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Real fights back, PSG, Arsenal grab wins
Source: Agencies |
September 20, 2012, Thursday
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REAL Madrid fashioned a stunning comeback to beat Manchester City 3-2 in a classic Champions League match with a last-gasp Cristiano Ronaldo strike in their Group D opener on Tuesday.
There were also wins for Paris St-Germain, which beat Dynamo Kiev 4-1 on its return to the competition after eight years, Malaga, which beat Zenit St. Petersburg 3-0 and former Champions League holder Porto, which won 2-0 at Dinamo Zagreb.
In a clash of ex-European title winner Borussia Dortmund beat Ajax Amsterdam 1-0 while seven-time European champion AC Milan was booed off after a 0-0 home draw against Anderlecht. Arsenal rode its luck to beat French champion Montpellier 2-1 away after conceding an early penalty.
But the outstanding game of the night was in Madrid where all five goals at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium came in the final 22 minutes with City taking a 1-0 lead through Edin Dzeko before Marcelo equalized six minutes later.
Aleksandar Kolarov put City back in front with a free-kick after 85 minutes which looked like the winner before Karim Benzema equalized in the 87th and Ronaldo struck in the 90th to bury the visitors.
Real is aiming to become European champion for the 10th time at Wembley Stadium next May and its opening group win, against the odds in the closing minutes, will only boost its confidence after a slow start to their domestic season.
"I celebrate when I have to celebrate," a jubilant Ronaldo, who has now scored 151 goals in 151 appearances for Real, said told Spanish television.
"The match was very important for us and we are back in the fight," added the Portuguese international, who took his tally to 39 Champions League goals.
Jose Mourinho, whose side has won only one of its first four La Liga matches, said: "Real Madrid can lose matches, Jose Mourinho can lose matches, but my happiness is not just that we got three points, but that my team is back."
PSG, outside contenders for the title after spending more than 200 million euros (US$261.11 million) on players since being taken over by Qatari investors a year ago, was the biggest scorers on the night, thumping Kiev in Group A.
PSG's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored from a penalty, became the first player to score in the Champions League for six clubs having also netted for Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona and AC Milan.
It was a dream start to the campaign for PSG with Thiago Silva netting on his debut, Alex making it 3-0 and Javier Pastore wrapping up the victory with a fourth in stoppage time.
Carlo Ancelotti's side next travels to Porto, which won 2-0 at Dinamo Zagreb.
Malaga, playing in the competition for the first time, put its financial worries to one side with a 3-0 home win over Zenit St Petersburg with two goals from midfielder Isco and one from forward Javier Saviola.
Arsenal and Schalke 04 both took maximum points away from home in Group B.
The London side went behind against debutant Montpellier after only nine minutes when Younes Belhanda chipped an audacious penalty past Arsenal reserve goalkeeper Vito Mannone. But Arsenal, whose banned French coach Arsene Wenger watched from the stands, stormed back with a well-worked equalizer by Lukas Podolski after 16 minutes before Gervinho scored what was to be the winner with a close-range strike two minutes later.
There were also wins for Paris St-Germain, which beat Dynamo Kiev 4-1 on its return to the competition after eight years, Malaga, which beat Zenit St. Petersburg 3-0 and former Champions League holder Porto, which won 2-0 at Dinamo Zagreb.
In a clash of ex-European title winner Borussia Dortmund beat Ajax Amsterdam 1-0 while seven-time European champion AC Milan was booed off after a 0-0 home draw against Anderlecht. Arsenal rode its luck to beat French champion Montpellier 2-1 away after conceding an early penalty.
But the outstanding game of the night was in Madrid where all five goals at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium came in the final 22 minutes with City taking a 1-0 lead through Edin Dzeko before Marcelo equalized six minutes later.
Aleksandar Kolarov put City back in front with a free-kick after 85 minutes which looked like the winner before Karim Benzema equalized in the 87th and Ronaldo struck in the 90th to bury the visitors.
Real is aiming to become European champion for the 10th time at Wembley Stadium next May and its opening group win, against the odds in the closing minutes, will only boost its confidence after a slow start to their domestic season.
"I celebrate when I have to celebrate," a jubilant Ronaldo, who has now scored 151 goals in 151 appearances for Real, said told Spanish television.
"The match was very important for us and we are back in the fight," added the Portuguese international, who took his tally to 39 Champions League goals.
Jose Mourinho, whose side has won only one of its first four La Liga matches, said: "Real Madrid can lose matches, Jose Mourinho can lose matches, but my happiness is not just that we got three points, but that my team is back."
PSG, outside contenders for the title after spending more than 200 million euros (US$261.11 million) on players since being taken over by Qatari investors a year ago, was the biggest scorers on the night, thumping Kiev in Group A.
PSG's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored from a penalty, became the first player to score in the Champions League for six clubs having also netted for Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona and AC Milan.
It was a dream start to the campaign for PSG with Thiago Silva netting on his debut, Alex making it 3-0 and Javier Pastore wrapping up the victory with a fourth in stoppage time.
Carlo Ancelotti's side next travels to Porto, which won 2-0 at Dinamo Zagreb.
Malaga, playing in the competition for the first time, put its financial worries to one side with a 3-0 home win over Zenit St Petersburg with two goals from midfielder Isco and one from forward Javier Saviola.
Arsenal and Schalke 04 both took maximum points away from home in Group B.
The London side went behind against debutant Montpellier after only nine minutes when Younes Belhanda chipped an audacious penalty past Arsenal reserve goalkeeper Vito Mannone. But Arsenal, whose banned French coach Arsene Wenger watched from the stands, stormed back with a well-worked equalizer by Lukas Podolski after 16 minutes before Gervinho scored what was to be the winner with a close-range strike two minutes later.
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