8 December:
* Juventus Torino – Bayern München 1-4 (1-1).D.Trézéguet ‘19/H.Butt (pen)’30;I.Olic ‘52;M.Gomez ‘83;A.Tymoschuk ‘90. Stadio Olimpico di Torino: 27801 spect.
- Juventus Torino: G.Buffon;F.Cannavaro,F.Grosso,N.Legrottaglie,M.Caceres;M. Camoranesi,
Diego(65.Amauri), Felipe Melo(81.S.Giovinco),C.Marchisio;D.Trézéguet,A.Del Piero(45.C.Poulsen).
- Bayern München: H. Butt;P. Lahm,D. Van Buyten,M. Demichelis,H. Badstuber;B. Schweinsteiger,M. van Bommel,D. Pranjic(72.A. Robben);T. Müller,I. Olic(79.A. Tymoschuk),M. Gomez.

* Maccabi Haifa - Girondinds Bordeaux 0-1 (0-1)./Jussiê ‘13. National Stadium Ramat Gan (Tel Aviv): 25800 spect.
- Maccabi Haifa: N. Davidovitch;T. Masilela(62.T. Tawatha),D. Keinan,E. Mshumar,Jorge Teixeira;L. Rafaelov,J. Culma,E. Golasa(71.A. Harazi),B. Kial;V. Dvalishvili(54.S. Arbeitman),M. Ghadir.
- Girondinds Bordeaux: U. Ramé;F. Jurietti,D. Placente,Jussiê,Fernando;G. Wendel,A. Traoré(78.G. Sertic),L. Sané,D. Bellion;F. Cavenaghi,H. Saivet.

* VfL Wolfsburg - Manchester United 1-3 (0-1).E.Džeko ‘56/M.Owen ‘44,’83,’90. Volkswagen Arena: 26490 spect.
- VfL Wolfsburg: D. Benaglio;A. Barzagli,Ricardo Costa,M. Schäfer,S. Riether;Z. Misimovic,C. Gentner,M. Hasebe(72.A. Dejagah), Josue;Grafite(72.K. Ziani),E. Džeko.
- Manchester United: T. Kuszczak;P. Evra,D. Gibson,P. Scholes;M. Carrick,Ji-Sung Park,D. Fletcher,Nani(74.G. Obertan);Anderson,M. Owen,D. Welbeck(74.L. Valencia).

* Besiktas Istanbul - CSKA Moskva 1-2 (0-1).Bobo ‘86/M.Krasic ‘41;E.Aldonin ‘90. BJK İnönü Stadyumu: 16129 spect.
- Besiktas: R. Recber;M. Ferrari,I. Toraman,I. Üzülmez,T. Sivok;I. Kas,M. Fink(76.U. Inceman),F. Ernst;R. Tello(88.Mert Nobre),E. Dag(68.N. Kahveci),Bobo.
- CSKA Moskva: I. Akinfeev;V. Berezoutski,D. Semberas,C. Odiah,G. Schennikov;E. Rahimic,M. Krasic(82.S. Oliseh),E. Aldonin,P. Mamaev;A. Dzagoev(90.A. Grigoryev),T. Necid.

* FC Zürich - AC Milan 1-1 (1-0).M. Gajic ‘29/Ronaldinho (pen)’65. Stadion Letzigrund: 24100 spect.
- FC Zürich: J. Leoni;A. Rochat ‘63,H. Barmettler,H. Tihinen,P. Koch;D. Djuric(66.V. Lampi),S. Aegerter,M. Gajic(82.X. Margairaz),O. Okonkwo;A. Nikci(74.J. Vonlanthen),A. Alphonse.
- AC Milan: Dida;A. Nesta,L. Antonini,Thiago Silva(20.K. Kaladze),I. Abate;A. Pirlo,Ronaldinho,C. Seedorf,M. Ambrosini(55.M. Flamini);M. Borriello(84.F. Inzaghi),Alexandre Pato.

* Olympique Marseille - Real Madrid 1-3 (1-1).Lucho González ‘11/C. Ronaldo ‘5,’80;Raúl Albiol ‘60.
Stade Vélodrome : 55722 spect.
- Olympique Marseille: S. Mandanda;G. Heinze,L. Bonnart,S. Diawara,T. Taiwo;Lucho González,F. Abriel,B. Cheyrou,E. Cissé(62.B. Kone);M. Niang(70.M. Valbuena),Brandão(78.F. Morientes).
- Real Madrid: Iker Casillas;Sergio Ramos,Raúl Albiol,Pepe,Álvaro Arbeloa;Marcelo,R. Van der Vaart(72.Raúl),Xabi Alonso(78.M. Diarra),L. Diarra;Cristiano Ronaldo,G. Higuaín(63.K. Benzema).

* Chelsea FC - APOEL Nicosia 2-2 (2-1).M. Essien ‘19;D. Drogba ‘26/Marcin Zewlakow ‘6;N. Mirosavljevic ‘87. Stamford Bridge: 40917 spect.
- Chelsea FC: R. Turnbull;J. Terry,Ricardo Carvalho,J. Belletti,J. Cole;F. Malouda,M. Essien(27.F. Lampard),J. Obi Mikel,Y. Zhirkov;G. Kakuta(73.F. Borini),D. Drogba.
- APOEL Nicosia: D. Chiotis;J. Broerse,Paulo Jorge,Nuno Morais,K. Kosowski(71.N. Mirosavljevic);A. Haxhi(34.M. Ilia),K. Charalambidis,S. Poursaitidis,C. Michael;Marcin Zewlakow(82.M. Breska),Helio Pinto.

* Atlético Madrid - FC Porto 0-3 (0-2)./B. Alves ‘2;Radamel Falcao ‘15;Hulk ‘76. Estadio Vicente Calderón: 24603 spect.
- Atlético Madrid: Sergio Asenjo;Juanito,L. Perea,J. Valera(45.A. López),Álvaro Domínguez;Maxi Rodríguez(68.J. Reyes),Simão,P. Assunção,Cléber Santana;S. Agüero(47.J. Jurado),D. Forlán.
- FC Porto: Helton;B. Alves,J. Fucile,Álvaro Pereira,Maicon(59.C. Săpunaru);R. Meireles,Cristian Rodríguez,D. Valeri(62.Fredy Guarin),Fernando;Radamel Falcao(70.Silvestre Varela),Hulk.

9 December:
* Liverpool FC - Fiorentina 1-2 (1-0).Y. Benayoun ‘43/M. Jørgensen ‘63;A. Gilardino ‘90. Anfield Road: 40863 spect.
- Liverpool FC: Diego Cavalieri;D. Agger,A. Dossena,S. Darby,M. Skrtel;E. Insúa,J. Mascherano(86.Fábio Aurélio),S. Gerrard;Y. Benayoun,A. Aquilani(76.D. Pacheco),D. Kuyt(65.F. Torres).
- Fiorentina: S. Frey;P. Krøldrup,M. Pasqual,L. De Silvestri(83.J. Castillo),C. Natali;G. Comotto,M. Jørgensen(72.J. Vargas),R. Montolivo,M. Santana(72.M. Marchionni);M. Donadel;A. Gilardino.

* Olympique Lyon - Debreceni VSC 4-0 (2-0).B. Gomis ‘25;Michel Bastos ‘44;M. Pjanic ‘59;A. Cissokho ‘76. Stade de Gerland: 36884 spect.
- Olympique Lyon: H. Lloris;Cris,J. Boumsong,A. Réveillère,A. Cissokho;Michel Bastos,J. Makoun(73.K. Källström),M. Gonalons;B. Gomis(67.Lisandro López);S. Govou(29.M. Pjanic),C. Delgado.
- Debreceni VSC: D. Pantic;Z. Szélesi,L. Bodnár(52.C. Bernáth),M. Mijadinoski,Z. Laczko;N. Meszaros,P. Czvitkovics, P. Szakály(75.R. Feczesin),J. Varga;L. Ramos(57.Z. Kiss),A. Coulibaly.

* Inter Milano - Rubin Kazan 2-0 (1-0).S. Eto’o ‘31;M. Balotelli ‘64. Stadio Guiseppe Meazza: 49539 spect.
- Inter Milano: Julio Cesar;Lucio,Maicon,W. Samuel(15.I. Córdoba)J. Zanetti;W. Sneijder,D. Stankovic(52.E. Cambiasso),Thiago Motta;. Eto’o,D. Milito,M. Balotelli(77.S. Muntari).
- Rubin Kazan: S. Ryzhikov;César Navas,A. Popov,V. Kaleshin,L. Salukvadze;G. Karadeniz(74.A. Kasaev),S. Semak,A. Ryazantsev(84.E. Balyaikin),C. Noboa(81.P. Bystrov);R. Murawski,A. Domínguez.

* Dynamo Kyiv - FC Barcelona 1-2 (1-1).A. Milevskiy ‘2/Xavi ‘33;L. Messi ‘86. Stadion Dynamo im. Valery Lobanovsky: 16300 spect.
- Dynamo Kyiv: A. Shovkovskiy;A. Yussuf,Leandro Almeida,Betao,T. Mikhalik;R. Eremenko,O. Vukojevic,Gérson Magrão(75.M. Ninkovic);A. Milevskiy,A. Shevchenko,A. Yarmolenko.
- FC Barcelona: Victor Valdés;Carles Puyol,E. Abidal,Dani Alves,Gerard Piqué(88.R. Márquez);Andrés Iniesta(82.Pedro),Xavi,Seydou Keita,Sergio Busquets;L. Messi,Z. Ibrahimovic.

* VfB Stuttgart - Unirea Urziceni 3-1 (3-0).C. Marica ‘5;C. Träsch ‘8;P. Pogrebnyak ‘11/Semedo ‘46. Mercedes-Benz-Arena: 37000 spect.
- VfB Stuttgart: J. Lehmann;M. Delpierre,S. Tasci,A. Boka,C. Träsch;S. Celozzi,A. Hleb(55.S. Rudy),S. Khedira(59.Z. Kuzmanovic),T. Gebhart;C. Marica(82.Cacau),P. Pogrebnyak.
- Unirea Urziceni: G. Arlauskis;E. Mehmedovic,V. Bordeanu,B. Fernandes,R. Pădurețu;I. Apostol(85.D. Todoran),T. Bălan(62.R. Rusescu),P. Brandan;Semedo,M. Onofraș(45.D. Varga);M. Bilașco.

* Sevilla FC - Glasgow Rangers 1-0 (1-0).F. Kanouté (pen)’8. Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán: 31560 spect.
- Sevilla FC: A. Palop;I. Dragutinovic,F. Navarro,A. Konko,Romaric(73.A. Duscher);D. Zokora,Renato,Jesus Navas(81.A. Koné),D. Capel;Cala,F. Kanouté(59.Álvaro Negredo).
- Glasgow Rangers: A. McGregor;S. Smith(83.J. Fleck),S. Whittaker,D. Weir,M. Bougherra;S. Papac,D. Beasley(45.N. Novo),K. Thomson,L. McCulloch;S. Davis,K. Miller(45.K. Lafferty).

* Olympiakos Piraeus - Arsenal FC 1-0 (0-0).Leonardo ‘47. Stadio Georgios Karaiskáki: 30277 spect.
- Olympiakos Piraeus: A. Nikopolidis;O. Mellberg,R. Bravo,A. Papadopoulos,G. Galitsios;Leonardo,L. Galletti,E. Maresca;Dudu Cearense(86.D. Domi),Oscar Gonzalez(90.A. Pantos),K. Mitroglou.
- Arsenal FC: L. Fabianski;M. Silvestre,A. Song,K. Gilbert,K. Bartley;T. Cruise,F. Mérida,J. Wilshere(76.G. Sunu),A. Ramsey;T. Walcott,C. Véla.

* Standard Liège - AZ Alkmaar 1-1 (0-1).S. Bolat ‘90/J. Lens ‘41. Stade Maurice Dufrasne: 24359 spect.
- Standard Liège: S. Bolat;L. Mulemo,Marcos Camozzato,M. Sarr,Felipe(85.G. Cyriac);W. Dalmat(80.M. Traore),B. Nicaise,A. Witsel,D. Mbokani;I. De Camargo,M. Jovanovic.
- AZ Alkmaar: S. Romero;K. Jaliens,S. Pocognoli,H. Moreno,N. Moisander;Mendes da Silva,S. Schaars,B. Holman(45.M. Martens),M. El Hamdaoui(90.G. Pellè);M. Dembélé,J. Lens(72.P. Wernbloom).

Group tables here: http://zalmoxys.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/uefa-champions-league-20092010-group-stage-2/

As the Champions League drama unfolded these past two days, I found myself unable, or perhaps merely unwilling to muster up the energy and write up the results match by match. However, with yesterday’s matches the teams who qualify for the round of 16 have been decided, and there were some quite interesting results, so I suppose I’d better rouse myself. In the group lists, bold teams make it into the next round, italic teams join Roma in Europa:

Group A: Bordeaux (16), Bayern Münich (10), Juventus (8), Maccabi Haifa (0).

Butt scored a crucial PK.

Decisive Match: Bayern Münich 4-1 Juventus – Bordeaux had qualified long before this week’s ties with back-to-back wins over Bayern and a victory over Juventus on French soil. The only real race left in the group was that for second; going into Tuesday’s match Juventus needed only a tie to advance, while Bayern required a win. It was immediately evident which team was playing to win; although Juventus took the lead via David Trezeguet on 19′, Bayern had controlled much of the match up to that point, with 91% of possession in the preceding 5 minutes. The away side were able to equalize on the half-hour mark, when Martín Cácares brought down Ivica Olic in the penalty area. Bayern keeper Hans-Jörg Butt stepped up and buried past Buffon from the spot to restore parity. Juventus would hold onto that scoreline for the remainder of the half, but with Butt’s penalty the floodgates were opened; Juve were crumbling visibly and it was only a matter of time. On 52′, Ivica Olic was on hand to tap in from close range after Daniel van Buyten forced an initial save from Buffon. Forced to chase the game, Juventus began to pour men forward searching for the equalizer that would send them through. However, on 83′ Mario Gomez seemingly put the game out of Juventus’ reach by executing his own close-range tap in. Anatoliy Tymoshchuk would finish Juventus’ hopes once and for all by scoring in added time to complete a rout of La Vecchia Signora and send them to crash humiliatingly into the Europa League.

Group B: Manchester Utd (13), CSKA (10), VfL Wolfsburg (7), Besiktas (4)

Decisive Match: CSKA 2-1 Besiktas – Going into this week’s ties, Russian side CSKA and German champions Wolfsburg were tied for the second qualification spot in Group B. Wolfsburg played their final match against a second-string United, nevertheless falling all too easily as Michael Owen scored a hattrick against them. It was up to CSKA to pick up points in Istanbul and make the most of die Wolfe’s misery. Milos Krasic put the visitors ahead on 41′, netting after switching flanks to facilitate a swift counterattacking move. The Russians held that lead for much of the match, but on 86′ Bobo found the net for the home side, a potentially disastrous event as the Russians would not have known the outcome of the Wolfsburg game yet. The Muscovites sealed their passage into the Round of 16 in the 95th minute of play when Evgeni Aldonin shrugged off his marker in the box and blasted home.

Group C: Read Madrid (13), AC Milan (9), Marseille (7), FC Zurich (4)

CR9²

Decisive Match: Real Madrid 3-1 Marseille – Regardless of what happened in the AC Milan match, if Didier Deschamps men had beaten Real Madrid they would have surely seen themselves through to the Round of 16. However, Cristiano Ronaldo made it quite clear that this would not be so, netting a brace at the Velodrome, with his first goal coming on only 4′. It was a vicious, unstoppable free kick from 30 yards out which must have surely deflated the home crowd’s hopes. However, the home side did their best to bounce back and on 11′ leveled when Lucho González tapped in a rebound from close range. The sides fought back and forth for much of the half, with Real Madrid nearly scoring on the half-hour mark when Cristiano Ronaldo’s header hit the post, only for Higuaín to pick up the rebound and be denied, only for Sergio Ramos to pick up the rebound and have his shot deflected over. The sides would go into the half on level terms, but Los Blancos began to immediately apply pressure after the restart and were rewarded on 59′ when Gabriel Heinze’s botched clearance allowed Raúl Albiol to smash home into the left side of the net. On 66′ the hosts were given a chance to level with Iker Casillas bringing down a Marseille man in the box; Lucho González stepped up to the spot as Marseille’s fans cheered, only for his effort to crash against the woodwork. After that, the persistent hosts seemed to lose some of their edge and Cristiano Ronaldo was able to make it an easy 3-1 in the 80th minute after keeper Steve Mandanda grossly misread a long ball from Lassana Diarra and left his net wide open. With that, Marseille’s Champions League adventure was over; AC Milan drew FC Zurich to progress and leave Dechamps men wondering what could have been.

Group D: Chelsea FC (14), FC Porto (12), APOEL (3), Atlético Madrid (3)

Decisive Match: None. Not this week, at least. This group was decided long ago and most of these teams were simply going through the motions.

Group E: Fiorentina (15), Olympique Lyonnais (13), Liverpool (7), Debrecen (0)

Aquilani finally got to lose the jacket.

Decisive Match: Fiorentina 2-0 Liverpool – When Fiorentina qualified for the Champions League this year, it seemed unlikely that they would progress beyond the group stages, never mind topping a group which also contained perennial giants Lyon and Liverpool. However, by defeating the Scousers at Anfield yesterday, La Viola did just that. It was Alberto Aquilani’s first start since arriving at Anfield from the Eternal City over the summer, but he couldn’t provide the edge needed to defeat the visitors in what was essentially a dead rubber match for the Reds. Yossi Benayoun gave the home side the lead just before halftime, deflecting in Steven Gerrard’s free kick past the dive of Sebastien Frey. However, Alberto Gilardino was pulling the strings for Fiorentina, and on 63′ he set up Martin Jorgensen to equalize. Aquilani put in a lively performance but was unable to lend any bite to a toothless Liverpool attack, and it would eventually be Fiorentina who went ahead. In the second minute of stoppage time, lacklustre defending from debutant Stephen Darby allowed Juan Manuel Vargas to steal possession in the final third and supply Gilardino with the goal needed to seal victory, in game and in group, for i Gigliati.

Group F: Barcelona (11), Inter (9), Rubin Kazan (6), Dynamo Kiev (5)

Decisive Match: Inter 2-0 Rubin Kazan – You really have to hand it to Rubin and Dynamo. Drawn in arguably the hardest Champions League group and with two of the strongest teams in all of Europe, the two Eastern European squads made a real run for the Round of 16 and if results had gone their way on the final match day, both former Soviet sides could have gone through at the expense of the Western European giants. Internazionale Milan needed a home victory against Rubin Kazan to guarantee their spot in the Round of 16, and finally played as if they wanted to progress to the next round. Mario Balotelli was the star man for i Nerazzurri, making his intentions clear from the very beginning as he nutmegged a Tatarstan defender and took Inter’s first shot at the Russian goal. On 31′ it would be the captain Javier Zanetti with all sorts of fancy footwork on the edge of the box, before slotting in to Balotelli, who no-look-passed the ball into the path of Samuel Eto’o, who duly slotted in to give the home side a 1-0 lead. Later, on 64′, it would be Balotelli himself who doubled the scoreline, thumping in an unstoppable free kick from 30 yards out. When he can keep his attitude under control, he really is an incredible player. And with that, Inter’s qualification debacle comes to an end; now they can move on to disappoint in the Round of 16.

Group G: Sevilla FC (13), VfB Stuttgart (9), Unirea Urziceni (8), Rangers (2)

They're good losers, to boot.

Decisive Match: VfB Stuttgart 3-1 Unirea Urziceni – On one hand, I wanted Unirea to get through; they were underdogs, and as it is the Year of the Underdog (as I have proclaimed ceaselessly), it seemed the time was right. On the other hand, after crashing out in a 3-1 defeat to Stuttgart, I no longer have to struggle to spell their team’s crazy name. Really it’s win-win for me. The Romanians never really had a chance at the Mercedes-Benz-Arena, with the German side scoring all three of their goals within the first 11 minutes of play. Ciprian Marica opened the scoring on 4′ with a powerful header; Christian Träsch made it 2-0 on 8′ by beating the offside trap and racing in alone to fire a laserbeam before he could be cut down; and Pavel Pogrebnyak made it 3-0 on 11′ by faking out the Romanian defense and then slotting home low under the keeper. After that early display of firepower, the match was all but over, though the visitors pulled one back just after halftime after a defensive error allowed Antonio Semedo to easily beat Jens Lehmann. So ends the Romanian Champions league adventure.

Group H: Arsenal FC (13), Olympiakos (10), Standard Liege (5), AZ Alkmaar (4)

Decisive Match: None here either. Although Olympiakos did beat an Arsenal kiddie-squad yesterday by a score of 1-0; the goal came from defender Leonardo.

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://narions.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/sevilla-2-malaga-2/ Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:39:26 +0000 Narion http://narions.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/sevilla-2-malaga-2/ http://sevillistasderenault.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/sevilla-fc-2-malaga-cf-2-el-gafe-continua/ Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:56:49 +0000 Juan Antonio http://sevillistasderenault.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/sevilla-fc-2-malaga-cf-2-el-gafe-continua/

Una vez más se ha cumplido el guión. Mucho se venía hablando en los medios locales sobre la posibilidad de que el Sevilla durmiera líder de la liga española. Y como suele suceder en estos casos y máxime estando de por medio el Málaga, nos hemos vuelto a quedar con la miel en los labios. El equipo malaguista se ha especializado en fastidiarnos, por no decir algo más fuerte, cada vez que visita el Pizjuán. El rival ha hecho su partido pero no se puede tener peor  suerte que la que hemos tenido esta noche.

Estoy totalmente de acuerdo con Jiménez en que el equipo de Muñíz ha creado una ocasión y ha hecho dos goles. Porque el segundo gol malaguista se inicia a partir de una pifia de tiro del ex-bético Fernando, el balón que se marchaba camino del banderín de córner, le cae en los pies al renegado Duda con la aquiescencia de un despistado Konko y el portugués que la cruza imposible para Varas. Lo de renegado lo digo por la forma en que Duda celebró su gol, levantando los brazos al aire como si no nos conociera de nada. Se demuestra así que este hombre sólo se quiere a sí mismo y se mueve únicamente por dinero. Pero bueno, de desagradecidos está el mundo lleno.

Salieron los nuestros con intención de poner pronto de cara el marcador. Varias incursiones de un Navas de nuevo inconmensurable, pusieron los primeros “uys” en las gargantas. Luis Fabiano mandó alto un cabezazo franco y Negredo -noche para olvidar la del madrileño- le pegaba al muñeco en un mano a mano con Munúa. La confianza en que el gol caería pronto creo que estaba en la cabeza de todos los aficionados. Sin embargo, en la primera subida malaguista, la defensa sevillista mal despeja por tres veces el balón hasta que tras rechazar Varas un tiro envenenado, el balón  queda a los piés de Fernando que sólo tiene que empujarla. Cero a uno y el fantasma que planeaba de nuevo por el coliseo.

El Sevilla, con más corazón que cabeza, pone cerco a la portería malaguista y Luis Fabiano a centro de nuevo de Navas, la pone imposible para el portero pero el balón se estrella en la cepa del poste. Y lo peor no queda ahí, porque el balón rebotado llega a los dominios de Negredo que a un metro de la portería  y lanzándose en plancha, la manda incomprensiblemente fuera sin oposición. Nos mirábamos unos a otros incrédulos ante la ocasión malograda y un run run empezó a circular por el estadio. Negredo, estaba totalmente fuera del partido. El ansia por hacer su primer gol en el Pizjuán le hacía precipitarse continuamente hasta el punto de parecer un delantero de regional. Y Kanouté  en el banquillo. Cuando el primer tiempo finiquitaba y menos lo merecía el Málaga, llega la famosa jugada ya comentada que acaba en gol de Duda. El mazazo fue de órdago. Unos lanzaban los puños al aire, otros juraban en arameo y los menos efusivos se agarraban la cabeza entre las manos sin dar crédito a lo que veían. Así nos fuimos al descanso, auténticamente rotos.

Tras la pausa, todos esperábamos ver asomar a Kanouté por la escalerilla de salida del vestuario, pero para asombro del respetable, el que vuelve a saltar al campo es Álvaro Negredo. Por fin en el minuto 51  sale el maliense pero el sacrificado resulta ser Renato. El brasileño, que casi no apareció en el partido, sigue sin ser el referente del juego sevillista. Ya comentamos al inicio de temporada que este Sevilla adolece de un centrocampista creativo por mucho que en la secretaría técnica porfíen en lo contrario. Hoy el Málaga tambien nos ha comido el centro del campo. Y la cosa no ha sido peor porque Zokora es un portento físico que corre por Renato y por tres más, pero el agujero que se aprecia en el círculo central es visible desde la luna. Abusamos en exceso del pelotazo desde la defensa y nuestro delanteros acaban reventados de pegar saltos prolongando hacia atrás balones que quedan francos para el despeje visitante. Con la calidad que atesoran nuestros jugadores creo que podemos y debemos aspirar a un juego más construido como el que practicó el equipo durante cuatro o cinco partidos tras la derrota de Valencia.

No obstante todo esto, el Sevilla con Kanouté sobre el cesped era otro. Sin centro del campo pero con el de Mali que las ganaba todas por arriba y que bajaba continuamente a apoyar combinando con Luisfa como solo ellos dos saben entenderse. En un córner botado por Perotti, Luis Fabiano se eleva más que nadie y con un globo, cabecea por encima de Munúa. Uno a dos y la esperanza que renacía. Casi sin solución de continuidad y en un nuevo arreón de coraje sevillista, el brasileño vuelve a cazarla dentro del área y a la media vuelta , por abajo y cruzado, la cuela pegada al poste derecho haciendo el empate. El éxtasis se apodera de los aficionados que soñábamos ya con la remontada. Sin embargo, el Málaga que hizo nada más y nada menos que veintiocho faltas gracias a la permisividad del árbitro, se las apañó para dormir los minutos que quedaban y llevarse un botín que les supo a poco visto el resultado con el que se marcharon al descanso. Incluso tuvo alguna ocasión para llevarse los tres puntos porque nuestra defensa estuvo de patio de colegio en la noche de hoy. Konko no dio una a derechas y Duda se le iba cuando le daba la gana. Squillacci despejó más veces al aire que al balón y el único que mantuvo cierto nivel fue Fernando Navarro. La zona normalmente más regular del equipo ha hecho hoy aguas por todas partes. Esperemos que simplemente se haya tratado de un mal dia. Nuevo tren que pasa por delante y que no cogemos. Mañana, a esperar un empatito en el clásico como mal menor para no despegarnos.

Jugaron: Javi Varas (2), Konko (0); Squillaci (0); Dragutinovic (1), Fernando Navarro (2); Renato (1); Zokora (2), Navas (3), Perotti (1), Luis Fabiano (3) y Negredo (0). Tambien participaron Kanouté (2), Capel (1) y Sergio Sánchez (2).

24 November:
* Rubin Kazan – Dynamo Kyiv 0-0. Central’nyj stadion Kazan’:23185 spect.
- Rubin Kazan: S. Ryzhikov;César Navas,L. Salukvadze,C. Ansaldi,R. Sharonov(53.V. Kaleshin);G. Karadeniz(75.P. Bystrov),S. Semak,A. Ryazantsev,C. Noboa;A. Bukharov,A. Domínguez.
- Dymano Kyiv: A. Shovkovskiy;A. Yussuf,Betao,T. Mikhalik, R. Eremenko;M. Ninkovic(86.T. Ghioane),O. Vukojevic,Gérson Magrão;A. Milevskiy,A. Shevchenko,A. Yarmolenko.

* Debreceni VSC - Liverpool FC 0-1 (0-1)./D. N’Gog ‘4. Puskás Ferenc Stadion (Budapest): 41500 spect.
- Debreceni VSC: V. Polekszics;Z. Szélesi,L. Bodnár,M. Mijadinoski,M. Fodor(78.T. Dombi);Z. Laczko,N. Meszaros,P. Czvitkovics,Z. Kiss;P. Szakály(62.A. Coulibaly),G. Rudolf.
- Liverpool FC: Pepe Reina;J. Carragher,G. Johnson,D. Agger,Fábio Aurélio(89.A. Dossena);E. Insúa,J. Mascherano,S. Gerrard(90.A. Aquilani);Lucas,D. Kuyt,D. N’Gog(77.Y. Benayoun).

* AC Fiorentina - Olympique Lyon 1-0 (1-0).J. Vargas (pen)’28. Stadio Artemio Franchi: 34301 spect.
- Fiorentina: S. Frey;P. Krøldrup,D. Dainelli,L. De Silvestri(86.G. Comotto),J. Vargas;M. Gobbi,R. Montolivo,M. Santana(71.M. Donadel),C. Zanetti(80.M. Jørgensen);M. Marchionni;A. Gilardino.
- Olympique Lyon: H. Lloris;Cris,J. Boumsong,L. Gassama,A. Cissokho;K. Källström,Michel Bastos(67.Lisandro López),J. Makoun,M. Pjanic;B. Gomis(79.Ederson),S. Govou(74.C. Delgado).

* FC Barcelona - Inter Milano 2-0 (2-0).Gerard Piqué ‘10;Pedro ‘26. Camp Nou: 93524 spect.
- FC Barcelona: Victor Valdés;Carles Puyol,E. Abidal(89.Maxwell),Dani Alves,Gerard Piqué;Andrés Iniesta(90.Jonathan),Xavi,Seydou Keita,Sergio Busquets;T. Henry,Pedro(85.Bojan Krkic).
- Inter Milano: Julio Cesar;Lucio,J. Zanetti,Maicon,W. Samuel;C. Chivu,E. Cambiasso(45.S. Muntari),D. Stankovic(71.M. Balotelli),Thiago Motta;S. Eto’o,D. Milito(82.R. Quaresma).

* Glasgow Rangers - VfB Stuttgart 0-2 (0-1)./S.Rudy ‘16;Z.Kuzmanovic ‘59. Ibrox Stadium: 41468 spect.
- Glasgow Rangers: A. McGregor;S. Whittaker,D. Weir,S. Papac,D. Wilson;K. Thomson(76.J. Fleck),L. McCulloch,S. Davis,K. Miller(68.N. Novo);K. Boyd,K. Lafferty(85.D. Beasley).
- VfB Stuttgart: J. Lehmann;Ricardo Osorio,M. Delpierre,A. Boka,G. Niedermeier;C. Träsch,A. Hleb,Z. Kuzmanovic(75.T. Hitzlsperger),S. Rudy(89.T. Gebhart);Cacau(82.J. Schieber),P. Pogrebnyak.

* Unirea Urziceni - Sevilla FC 1-0 (1-0).I. Dragutinovic (OG)’44. Stadionul Steaua (București): 10007 spect.
- Unirea Urziceni: G. Arlauskis;V. Maftei,E. Mehmedovic,G. Galamaz,V. Bordeanu;Ricardo(90.R. Pădurețu),I. Apostol,S. Frunză(64.T. Bălan),P. Brandan;M. Bilașco,D. Varga(89.Semedo).
- Sevilla FC: Javi Varas;I. Dragutinovic,F. Navarro(70.D. Perotti),A. Konko,S. Sánchez;Lolo(63.Renato),D. Zokora,Jesus Navas,D. Capel(63.Luis Fabiano);F. Kanouté,Álvaro Negredo.

* AZ Alkmaar - Olympiakos Piraeus 0-0. DSB Stadion: 16213 spect.
- AZ Alkmaar: S. Romero;G. Swerts,S. Pocognoli,H. Moreno,N. Moisander;Mendes da Silva,S. Schaars(89.M. Martens),B. Holman(78.Ari),P. Wernbloom;M. Dembélé(68.G. Pellè),J. Lens.
- Olympiakos Piraeus: A. Nikopolidis;O. Mellberg, R. Bravo,G. Galitsios,Leonardo;Michal Zewlakow,E. Maresca,Dudu Cearense,J. Zairi(90.A. Pantos);Oscar Gonzalez,K. Mitroglou.

* Arsenal FC - Standard Liège 2-0 (2-0).S.Nasri ‘35;Denilson ‘44. Emirates Stadium: 59941 spect.
- Arsenal FC: Almunia;W. Gallas(45.M. Silvestre),T. Vermaelen,A. Song,K. Gibbs;E. Eboué,Cesc Fábregas,S. Nasri(60.T. Walcott),Denilson(66.T. Rosicky);A. Arshavin,C. Véla.
- Standard Liège: S. Bolat;L. Mulemo,Marcos,M. Sarr,R. Goreux;Felipe,E. Mangala,W. Dalmat(64.M. Traore),A. Witsel;M. Carcela-Gonzalez ‘86,D. Mbokani(68.G. Cyriac).

25 November:
* CSKA Moskva - VfL Wolfsburg 2-1 (0-1).T.Necid ‘58;M.Krasic ‘66/E.Džeko ‘19. Luzhniki stadium: 13478 spect.
- CSKA Moskva: I. Akinfeev;V. Berezoutski,S. Ignashevich,A. Berezoutski,G. Schennikov;E. Rahimic,M. Krasic,E. Aldonin,P. Mamaev;A. Dzagoev,T. Necid.
- VfL Wolfsburg: D. Benaglio;Ricardo Costa,A. Madlung,M. Schäfer,S. Riether;Z. Misimovic,C. Gentner,M. Hasebe,Josue;O. Martins(68.K. Ziani),E. Džeko.

* Girondins Bordeaux - Juventus Torino 2-0 (0-0).Fernando ‘54;M.Chamakh ‘90. Stade Jacques Chaban-Delmas: 32195 spect.
- Girondins Bordeaux: C. Carrasso;M. Ciani,M. Planus,B. Trémoulinas,M. Chalmé;J. Plasil,A. Diarra,Fernando,G. Wendel;M. Chamakh,Y. Gouffran(75.A. Traoré).
- Juventus Torino: G. Buffon;F. Grosso,G. Chiellini,N. Legrottaglie,M. Caceres;M. Camoranesi,Diego,M. Sissoko(88.C. Marchisio),Felipe Melo;Amauri(77.S. Giovinco),A. Del Piero(68.C. Immobile).

* Bayern München - Maccabi Haifa 1-0 (0-0).I.Olic ‘62. Allianz-Arena: 58000 spect.
- Bayern München: H. Butt;P. Lahm,D. Van Buyten,M. Demichelis,H. Badstuber;B. Schweinsteiger,M. van Bommel,D. Pranjic(70.A. Ottl);I. Olic(81.A. Tymoschuk),M. Gomez,T. Müller.
- Maccabi Haifa: N. Davidovitch;T. Masilela,A. Osman(74.E. Golasa),D. Keinan,S. Maimon;E. Mshumar,J. Culma(69.L. Rafaelov),B. Kial,V. Dvalishvili(63.S. Arbeitman);Y. Katan,M. Ghadir.

* Manchester United - Besiktas Istanbul 0-1 (0-1)./R. Tello ‘20. Old Trafford: 74242 spect.
- Manchester United: B. Foster;G. Neville, N. Vidic,W. Brown,Rafael(74.M. Carrick);Ji-Sung Park(68.M. Owen),Anderson,D. Gibson(74.P. Evra),G. Obertan;D. Welbeck,F. Macheda.
- Besiktas Istanbul: R. Recber;M. Ferrari,I. Toraman(67.E. Güven),I. Üzülmez,I. Kas;I. Koybasi,M. Fink,F. Ernst, R. Tello(75.U. Inceman);E. Dag,Bobo(84.B. Karadeniz).

* Real Madrid - FC Zürich 1-0 (1-0).G. Higuaín ‘21. Estadio Santiago Bernabéu: 67867 spect.
- Real Madrid: Iker Casillas;Sergio Ramos,Raúl Albiol,Pepe,Álvaro Arbeloa(58.R. Van der Vaart);
Marcelo,Kaka(90.E. Granero),Xabi Alonso,L. Diarra;Raúl(69.Cristiano Ronaldo),G. Higuaín.
- FC Zürich: J. Leoni;A. Rochat,H. Barmettler,F. Stahel,H. Tihinen;P. Koch,D. Djuric(88.M. Schönbächler),
X. Margairaz,S. Aegerter;M. Gajic(76.J. Vonlanthen),A. Alphonse(85.A. Mehmedi).

* AC Milan - Olympique Marseille 1-1 (1-1).M.Borriello ‘10/Lucho González ‘16.
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza: 49063 spect.
- AC Milan: Dida;A. Nesta,M. Oddo(28.I. Abate),G. Zambrotta,Thiago Silva;A. Pirlo,Ronaldinho,C. Seedorf,
M. Ambrosini;M.Borriello,Alexandre Pato.
- Olympique Marseille: S. Mandanda;G. Heinze,L. Bonnart,S. Diawara,T. Taiwo;Lucho González(66.
B. Kone),F. Abriel,B. Cheyrou(85.F. Morientes),E. Cissé;M. Niang(73.H. Ben Arfa),Brandão.

* FC Porto - Chelsea FC 0-1 (0-0)./N. Anelka ‘69. Estádio Do Dragão: 38410 spect.
- FC Porto: Beto;B. Alves,C. Săpunaru(80.E. Farias),Rolando,Álvaro Pereira;R. Meireles,Cristian Rodríguez,F. Belluschi(71.Fredy Guarin),Fernando;Silvestre Varela(59.Hulk),Radamel Falcao.
- Chelsea FC: P. Cech;J. Terry,Ricardo Carvalho,B. Ivanovic;M. Ballack(67.M. Essien),Deco(76.J. Cole),F. Malouda,J. Obi Mikel,Y. Zhirkov;D. Drogba,N. Anelka.

* APOEL Nicosia - Atlético Madrid 1-1 (1-0).N.Mirosavljevic ‘5/Simão ‘62. Neo GSP (Strovolos): 21178 spect.
- APOEL Nicosia: D. Chiotis;Paulo Jorge,M. Ilia(70.M. Breska),C. Kontis,Nuno Morais;K. Kosowski(76.Marcin Zewlakow),S. Poursaitidis,C. Michael(71.J. Broerse),N. Alexandrou;Helio Pinto,N. Mirosavljevic.
- Atlético Madrid: Sergio Asenjo;T. Ujfalusi,Juanito,L. Perea,Álvaro Domínguez;Simão(90.A. López),
J. Jurado(79.Maxi Rodríguez),Cléber Santana,I. Camacho;S. Aguero,D. Forlán(87.J. Reyes).

Group tables here: http://zalmoxys.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/uefa-champions-league-20092010-group-stage-2/

Robada de elSevilla, si.

¡Buenos días Sevillistas! Perdón por la tardanza, he tenido una semana muy liada.

Hace ya 4 días del partido del Unirea. Fue una verdadera decepción, todos estábamos confiados de que el Sevilla se llevara los tres puntos y quedara primero de grupo. Pero no fue así. Un gol en propia puerta de Dragutinovic nos fastidió la noche. El Sevilla se mereció ganar en la primera parte, dando Kanouté y Negredo dos palos. Pero en la segunda parte el Unirea estaba demasiado cerrado y no pudimos hacer nada. Aun así, estamos clasificados para octavos matemáticamente. El próximo partido contra el Rangers decidirá si vamos como primeros de grupo.

En cuanto al partido de hoy, ya tenemos la lista de convocados: Palop, Javi Varas, Sergio Sánchez, Konko, Jesús Navas, José Carlos, Diego Capel, Squillaci, Marc Valiente, Dragutinovic, Renato, Romaric, Zokora, Koné, Kanouté, Fernando Navarro, Lolo, Luis Fabiano, Perotti y Negredo.

El Málaga ha sido siempre nuestra bestia negra, con cinco victorias, dos empates y una sola derrota en sus ocho últimas visitas al Sánchez Pizjuan. Esta noche a las 22:00h sabremos lo que pasa.

Y por último, la noticia que llega a nuestros oídos es la operación de Acosta. Ayer viernes le hicieron la intervención en el tobillo, y estará un mes de baja, pero parece que por fin podremos ver al jugador que tanto tiempo llevamos esperando ver.

Un saludo, Sevillistas.

Gruparea din Urziceni s-a impus în faţa ibericilor prin autogolul lui Dragutinovici din minutul 45. Brandan a executat o lovitură liberă de la mijlocul terenului până în careul spaniolilor, de unde Dragutinovici a trimis în poartă cu o lovitură de cap imparabilă pentru Varas.

Unirea Urziceni a câştigat, deşi a avut posesia balonului în numai 32% din timp, faţă de 68% cât au avut spaniolii. De asemenea, ialomiţenii au fost dominaţi şi la capitolul şuturi pe poartă, scor 2-5, dar şi la şuturi totale 5-15.După ce şi-a asigurat deja poziţia a treia, care o califică în 16-imile Ligii Europa, Unirea Urziceni mai are nevoie de un singur punct în deplasarea de la Stuttgart, din ultima etapă, programată pe 9 decembrie, pentru a se califica în optimile Ligii Campionilor, în premieră pentru o echipă din România.

După ce şi-a asigurat deja poziţia a treia, care o califică în 16-imile Ligii Europa, Unirea Urziceni mai are nevoie de un singur punct în deplasarea de la Stuttgart, din ultima etapă, programată pe 9 decembrie, pentru a se califica în optimile Ligii Campionilor, în premieră pentru o echipă din România.
Clasamentul arată astfel:

1. FC Sevilla 10p
2. Unirea Urziceni 8p
3. VfB Sttutgart 6p
4. Rangers 2p.

Sursa: money.ro

La he robado de Marca, ¿Pasa algo?

Ahora mismo estamos empatados con el Madrid a 25 puntos, y a un punto del Barça, todo esto sin que hayan terminado los partidos de estos otros.

Pintaba bien la tarde en Tenerife, y se cumplieron nuestras expectativas. Hemos hecho un buen partido durante la primera parte, como de costumbre, era nuestra la posesión hasta que empezamos a decaer un poco, como de costumbre también.

Pero Perotti en la primera parte, con un pase GENIAL de Navas, y un GOLAZO de Renato CON SU PIERNA DERECHA (Renato es zurdo) nos dieron la victoria. Recortaron distancias los de la isla, con un golazo de Nino que de poco sirvió. Jugadores a destacar, sin dudarlo, Zokora, Navas y Perotti. Zokora se ha llevado todo el partido corriendo, colaborando en defensa y en ataque, y al cabrón le quedaban ganas para reírse. Navas ha hecho un partidazo que no se lo cree ni él, el Palaciego ha estado espectacular, con el pase a Perotti y con una ocasión de gol que le dio de primeras y se fue fuera. Y el Monito Perotti fantástico, como siempre, este muchacho tiene una calidad inmensa. No digo que es una promesa, porque ya es una realidad. Tenemos ante nosotros a un pedazo de jugador de banda.

El árbitro no ha estado ni bien, ni mal. Simplemente ha estado, pero ya está, exceptuando dos amarillas absurdas, una a Luisfa por, supuestamente, retener el balón en un saque de banda, y otra a Perotti por una falta.

Destacar también las ausencias, Escudé, Duscher, Palop o Adriano entre otros. Hemos tenido que tirar de cantera en defensa, Marc Valente ha jugado en la defensa hasta que se lesiono y fue sustituido por lolo.

En fin, otra victoria que suma el Sevilla y que nos sigue dejando terceros.

Para terminar, vamos a comentar la situación de dos jugadores. El ya mencionado Perotti es pretendido por un grande. El Real Madrid va detrás de nuestro monito, pero Monchi y compañía se han puesto manos a la obra, y pretenden subirle el sueldo y aumentar su cláusula de 24 a 50 millones. Esperemos que así sea. El otro jugador del que quiero hablar es de Chevantón. El uruguayo podría salir cedido en las próximas horas del Sevilla al Atlanta, equipo italiano. El trato seria ir cedido hasta fin de temporada con una opción de compra de 6,5 millones. Como Monchi le saque a los italianos casi 7 millones por Chevita seria increíble. Aunque ya sacaron 4,5 por Mosquera, no me sorprendería.

Bueno Sevillistas, nos vemos el miércoles (o el Martes, no se) con el partido de Champions Unirea – Sevilla. Y la semana que viene, el sábado a las 22:00 horas Sevilla- Málaga.

¡Nos vemos!

Soy uno de los habituales de la Ciudad Deportiva (últimamente quizás no tanto como quisiera) y ayer venía escuchando el partido en el coche llevándome una alegría tremenda con el gol en el descuento.

Me sorprendió escuchar a Germán Mora comentar que quizás la afición debería empujar más y que en todos los campos se achuchaba muchísimo y sobre todo en los últimos minutos. No le falta razón pero no creo que sea sólo culpa de la gente.

Yo como digo soy uno de los habituales a la Ciudad Deportiva pero entiendo que la gente que se enganchara el año pasado al filial haya dejado de ir despues de ver los partidos del año pasado y lo que llevamos de año. Entiendo que la misión del filial es curtir futbolistas para el primer equipo, pero estoy seguro que es muchísimo más dificil que jugadores destaquen haciendo un fútbol rácano en el que algunos jugadores se pierden en carreras como pollos sin cabeza.

El año pasado se perdio una preciosa posibilidad de mantener el equipo en Segunda División, porque aparte de perder partidos no se jugaba a nada durante la mayoría de la temporada, hubo un cambio cuando ya no había nada que hacer y tampoco sirvió de mucho.

Este año, en los partidos que he podido ver, tampoco se está viendo mucha mejoría, somos muchos los que pensamos que hay muchísima mejor plantilla que el fútbol que se está desarrollando, dejando estancados a fútbolistas que todos pensabamos que iban a ser referentes en esta temporada y que ni siquiera cuentan para el entrenador, los Luis Alberto, Gomez Campaña, Rodri… aparecen muy de vez en cuando por el equipo.

No digo que se exijan resultados pero creo, desde mi modesto punto de vista, que se debería dar un cambio de rumbo al filial para no sólo intentar levantar a estos fútbolistas sino para que la afición se enganche nuevamente a estos chavales y tengan cada domingo el apoyo de los suyos.