The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Barca saunter while Milan labour Posted: 28 Sep 2011 04:26 PM PDT  Barcelona's Messi (left) and Keita celebrate scoring against Bate Borisov in Minsk September 28, 2011. — Reuters pic Lionel Messi drew level with Ladislau Kubala as Barca's second highest scorer of all time thanks to a double in a dominant performance on a rainy night in Minsk as the Spaniards went joint top of Group H along with Milan. Seven-times champions Milan needed second-half goals to break the deadlock against Czech side Plzen at the San Siro with Zlatan Ibrahimovic converting a 53rd-minute penalty and setting up Antonio Cassano for the second 13 minutes later. On a good night for former European champions, Olympique Marseille distanced themselves from a poor domestic campaign to demolish Borussia Dortmund 3-0 as the German champions matched their lacklustre early Bundesliga form. "It was not perfect but we've got six points," was the verdict of Marseille coach Didier Deschamps, who watched a sour end to the game when substitute Jordan Ayew was sent off in stoppage time, picking up a second yellow card for diving. Brother and Ghana forward Andre Ayew scored twice for the hosts and France striker Loic Remy got the other as they maintained their perfect start in Group F, where they have a two-point lead over second-placed Arsenal. Arsene Wenger's side enjoyed a better outcome to fellow English club Chelsea in nervy endings to their games, holding on to an early lead to beat Olympiakos Piraeus 2-1 while Andre Villas-Boas' men conceded a late penalty to draw 1-1 in Valencia. While Wenger watched the game from the stands as he served the last match of his touchline ban, teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain made a dream start to his European debut with an eighth-minute opener. The injury-hit London side were two up after 20 minutes through Brazilian left back Andre Santos before the Greek visitors got back into the game with a David Fuster header on 27 minutes and from then on Arsenal merely hung on. Many miles away in Belarus, Barcelona made no such meal of their early lead as the champions seemed to barely let their hosts touch the ball. BATE helped Barca on their way with Aleksandr Volodko's 19th-minute own goal and a header from Pedro followed three minutes later. Argentine World Player of the Year Messi headed in just before the break and smashed a fourth high into the net to reach 194 club goals. Still aged only 24, Messi is now only 41 goals behind top scorer Cesar Rodriguez. "As Pep Guardiola said at the weekend (after Messi scored a hat-trick against Atletico Madrid), we are watching history being made so we should try and enjoy it, because we know it will be very difficult to see another player like him," Barca's Javier Mascherano said. David Villa wrapped up the scoring against BATE, who despite effectively playing 10 at the back could not contain Barca's effortless class. Back in Spain, Barca's La Liga rivals Valencia were anything but effortless against Chelsea, looking nervous despite their home advantage and they fell behind to a Frank Lampard first-time strike in the 56th minute. The English side had plenty of chances to go further ahead but instead wiped out all their good work when substitute Salomon Kalou needlessly flapped an arm at a Valencia cross and the referee pointed to the spot with three minutes left. Roberto Soldado struck the ball in low for the equaliser as Chelsea watched the three points evaporate on Juan Mata's return to his old stomping ground. "I think it was more deserved for us to win this game," Chelsea boss Villas-Boas told Sky Sports. "To be so near to win the game and to be in such a good position leaves us a little bit with a feeling we don't like. "It's useless and pointless to go on about it right now. These are referees decisions, it's nothing new for Chelsea." Chelsea lead Group E with four points, one ahead of Bayer Leverkusen who beat visitors Racing Genk 2-0 with Chelsea old boy Michael Ballack making sure of the points with a stoppage-time goal after Lars Bender's first-half strike. In the night's other games, Zenit St Petersburg beat 10-man Porto 3-1 in Group G with Roman Shirokov netting a double in Russia, while in the same group Shakhtar Donetsk drew 1-1 at home with surprise group leaders APOEL Nicosia. — Reuters |
| Rising teen star shoots Arsenal to victory Posted: 28 Sep 2011 04:20 PM PDT  Oxlade-Chamberlain celebrates his goal against Olympiakos at the Emirates Stadium in London September 28, 2011. — Reuters pic Signed for a reported £12 million (RM58 million) from Southampton in August the 18-year-old is already being compared to Theo Walcott who followed the same route to north London in 2006. England winger Walcott was one of a number of Arsenal players absent through injury on a balmy night at The Emirates but Oxlade-Chamberlain made the most of his first appearance in the Champions League, firing the opener after eight minutes. Brazilian left back Andre Santos put Arsenal 2-0 up after 20 minutes but after Olympiakos, who had lost all their previous nine away fixtures in England, reduced the deficit after 27 minutes through Spaniard David Fuster it was an anxious night for the home fans. Vassilis Torossidis, the only Greek in Olympiakos's starting 11, came within a coat of paint of levelling with an exquisite curling effort that cannoned off the crossbar in the second half but Arsenal hung on to put themselves in a healthy position with four points from their opening two games. Marseille, who Arsenal visit next, top the standings after recording their second win by beating Borussia Dortmund. Olympiakos's 10th defeat from 10 matches on English soil left them still looking for their first point in the group and manager Ernesto Valverde cursing a poor start which had left a "bitter taste" in his mouth. The visitors had 15 goal attempts compared to the home side's 10 and Arsenal's coach Pat Rice, patrolling the technical area in the absence of manager Arsene Wenger who was completing his Uefa touchline ban, admitted his relief. "They came and waited for us and broke us up in the middle of the park and in fairness you have to say they did well," Arsenal's long-serving number two told reporters. "Needless to say we are very happy with the three points." Rice said Oxlade-Chamberlain's performance had been one of the major plus points and was cause for comfort among the north London club's fans who have watched Arsenal's worst start in the Premier League in the reign of Wenger. "He is a very strong boy and listens to what people say," Rice said. "Arsenal fans are going to see a lot of this boy but he has a very strong challenge trying to get in front of Theo." Oxlade-Chamberlain was the only English starter for Arsenal who had 11 different nationalities represented in their line-up, including fellow teenager Emmanuel Frimpong who recently pledged his loyalty to Ghana. Talisman Robin van Persie was left on the bench as Wenger looked ahead to Sunday's Premier League clash with north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur but his absence was quickly forgotten as Arsenal surged ahead with a fast start that is their trademark on Champions League nights at The Emirates. Oxlade-Chamberlain showed a touch of class when he chested down a flighted ball from Alex Song, got a lucky rebound off Ivan Marcano and finished clinically past the unsighted Franco Costanzo for Arsenal's 200th goal in the group phase of the Champions League. Olympiakos showed plenty of adventure going forward and almost levelled when Rafik Djebbour poked a shot goalwards but Mikel Arteta performed a last-ditch clearance off the line. Arsenal doubled their lead when left back Santos wriggled into the area through some half-hearted challenges and calmly placed a shot past Costanzo. Even with a two-goal cushion, however, Arsenal never looked completely secure at the back and the frailities that have seen them concede 14 goals in six league games so far were exposed when Fuster, one of three Spaniards in the visiting line-up, climbed unmarked to a head beyond Szczesny. There were more jitters in the Arsenal defence when Djebbour fired in a shot that was turned over by Szczesny soon afterwards. Arsenal had chances to restore the two-goal margin after the break and had one penalty appeal turned down but it was Olympiakos, backed by a vocal army of fans, who often looked the more likely to score. Kevin Mirallas hit a looping shot just wide before Torossidis went agonisingly close to ending his side's long wait for a first ever point on an English ground. "We came to get a point at least," said Valverde, who said he was disappointed at the reaction of Belgium's Kevin Mirallas when he hauled him off in the second half. "But we gave away to early goals and you can't do that against a side like Arsenal away in the Champions League." — Reuters |
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