a much better result this weekend than Juventus. A cracker of a free kick from Antonio Di Natale opened the scoring on 29′, bringing his total for the season to a round 10. 7 minutes later, Antonio Floro Flores doubled his side’s money, heading home after a build-up that was again largely the work of Di Natale. The one-two punch was more than enough to subdue the Tuscan visitors at the Stadio Friuli and le Zebrette ran away with the 2-goal win. I almost feel bad for Sersi Cosmi, fervent Romanista that he is, until I remember that it was his cursed side which sent us on the downward spiral earlier this season from which we are just now recovering (ie, getting Totti back). But then again, Udinese was a part of that spiral too… Aw, to hell with the both of them.

The Hunter finally found his gun!

AC Milan 2-0 Catania - AC Milan were given a golden opportunity to leapfrog Juventus in the standings this weekend, with i Bianconeri dropping points at Cagliari and i Rossoneri overcame Catania in Sicily to make the most of that chance. Leonardo’s side were held to a goalless draw by the Rossazzurri for 93 minutes, but Milan ‘flop’ Klaas-Jan Huntelaar finally made good on his promise to score an added time brace and catapult his side into second place. First the Dutchman sent a low strike in after some lovely control by Filippo Inzaghi, and then only seconds later after the restart he struck again, chipping Andújar beautifully to make it 2-0 for Milan. Well, the Hunter certainly took his time, but it seems that he has finally found his form for his new side – and his timing couldn’t have been better.

Futbol:

Ibra done good.

Barcelona 1-0 Real Madrid (El Clásico)- Well, it might be called El Clásico, but there was nothing ‘classic’ about Spain’s biggest derby this evening. Barcelona and Real Madrid played out a scrappy game in which neither truly came into their stride or were able to showcase their own particular brand of football. Despite injury concerns, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were all able to feature in the game, but the big Swede would be the only one to make his mark on the match. The Camp Nou was buzzing with energy as 98,000 of los Culés welcomed their most hated rivals to their home ground. Madrid, however, were not daunted, and were the first to impress, with Xabi Alonso and Kaká putting in perhaps their most impressive performances in the shirt of Los Blancos to date. Cristiano Ronaldo played for a solid hour, but was clearly not at full fitness and unable to terrorize the Barcelona backline as he might have wished. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi caused all sorts of trouble but was ultimately kept fairly quiet by Real Madrid’s defense, who put in a surprisingly solid performance. It was the combination of the substitute Ibrahimovic and Dani Alves which would prove deadly, as the diminutive right-back put in an inch-perfect cross which Ibracadabra struck home with authority to put the home side ahead on 55′. However, that would be the only goal of the match, and besides red cards for both Sergi Busquets (63′) and Lassana Diarra (90′), there was not much other action to speak of. In fact, in light of the last Clásico, in which Barca drubbed Madrid 6-2, tonight’s match was a bit of a dud.

Sevilla 2-2 Málaga (Andalusian Derby) – Sevilla’s closest (and fiercest) rivals are Real Betis, against whom they contest the Derby of Seville. However, with Real Betis currently languishing in Segunda División, Sevilla’s closest rivals in the interestingly-named Autonomous Community of Andalucía are perhaps their neighbours in Málaga, who are currently languishing at the bottom of the Primera División. So, we have the Andalusian Derby; and while the rivalry might not be as intense as El Clásico, I personally found the game itself to be much more entertaining. At the Estadio Sánchez Pizjuán Sevilla were looking to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat in midweek to Romanian side Unirea Urziceni, but they certainly did not get off to a good start. Although in a bizarre incident Málaga substitute Albert Luque was shown the red card from the bench, it was still the visitors who took the early lead. Fernando opened up the scoring for the visitors on 22′, and Duda made it 2-0 just before the half after being set up by Fernando. It seemed as though Málaga were headed towards all three points, but a spectacular second-half performance from Luis Fabiano ensured that the spoils were shared in Seville this weekend. The Brazilian struck first on 58′, heading home past Gustavo Munúa, and then on 72′ struck again, smashing the ball into the lower corner of the net to bring his side level. Both sides fought hard for an equalizer, and Sevilla came closest right at the death with a point-blank header from Fernando Navarro that Munúa probably saved by accident. In the end, each team would come away with a single point in a 2-2 draw that was anything but uneventful.

Fußball:

Bayern München 3-0 Hannover 96 – Well, it seems that die Roten have finally regained their lost form, overcoming midtable side Hannover 96 with ease in a match that featured goals from two of their most talented young stars. Thomas Müller tapped in from close range on 19′ to open the scoring, but Bayern looked shaky at times and were not convincing in their possession of the ball. Constant Djakpa caused all sorts of trouble for Phillip Lahm up the flank, and drew a good save from Hans-Jörg Butt, but was unable to affect the scoreline before the stroke of halftime. Ivica Olic made sure that the visitors got off to a good start in the second half, rising at the far post to meet a Danijel Pranjic cross with his head and double Bayern’s lead. For the rest of the half the home side did everything they could do to reduce Bayern’s lead, but to no avail – it would ultimately be Mario Gomez who would get the last laugh, beating the offside trap on 90′ and slotting home to make it 3-0 for his side. This victory sees Bayern rise to 4th in the Bundesliga standings, while Hannover 96 sit at 12th.

Someone control this guy!

Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 VfB Stuttgart – Leverkusen exit this weekend sitting three point clear atop the Bundesliga table, and it can largely be contributed to one man: Stefan Kießling. The 25-year old striker has been absolutely on fire for his club of late and bagged a hattrick this weekend at the Bayarena to cement his place atop the German scoring charts as well. Kießling struck on 22′, 59′ and 87′, while Eren Derdiyok added a goal of his own on 38′ to complete a 4-0 drubbing of a lacklustre Stuttgart side.

Werder Bremen 2-2 VfL Wolfsburg – Edin Dzeko’s double was not enough for the reigning Bundesliga champions to grab all three points away at the Weserstadion. Each time the young Bosnian scored to give his side the lead, the home side were quick to equalize, and ultimately the two squads cancelled one another out and had to settle for a point apiece. Hugo Almeida and Per Mertesacker were on hand to restore parity for their side, with the latter scoring at the very death in the 91st minute of stoppage time. The sharing of points means that Werder Bremen now sit at 2nd place in the Bundesliga standings, while Wolfsburg remain 8th.

]]> http://tifomilan.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/hq-photo-serie-a-r13-milan-cagliari-4-3/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:38:26 +0000 kakavn http://tifomilan.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/hq-photo-serie-a-r13-milan-cagliari-4-3/

Click on the thumbnails to see full size (Bấm vào hình nhỏ để xem hình lớn):

Ronaldinho scores another goal

The word peculiar is chosen in today’s headline about Ronaldinho because the Ronny we can see in the Champions League and the Serie A this season is a highly influential one, though very different from the Ronaldinho of Barcelona. He is slower, often disappears for long segments of Milan’s matches, and does less spectacular tricks, but he has been an indispensible part of Milan’s comeback after their mediocre start to the season. Since the Rossoneri started picking up points again at the beginning of October, Ronaldinho has been involved in close to every goal scored. The Brazilian might not be the driving force of his team’s attack any more, but when some magic is needed to score or set up a goal, he is there to oblige.

Anyone who was sceptical of Milan’s chances this year might have to take back their criticisms, as the team has really only lost three matches so far this season – two in the Serie A and against Zurich in the Champions League. After having gained only 8 points in their first 6 matches of the season, added to an absolutely terrible pre-season friendly run, Leonardo’s abilities, the team’s quality, and Ronaldinho’s value were all questioned. When the Rossoneri drew at home to Bari in the sixth match of the season, and subsequently lost at home to Swiss side Zurich, who are struggling in their domestic league and in Europe, things were looking gloomy. However, on match day seven of the Serie A, Milan drew 1-1 away to Atalanta, where Ronaldinho scored a late goal to ensure a point. Since then, Milan have not lost, and have in fact collected near all the points available to them. They are now only two points behind second and third placed Juventus and Sampdoria. Ronaldinho has been instrumental in this. Not only has he scored several goals himself, both penalties and in free play, but he has set up or been involved in almost all of Milan’s goals. This past week provides a great example. Against Real Madrid at home at the San Siro yesterday he scored the penalty that gave Milan a point. On Saturday, at home against Parma, he wonderfully set up both of Marco Boriello’s goals, which gave Milan the victory. Boriello’s second goal was a particular peach, a scissor kick after Ronaldinho’s lobbed pass. Ronny ran down the left side, got on the inside of two defenders and gave Boriello a pass he did wonderfully to convert into a goal.

Ronaldinho’s style is slightly different from the dominant attacking player he was at Barcelona. Perhaps age, and a certain saturation during his last year at Barca and his first at Milan, has begun to wear on his body, forcing him to change his style of play a little. Watching Milan’s games he cannot be compared to his heyday at Barcelona in terms of style of play, but perhaps it can be justifiable to say that after two rather low-key seasons, he is beginning to have the same impact on the Milan team as he did on the Barcelona team. When Milan is in desperate need of some magic, someone to turn the result in their favour, it is near always Ronaldinho who is there to provide that edge for them this season. Whether it is setting up Filippo Inzaghi, who is having an impressive season, or Alexandre Pato, who is beginning to score more goals, or striking one in himself, Ronny is proving his worth to Milan and to the quality of the Serie A for spectators. Though a quite different player to four or five years ago, Ronaldinho is again the attacking genius of a top class European team.

Hablaremos del Balón de Oro, ya con la foto de Messi recogiéndolo. Pero de momento nos ocupa otro premio, no tan conocido pero mucho más placentero para la vista. Se trata del Balón Rosa de Oro, un galardón creado en 2008 por el Diario Sport, que consistía en elegir a Miss WAG, termino inglés que refiere a las novias y esposas de los futbolistas. La primera edición la ganó la espectacular Jessica Cirio, conocida por un romance con el jugador argentino Ezequiel Lavezzi. Hablamos de esta preciosidad:

Y llegamos a la segunda edición. Tenemos ya a las 11 candidatas, y se puede votar hasta el 5 de Diciembre.

http://www.sport.es/encuestas.asp?idpublicacio_PK=44&idioma=CAS&result=0&cod_encuesta=6956

Un día después se anunciará la ganadora. Pero bueno, lo primero es presentar a las chicas. Algunas son más conocidas que otras (sobre todo para el público español), pero está clarísimo que están todas buenas.

Lo primera es Abbey Clancy, una modelo inglesa novia del gigantón inglés Peter Crouch

La segunda es Nereida Gallardo, española ex de Cristiano Ronaldo, y conocida en España por la gente que ve eso de “Hombres, mujeres y viceversa”.

En tercer lugar está Nikoleta Lozanova, modelo búlgara conocida por su tonteo con el delantero del United Dimitar Berbatov, que casi le sale caro a éste, ya que la morena tiene un rollito con un mafioso, por lo que llegó a ser amenazado de muerte. Será que merece la pena la tía.

La cuarta candidata es la increible ex modelo italiana Illary Blasi, esposa del capitán de la Roma Francesco Totti.

En quinto lugar aparece la actriz sudafricana Charlize Theron, cuya relación con el deporte es ser simpatizante del Chelsea.

En la mitad de la lista es Clio Zenden (antes Clio Pajczer), modelo francesa de lencería y mujer del ex-jugador del Barcelona “Bolo” Zenden, actualmente en el Sunderland.

6º) Clio Zenden, esposa de "Bolo" Zenden

La séptima candidata es Mariann Fogarassy, modelo húngara relacionada con el ¿futbolista? inglés David Beckham. Y si, está mucho mejor que la Viki, aunque se supone que son sólo amigos.

7º) Mariann Fogarassy, amiga de David Beckham

El dorsal número ocho es Françoise Boufhal, una modelo inglesa amiga del central del United Rio Ferdinand. La pobre sufre de lo buena que está, ya que con 16 años la tiraban de los castings por tener “demasiado pecho”. Eso si, tampoco ha querido quitárselo.

La novena candidata es la famosa modelo argentina Luciana Salazar, antigua pareja del ex-futbolista chileno Marcelo Salas, conocida por intentar conventir Argentina en “un país más sexy”. Ella es un buen principio.

9º) Luciana Salazar, ex de Marcelo Salas

La décima y penúltima candidata es la bellísima modelo italiana Alessia Ventura, compañera sentimental del delantero milanista Filippo Inzaghi. De hecho acabo de decidir que va a ser mi elección personal.

10º) Alessia Ventura, novia de Filippo Inzaghi

Y finalmente, tenemos a la también espectacular Ariadne Artiles, la modelo canaria ex de Fonsi Nieto y participante por su supuesto romance con el portero del Madrid Iker Casillas.

11º) Ariadne Artiles, amiga de Iker Casillas

Ya tenemos la alineación de las once chicas y la entrenadora. Ya sólo falta empezar a emitir votos.

En total, dos representantes españolas, inglesas e italianas. Con una cuentan Hungría, Argentina, Sudáfrica, Francia y Bulgaria.

Mi opinión personal:

1.- Alessia Ventura

2.- Ariadne Artiles

3.- Illary Blasi

Hagan sus apuestas

Ere wie ere toekomt. Woensdag in Estadio Bernabeu was Clarence Seedorf de allerbeste. Hij voetbalde eigenlijk zoals altijd, maar nu lukte het allemaal. Voorzetten met links bij de tweede paal, voorzetten met rechts bij de tweede paal. Crosspasses van linksback naar rechtsbuiten. Een kleine honderd saaie doch effectieve balletjes breed. Allemaal in karakteristiek Clarence tempo.

Het contrast met oerzwoeger Filippo Inzaghi kon niet groter zijn. Na ongeveer een uur spelen werd de Sandro Calabro van de Serie A uit zijn lijden verlost: 8 kilometer gedraafd, 9 ballen aangeraakt en 4 ook daadwerkelijk in de voeten van een medespeler geplaatst. Een maal produceerde hij een rollertje met links in de handen van Casillas. Aan de andere kant kwam Karim Benzema niet direct tot betere cijfers. Neen, Pato maakte weliswaar twee goals, maar strandde ook vaak in goede bedoelingen. Pirlo flenterde fantastisch raak, maar was voor het overige nog plichtmatiger dan een Seedorf in normale doen.

Seedorf speelde eindelijk zoals hij suggereert altijd te spelen. Een klasse apart dus. Maar toch gaan we er niet in trappen. We gaan niet roepen dat Clarence het Nederlands elftal in moet. Daarvoor is Clarence gewoon te goed. En dat WK winnen we juist omdat we net niet zo goed genoeg zijn. In dat geval heb je meer aan spelers die dat beseffen en het gebrek compenseren met geestdrift. En geestdriftig is Clarence nou eenmaal niet.

I feel this picture best captures Kakhader's performances of late.

Although this time I’m a little less pleased about it. At least Roma isn’t the only Italian team to have fallen before the …might… of a Swiss squad in this year’s European competitions. Oh wait wait wait – that’s not embarassing enough – Milan somehow managed to fall before the …might… of a squad that is facing relegation from the Swiss first division. The only aspect of the Rossoneri’s game more toothless than their offense was their defense – with Kakhader Kaladze and Marek Jankulovski looking more like they were auditioning for a role in a Three Stooges film than attempting to hold a backline for a football team. Not even Clarence Seedorf and Filippo Inzaghi could save Milan this time – despite the fact that the veteran pair had more than their fair share of opportunities to find the back of the net.

From the get-go it seemed that Leonardo’s side were in trouble. Milan stumbled from the starting blocks, and were barely getting into their stride before they were dealt a crushing blow – Zurich’s Finnish defender Hannu Timinen volleyed the ball past Marco Storari with a scissor kick in the 9th minute. Suffice it to say that the rush of that early goal was enough to take FC Zurich into the half looking comfortable (if a little surprised) with their 0ne-goal lead.

Not Pictured: Capable Defenders.

Leonardo made some changes at the half, bringing on Ronaldinho and Gianluca Zambrotta, and while it appeared that new life had been breathed into Milan, it would not be enough for i Rossoneri to save their first-half blushes and come up with an equalizer. While Pirlo, Pato and ‘Dinho all came into the second half looking energetic and spry, it would not be enough; their efforts failed to produce and the best chance that the Serie A Giants could come up with was a shot from Gianluca Zambrotta which crashed off the woodwork in second-half extra time. Making matters worse, Alessandro Nesta was forced from the pitch by injury in the second half to be replaced by Oguchi ‘Gooch’ Onyewu. Without Nesta’s guidance, Milan’s backline really did start to look like a Three Stooges act, and when Zurich was able to break on the counter attack it was with a certain air of panic that i Rossoneri dropped back to defend their goal.

In all honesty this is a game that Zurich should not have won – though they did, and I am not trying to take credit from them for that. But let me say this: This is a Milan side which all but gave up on themselves after the 9th minute, when they conceded a single goal to a team who in any other year they would have handily defeated. Leonardo, you need to make some changes and start getting results fast - your job depends on it. Your men have no self-confidence, no will to believe that they can defeat teams like the …mighty… Zurich handily, as the AC Milan of old would have. Milan’s problem is that with their piecemeal squad and their young and inexperienced coach, even they do not believe they have what it takes to compete in this competition.

When even Goliath does not believe that he can win the fight, how can David lose?

Football’s premier competition in terms of talent and money kicked off this week as the giants of Europe once again fought for the Champions League trophy and to be crowned Kings of Europe. Recent years have shown that the English teams all tend to represent very well, having made up 9 of the 12 Semi Finalists in the last three years, but they have only managed to convert that into one win, with Manchester United taking the trophy in 2008, while AC Milan and Barcelona were crowned champions either side of that victory.

For many, Barcelona are still the team to beat, and favourites to relcaim their trophy, a feat which would make them the first since the advent of the Champions League in 1992 to be crowned champion in successive years. Their campaign to do just that began with an away game against one of the other favourites, Inter Milan, about whom England manager Fabio Capello was heard to comment, “they must win the Champions League, they are made to win the Champions League and will be really competitive”, something which incensed current manager Jose Mourinho. The game ended in a 0-0 stalemate, but it was far from a dull affair. Barcelona had several chances to take an away win back to the Nou Camp, but failed to capitalise on their dominant possession, and Mourinho will be glad to have got out of this game with a draw.

The other game in Group F saw Dynamo Kiev come back from a goal down against their unfancied Russian opponents Rubin Kazan, who are making their first appearance in the Champions League. The game ended 3-1 to the home side following some late strikes from Yussuf, Gerson Magrao and Gusev.

While Dynamo Kiev managed to impress with late strikes to come from a goal down to win the game at home, it was Arsenal who stole the headlines as they took the fairytale comeback of the week in Group H coming from two goals down against Standard Liege to win the game 3-2 away from home. Arsenal were unfortunate to go down two goals so early in the game, with Eduardo at fault for the first with an unwise attempt at trickery on the edge of his own box, while Gallas then gave away a penalty to make it 2-0 before European debutant goalkeeper Vito Mannone had even managed to make a useful contribution to the game. The game from then was all about Arsenal as they continued to pour forward in search of goals, ending the match with 11 attempts on goal to their opponents three. Nicklas Bendtner clawed one back before the break which gave Arsenal momentum going into the second half, momentum which was almost passed away by Alex Song as he gave the hosts a golden opportunity to score a third, an opportunity they did not convert. The second Arsenal goal was contentious as it was seen to come off the arm of that man Alex Song, but none of the officials spotted it and Thomas Vermaelen’s goal stood. With momentum now fully behind them, Arsenal kept coming for the winner and just three minutes after equalising, Eduardo da Silva managed to atone for his early mistake by scoring the winner with his left knee.

The other game in Group H was between Greek side Olympiakos and AZ Alkmaar, which ended 1-0 to the host side with a fairly late goal from defender Vasilis Torosidis separating the two teams. Oympiakos are returning to the competition after an absence last year as they failed to qualify past Cypriots Anorthosis Famagusta, while Dutch champions AZ are making their first ever appearance.

In Group C, Europe was given its first opportunity to see the worlds two most expensive players in the forms of Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo line up for their new club Real Madrid and ran out impressive 5-2 winners against FC Zurich, who managed to give the Galacticos a minor scare coming from 4-0 down to make it 4-2 inside two minutes. Ronaldo was on song to score twice himself, while Raul, Gonzalo Higuain and substitute Guti rounded off the scoring. The other game in the group saw 2007 champions AC Milan complete a routine 2-1 victory away from home against Marseille with Filippo Inzaghi scoring both goals.

In Group A, Juventus will be disappointed to have started their Champions League campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to French side Bordeaux, particularly having taken the lead through Vincenzo Iaquinta. The other group game saw Bayern Munich defy their league form with a convincing 3-0 scoreline against Israeli outfit Maccabi Haifa, although they had to rely on two late goals from Thomas Muller to make the victory secure.

In Group B, German champions Wolfsburg provided the most impressive performance with a 3-1 victory over CSKA Moscow, with Brazilian striker Grafite continuing his fine goalscoring form from last season leading the way with a hat-trick on his European debut. In the other groups game, 2008 champions and last years defeated finalists, Manchester United, managed to eke out a 1-0 win away to Besiktas thanks to a Paul Scholes goal.

Group D contains three strong teams in the form of Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Porto and although Chelsea will be favourites to top the group, there will be little room for mistakes. They managed to begin their campaign with a business-like 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge thanks to a goal from Nicolas Anelka. In the group’s other game, the group “minnows” Apoel Nicosia managed to cause a stir by holding Atletico Madrid to a 0-0 draw in Madrid.

In Group E, things remain very tight following Liverpool and Lyon both beginning their campaign with 1-0 victories against Debrecen and Fiorentina respectively. Dirk Kuyt was on hand to settle the nerves for the Merseysiders, while Miralem Pjanic settled things for the French side. Lyon and Fiorentina were drawn in the same group for last year’s European campaign, where Lyon managed to take 4 points off their opponents, and Fiorentina will hope to fare better when they turn out against Lyon again on 24 November.

Finally in Group G, Sevilla managed to close out a 2-0 victory over Champions League new boys Unirea Urziceni, who were crowned Romanian champions for the first time last season, thanks to goals from Brazilian pair Luis Fabiano and Renato. In the other game, Rangers managed to come back from 1-0 down against a superior Stuttgart who could and should have given themselves a more dominant lead, and in the end Rangers will count themselves unlucky to come away with only a draw having hit the post in the closing moments of the match.

Inter: “Abbiamo dato una risposta fantastica, contro la squadra più forte al mondo in questo momento”. Josè Mourinho si scambia i complimenti con Pep Guardiola, dopo lo 0-0 tra Inter e Barcellona e applaude la sua squadra. “Abbiamo fatto una partita difensiva ottima – ha aggiunto il tecnico interista. Avanti abbiamo avuto tre-quattro palle gol: obiettivamente loro in questo hanno fatto qualcosa in più, ma hanno nove giocatori che si conoscono a occhi chiusi, noi cinque che neanche sanno il nome del compagno…”. Mourinho si è poi spazientito alle domande sul difensivismo della sua squadra: “Per me è stata una grande partita, equilibrata: voi italiani siete campioni di cinismo, non venite a parlarmi di pragmatismo”. E Ibrahimovic? “L’ho salutato prima e dopo, in campo non l’ho visto. Sono contento che lo stadio lo abbia accolto con rispetto”.

Fiorentina: L’espulsione di Alberto Gilardino condiziona il secondo tempo della Fiorentina a Lione. Forse il rosso poteva essere evitato: “Sinceramente non ho visto nulla – dice il tecnico viola Cesare Prandelli ai microfoni di Sky – Gilardino ha detto che non ha colpito volontariamente il giocatore, è inutile commentare. Ingenuità? Stava cercando di coprire la palla e guardava il difensore per difenderla, non c’è stato nulla di intenzionale”. Il primo tempo aveva lasciato indicazioni più che positive a Prandelli: “Eravamo equilibrati – spiega – abbiamo fatto un’ottima partita, concesso poco, ordfinati e aggressivi. Avremmo voluto giocare in undici fino alla fine. I ragazzi ci tenevano, peccato. Contro il Liverpool senza una punta di ruolo? Per ora pensiamo al campionato, poi vediamo se recupereremo Castillo o se giocare con Mutu e Jovetic senza riferimenti”.

Milana: Silvio Berlusconi – “Finalmente una buona notizia?…”. Silvio Berlusconi accoglie così la vittoria del Milan 2 a 1 a Marsiglia grazie a Bruno Vespa, che in diretta a Porta a Porta lo informa del risultato della partita di Champions.

Mauro Tassotti – “Non è solo la vittoria di Inzaghi ma di tutta la squadra che ha giocato molto bene”. Mauro Tassotti, tecnico in seconda del Milan – chiamato a rispondere alla stampa al posto di un Leonardo a quanto pare totalmente afono – non ha dubbi. “Il Marsiglia è un’ottima squadra – dice – sapevamo che non sarebbe stato facile giocare su questo campo, davvero molto caldo, abbiamo fatto gol, potevamo farne un altro. Nel secondo tempo, invece, è stata molto dura, loro hanno pareggiato, hanno avuto altre occasioni ma noi abbiamo fatto bene a crederci ancora eppoi Inzaghi ha fatto gol”. Tassotti, poi, alla domanda su chi avesse comunicato a Ronaldinho che sarebbe partito dalla panchina, risponde lapidario: “Glielo ha spiegato l’allenatore: le scelte le spiega lui. E’ una scelta che ci puo stare, sapevamo che era una serata dove c’era da soffrire. La scelta è caduta su Clarence (Seedorf), la squadra si è espressa bene e non è il caso anche questa sera di parlare di Ronaldinho”. Tassotti, poi, butta acqua sui facili entusiasmi: “Abbiamo bisogno di mettere di fila qualche risultato. Abbiamo bisogno di buoni risultati e questo lo è ma anche di buone prestazioni – dice – . La squadra ha bisogno di fiducia perchè c’è sempre qualcosa che ci ributta nella depressione come nel dopo Siena”.

Filippo Inzaghi – “Il segreto, forse, è divertirmi e farmi trovare pronto quando è il momento giusto”. Cosi’ Pippo Inzaghi, ai microfoni di Sky, ha commentato la sua doppietta stasera contro l’Olympique, che ha permesso al Milan di uscire vittorioso dal Velodrome. Ma il merito – sotttolinea Superpippo - è anche di “questa squadra, che ha tanti bravi giocatori che ti danno delle bellissime palle”. L’attaccante, 36 anni, confessa di essere entrato in campo con “un po’ di paura” perchè era parecchio tempo che non giocava una partita intera. E per lui, soprattutto, era importante “alla mia età dimostrare che ci sono sempre, che sto bene e che sono ancora utile a questo Milan”. Inzaghi ha ‘glissato’ a un’osservazione sulla posizione di fuorigioco in cui si sarebbe trovato in occasione della prima rete, facendo notare scherzosamente che tutto ciò fa parte del calcio e che “bisogna saper accettare anche i gol buoni annullati”. Superpippo è soddisfatto e orgoglioso di essere vicino al grande Gerd Mueller per numero di gol nelle Coppe internazionali, pur rilevando che ogni giocatore ha le proprie caratteristiche. Alla domanda se tra 10 anni lo vedremo ancora in campo, il bomber di Coppa ha sorriso: per ora – ha concluso – “mi diverto tantissimo”.

Adriano Galliani – “Quando sentiamo questa musichetta… La Champions League e’ la nostra dimensione”. Adriano Galliani conferma quanto detto nei prossimi giorni, il Milan in Champions League si sente a casa propria. Anche Pippo Inzaghi, autore della doppietta decisiva “quando sente la musichetta… Devo assumere uno psichiatra per capire perchè ci trasformiamo quando sentiamo la musica della Champions”. “Abbiamo giocato bene nel primo tempo e abbiamo poi subito un po’ loro fino a metà della ripresa, poi abbiamo questo giocatore…”. Poi, sulla prestazione di Seedorf, autore dei due assist vincenti ad Inzaghi: “Ha fatto una prova sontuosa, e’ stato fantastico – dice l’Ad rossonero. “Meglio avere problemi di abbondanza, perche’ i veri problemi sono quando ci sono giocatori in meno”. Alla solita domanda sull’utilizzo di Ronaldinho, Galliani glissa: “Basta parlare di Ronaldinho, parliamo di questa partita che il Milan ha ben giocato. E’ la prima volta che battiamo il Marsiglia”, poi sorridendo aggiunge: “poi stasera l’impianto di illuminazione ha funzionato bene”. Galliani, infine, rivela una telefonata “molto amichevole e simpatica” con il presidente del Real Madrid, Florentino Perez: “Era contento e mi ha detto, dai che passiamo noi due”.

Juventus: Ciro Ferrara – “E’ evidente che abbiamo affrontato una squadra organizzata e veloce nelle ripartenze. Si chiudeva bene e noi abbiamo fatto fatica. Abbiamo perso qualcosa in mezzo al campo. Abbiamo corso qualche rischio di troppo nel primo tempo, nella ripresa siamo andati meglio, molto più aggressivi a cominciare dagli attaccanti. Questo atteggiamento ci ha portato a fare gol ma a subire purtroppo una rete che mi dicono che è in fuorigioco. Una situazione di palla inattiva che sapevamo che si poteva creare”. Ciro Ferrara analizza il pareggio della Juve all’esordio nel girone A di Champions League contro il Bordeuax. Ai microfoni di Sky Sport, il tecnico bianconero ha aggiunto: “In Europa non si può sbagliare, questa era la prima gara, ci tenevamo a fare bella figura ma in questa competizione il minimo errore lo paghi. C’è la possibilità di recuperare durante le altre gare ma dispiace perchè avevamo avuto la possibilità di chiudere la gara e alla fine di vincerla e non ci siamo riusciti per pochi centimetri. Troppi problemi muscolari e stop per Cannavaro? Siamo preoccupati per questo tipo di infortunio, vediamo cosa ci sarà nei prossimi giorni, verificheremo. Chiaro che dispiace perchè speriamo di non perdere giocatori importanti. Abbiamo fatto fatica con i centrocampisti ad accorciare i loro giocatori e il Bordeaux ha fatto bene come possesso palla, abili e veloci, ci hanno creato problemi. Nella ripresa siamo stati più aggressivi e più bravi. Super-Buffon? Sì e non è una novità – chidue Ferrara - è un un piacere allenarlo e avere il più forte portiere del mondo nella Juventus. In due o tre occasioni ha fatto grandi interventi”.

Giovanni Cobolli Gigli – Il Bordeaux è una squadra estremamente competitiva, come del resto la Juventus. I nostri hanno dato tutto. Stasera il migliore della Juventus è stato Buffon. Peccato per il gol subito, era semplice da evitare e peccato per l’occasione di Marchisio nel finale. Sono soddisfatto di come ha giocato la squadra, della determinazione e il temperamento che tutti hanno dimostrato. Il risultato è meno soddisfacente ma bisogna riconoscere che il Bordeaux è stato un avversario valido. Ferrara aveva spiegato bene ai giocatori cos’era il Bordeaux. Inizialmente abbiamo dovuto prendere le misure, infatti il secondo tempo è stato migliore del primo, non solo per il gol ma anche per le occasioni che abbiamo avuto.

Vincenzo Iaquinta – Siamo stati disattenti su una palla inattiva. Non abbiamo marcato l’uomo che l’ha spizzata di testa sul secondo palo dove c’era un loro giocatore da solo e hanno fatto gol. Peccato, perché potevamo partire bene in Champions però adesso teniamo la testa alta, pensiamo alla prossima partita di sabato in campionato e poi vedremo contro il Bayern. Sono una buona squadra, sono i campioni di Francia. In Champions le partite sono così. Bisogna giocarle fino alla fine perché ci sono avversari molto forti. In Champions ci sono tanti spazi e giocatori fenomenali che alla prima occasione ti puniscono.

Super Pippo has equalled the former Bayern Munich player’s European goalscoring record.

Filippo Inzaghi not only has good reason to smile, after Milan’s victory over Marseille in their opening Champions League fixture, but the striker also scored a brace and equalled Gerd Muller’s record of 70 goals in European cups.

The former Bayern Munich and Germany star was joined by Super Pippo, after putting two goals in the back of the net.

Pressure has been mounting on Inzaghi and his teammates to produce results, and victory over the French side may have eased tensions at the Rossoneri.

Milan’s next match in the European competition is against FC Zurich, at the San Siro, where Inzaghi will be looking to go past the German great.

Goal

Have you ever looked at the lyrics to that song? They’re mildly retarded:

Ce sont les meilleures équipes

(Those are the best teams)

Sie sind die allerbesten Mannschaften

(Those are the best teams)

The main event

Die Meister

(The Champions)

Die Besten

(The best)

Les Grandes Équipes

(The biggest teams)

The Champions

Une grande réunion

(A big gathering)

Eine große sportliche Veranstaltung

(A big sports event)

The main event

Ils sont les meilleurs

(They are the best)

Sie sind die Besten

(They are the best)

These are the champions

These are th- Well, you get the point.

Anyways – as promised, here’s what happened in this week’s Champions League group matches. All of them. Even the boring ones. Sorta. You’re welcome:

Juventus 1-1 Bordeaux – Where was the Juventus who has been playing well enough to top the Serie A tables these past few weeks? Where is the exciting football they have been peddling since August? I will tell you where – sitting on the bench with a knock to the thigh. Juventus badly missed their trequartista yesterday, and struggled to get into the game, drawing against a French club at home for only the second time in European Competition - their record against French sides now stands at 9-1-2 on Italian soil. Sebastian Giovinco, who replaced Diego in the lineup, was unable to replicate the attacking danger that the Brazilian affords to his side – not for any lack of skill, of course, but the small-statured Formica Atomica simply does not possess the power in his slight frame to muscle aside defenses as does the Brazilian. Juventus struggled to gain any ground against a Bordeaux side that looked determined to get ahead – they settled for making fast breaks between large intervals of Bordeaux possession for the first half an hour or so. It was only a precision strike from right boot of Vincenzo Iaquinta that finally separated the Bianconeri from the visitors on 62′. However, the Girondins would not say die, and not twelve minutes later equalized via a Jaroslav Plašil tap-in. Though Juve pressed for the win in the last quarter-hour (with Claudio Marchisio smashing the crossbar before Poulsen volleyed the rebound over), Plašil’s timely goal ensured that Bordeaux went home with a well-deserved point.

AC Milan 2-1 Marseilles – What is it about Champions League that can bring the best out in a team that has struggled so much lately? Perhaps SuperPippo knows, as it was the veteran striker’s brace, scoring on both sides of halftime, that lifted the Rossoneri clear of Didier Deschamps squad. Milan took the lead on 27 minutes, with Gabriel Heinze equalizing for the home side on 49′ – but Pippo was not done yet. Milan seemed artless at times, and for much of the game appeared to be simply content to weather the storms of Marseilles (figuratively and literally; both teams were battered by heavy rain). However, there were moments of true genius, especially from Clarence Seedorf, who twice supplied Filippo Inzaghi with picture-perfect crosses – which the experienced poacher unhesitatingly redirected into the back of the net. I find it very ironic that in a time when Milan is much maligned for their aged squad and lack of youth, they have managed to bounce back and win their first Champions League match – carried on the back of two old veterans who’ve still got what it takes.

For those of you who missed the joke.

Real Madrid 5-2 FC Zurich – The scoreline would suggest that Madrid strolled their way to a comfortable victory in Zurich – but numbers do not tell the whole story. In truth, Madrid’s defense is still closer in substance to the local cheese than a solid back line, and Los Merengues had to fight through a second half scare that saw Zurich score two goals in as many minutes and reduce the Men in White’s lead to a lonely goal. Madrid would have left the pitch after the first half very confident – and rightfully so. A laser beam free kick from Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring (thanks to a poor effort by Zurich keeper Johnny Leoni), with Higuan and Raul making it 3-0 before the half. The tide began to turn when Xabi Alonso limped off on 55′, and soon after Iker Casillas conceded a penalty on 63′, bringing down Alexandre Alphonse – Xavier Magairez stepped up to the spot and duly buried it. Not two minutes later, on a corner kick for the home side, Ronaldo failed to mark Sylan Aegerter, who saw his header into the goal and halved his side’s deficit. However, CR9 would have his revenge on 89 minutes, as Johnny Leoni again failed to stop his ferocious right boot, though this time the keeper truly should have caught it. Adding insult to injury was Guti, who scored three minutes into injury time to give his side a three-goal lead and bring the final tally up to a deceptively lopsided 5-2 win. Zurich put up a fight to be proud of, though the score doesn’t necessarily represent it. Real Madrid will be happy with their attack force, but as for the rest of the squad – Actually, who am I kidding, it’s all an attack force. Crazy Galacticos.

Chelsea 1-0 Porto – Injuries and Suspensions. If you asked Carlo Ancelotti why he chose the squad he did yesterday, you would get those two words as an answer. Three of his seven substitutes were players fresh from the academy – though oddly, Gael Kakuta didn’t make his UEFA debut. Too soon? I hope not. Other than that, there’s really not too much to say about this one, though let me say this: Chelsea were clearly superior. The Dragões fought with a lot of heart against the EPL-leading side, but a strike from Nicolas Anelka early in the second half and a late-game send off for Fernando saw the Blues take all three points from their visitors at Stamford Bridge. Anelka did well in scoring to for his side to fill the shoes of the on-fire Didier Drogba, who, missing the match through suspension, provided Chelsea with their biggest question mark. Who would score if not Didier? So quickly forgotten are Anelka’s 19 goals in 2008/09 – the highest tally in the EPL last year. Luckily for Blues fans, Anelka was quick to remind them, and Chelsea can look ahead with 3 points under their belt.

Manchester Utd 1-0 Besiktas JK – No team is a weak team with the full force of their home support behind them. That’s what the first 60 minutes of last night’s game in Istanbul taught Six Alex Ferguson & Co – though I’m sure it’s a tune they’ve heard before. The Red Devils squeaked by a lively Besiktas side on a one-goal margin, finding the Turks to be more than a handful in the process – it is notoriously difficult to win an away match in Turkey due to the fervour of their fan support. Granted, United had their fair share of botched chances, and were for all purposes in control for the majority of the game; their difficulty was in finding the extra push to put them ahead on the scoresheet as well. It took United 77 minutes to wear down the Kara Kartallar, and their chance came when a shot from Nani forced the Turkish side’s keeper to parry, though he was unable to hold on to the ball and Paul Scholes dutifully nodded in the rebound. It is a result that I think both sides can come away from relatively happy.

Eins, Zwei, Drei... Grafite learns German the only way he knows how.

VfL Wolfsburg 3-1 CSKA Moscow – A result the German Champions, and in particular star man Grafite, can be proud of. Their first Champions League match went off without a hitch, and though Juande Ramos’ Russian side was able to take control of possession for much of the game, they failed to capitalize on their efforts as Wolfsburg – er, Grafite – did. Netting twice in the first half before making it three on 87′ the Brazilian was all the difference for the German side, who now sit at the top of their group, above Manchester United on goal differential. Party while you can, Wolves – the Red Devils are next.

Bayern Münich 3-0 Maccabi Haifa – An unsurprising result. Bayern have gotten their easiest fixture out of the way, dismissing the Israeli side with, well, ease. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that Bayern youngster Thomas Müller has grabbed his second brace in as many games – Daniel Van Buyten opened up the scoring with a goal of his own. Next up is what should be a far more challenging fixture against Juventus – like their counterparts Wolfsburg, Die Roten have their toughest challenges yet ahead of them.

Atletico Madrid 0-0 APOEL FC – Like Bayern, Atletico have their easiest match behind them. Unfortunately, unlike Bayern, Los Colchoneros failed to make the best out of said match and came away with a single point against Cyprus’ APOEL FC at home in the Estadio Vincente Calderón. It was a frustrating evening for the Spanish side, as their often-lethal strike team of Diego Forlan and Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero failed to create goalscoring opportunities. However, Los Colchoneros can consider themselves somewhat lucky in that the visitors blew two clear-cut chances to take the lead. Silver lining, right? More like bronze, I suppose.

Inter 0-0 Barcelona – Here it is, the match we’ve all been waiting for, and – what? They drew? Bollocks! Inter and Barcelona played a well-matched game in which neither side looked dominant over the other, despite Barca’s inevitable control of possession. The chances went both ways, and Inter had as good and as many as the Catalans. The UEFA Champions did not look all that comfortable in the San Siro, although they could have gone ahead several times in the opening minutes at the Nerazzurri struggled to find their rhythm. Though Barca looked the aggressors in the first half (and should have gone ahead had Keita not missed an absolute sitter) their play had an edge of impatience in the second half, and their attacks, while often dangerous, could not crack Inter’s defense. Lionel Messi was well-covered by the Inter back line – it seemed as though every time he touched the ball he was instantly surrounded with a wall of black & blue. Ibrahimovic, roundly jeered by Inter fans, continued his practice of performing impressions of The Invisible Man during big matches, and failed to make an impact on the scoreline against his former side. Of course his counterpart Samuel Eto’o was also present – putting in a hardworking game against his former side but ultimately coming up empty-handed. However, Barca was not the only side to waste clear-cut chances. Diego Milito stumbling over his own feet alone in front of Victor Valdes and David Santon, who was brought on late to replace Wesley Sneijder, doing a fairly good job of covering the position – he nearly would have given his side the lead in a one-on-one on 82′ but for being brought down by Yaya Toure, who received a yellow card for his efforts. Inter were perhaps saved by some last-ditch defending, though given each team’s performance, a 0-0 draw is the most apt result.

Arsenal 3-2 Standard Liege – Hats off to the Gunners, who pulled off an impressive comeback to bring three points home from Belgium after going down 2-0 in the games first five minutes. Eliaquim Mangala netted on 2′ and Milan Jovanović, after being tackled clumsily by William Gallas in the box, converted a spot kick on 5′ to stun Arsenal with a devastating early lead. Arsenal would struggle throughout the next 45 minutes, to wake up just before the half as Nick Bendtner ran onto an Abou Diaby throughball in the corner of the box and slotted home to halve the Belgian’s lead. Standard Liege would fight hard throughout the second have, posing a constant danger up the flanks, though Arsenal would finally equalize in the 78th minute thanks to Thomas Vermaelen – only three minutes before Eduardo would score the goal that, ultimately, would be enough to win the game. The dramatic comeback of Arsene Wenger’s side made this probably the most exciting match played in this year’s competition thus far.

Liverpool 1-0 Debrecen – Liverpool, the fourth and final English team in European competition, was also the fourth English team to beat their opponents by a single-goal margin. The Merseyside squad hosted Hungarian Champions Debrecen at Anfield, and played a strong defensive game, content to absorb the pressure heaped on them and wait patiently for their chances. Despite missing key players Jozef Varga, Tibor Dombi, Gergely Rudolf through suspensions and injury, respectively, the Hungarians put up a good fight, gaining confidence throughout each half and forcing some last-ditch saves from Pepe Reina. However, it would be a Dirk Kuyt goal in first-half injury time that would be the final difference between the teams, as the Hungarians were unable to equalize in the second half – seeing the Scousers take three points from their first group match.

"I swear Ref, his face hit me!"

Olympique Lyonnais 1-0 Fiorentina – Lyon became the only French side to take three points away from their first game after beating 10-man Fiorentina by a one-goal margin at home in the Stade Gerland. The first half of the match was rather uneventful, and despite a few scattered chances, the game didn’t start in earnest until Alberto Gilardino was sent off in first half added time after Jérémy Toulalan had the nerve to hit Gila’s elbow with his face. After the half, the Viola decided the best course of action was to cut their losses and ‘park the bus,’ but their plan was foiled on 76′, when Miralam Pjanic found the back of the net on a strong rebounded shot. Cesare Prandelli hasalready spoken out against Gilardino being given his marching orders, calling the elbow to the face unintentional and claiming the judgement was harsh. However way you see it, the Viola will surely be frustrated as they return to Italy empty-handed, and Lyon will surely celebrate winning their first group stage match.

GIDCEATWO (Games I Don’t Care Enough About To Write On):

Olympiakos 1-0 AZ Alkmaar

Sevilla 2-0 Unirea Urziceni

Dynamo Kiev 3-1 Rubin

VfB Stuttgart 1-1 Rangers