Arsenal blow group open after downing Dortmund
Club manager Arsene Wenger downplays Gunners’ 1-0 win over hosts
Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey headed the crucial second-half goal as Arsenal avenged their 2-1 defeat at home to the Germans a fortnight ago. PHOTO: AFP
DORTMUND:
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has insisted nothing is decided in Group F as the Gunners' 1-0 Champions League win at Borussia Dortmund kept them top only on goal difference.
Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey headed the crucial second-half goal as Arsenal avenged their 2-1 defeat at home to the Germans a fortnight ago.
Arsenal became the first team since Stuttgart in November 2012 to prevent Dortmund scoring at home, but stay top of Group F on goal difference with nine points and level with Napoli.
"It's difficult to say how the group will go now," insisted a cautious Wenger, whose side host Marseille in a fortnight, then travel to Napoli in December.
"We have to win our home game, just like Dortmund — there is still a lot of football left to play. It was a difficult win for us, but we took our chances."
Dortmund had 13 shots compared to Arsenal's four, but the visitors made their chances count.
"Dortmund fought fantastically hard and had us under pressure, but we managed to get the goal. We were mature tactically, didn't make many big mistakes and we showed patience.”
Having dropped to third in the table, last season's Champions League finalists Dortmund possibly have to win both their remaining games at home to Napoli, then away to Marseille to keep alive their hopes of reaching the knock-out stages.
Mourinho hails Eto’o in Chelsea’s 3-0 win
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho paid tribute to Samuel Eto'o a transfer from Anzhi Makhachkala, who scored Chelsea's first two goals for their 3-0 win over Schalke.
"He [Eto’o] was for two years playing without big motivation,” said the Portuguese. “And when you play without big motivations, you train without big motivations, and you lose condition and you lose sharpness and you even lose appetite.
"So it was not a surprise for me that he arrived here not in the best condition after two years in Anzhi. Now, step by step, he's going.”
The victory, Chelsea's 100th in the Uefa competition, left Mourinho's side three points clear at the top of Group E and needing just a draw from their penultimate game away to Basel to reach the last-16.
Martino knew Messi 'spark' would return
Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino has said he never doubted that Lionel Messi would soon be back amongst the goals as the Argentine struck twice to put Barcelona into the last-16 of the Champions League with a 3-1 win over AC Milan.
Messi had failed to find the net for three consecutive games after scoring Barca's equaliser in the 1-1 draw between the sides in Italy two weeks ago, until the clash against AC Milan.
"He played a phenomenal game,” said Martino. “He had spark, speed, ability in one-on-ones, everything.”
Results
Basel 1-1 Bucharest
Chelsea 3-0 Schalke
Dortmund 0-1 Arsenal
Napoli 3-2 Marseille
Zenit 1-1 Porto
Atletico 4-0 Austria
Ajax 1-0 Celtic
Barcelona 3-1 Milan
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has insisted nothing is decided in Group F as the Gunners' 1-0 Champions League win at Borussia Dortmund kept them top only on goal difference.
Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey headed the crucial second-half goal as Arsenal avenged their 2-1 defeat at home to the Germans a fortnight ago.
Arsenal became the first team since Stuttgart in November 2012 to prevent Dortmund scoring at home, but stay top of Group F on goal difference with nine points and level with Napoli.
"It's difficult to say how the group will go now," insisted a cautious Wenger, whose side host Marseille in a fortnight, then travel to Napoli in December.
"We have to win our home game, just like Dortmund — there is still a lot of football left to play. It was a difficult win for us, but we took our chances."
Dortmund had 13 shots compared to Arsenal's four, but the visitors made their chances count.
"Dortmund fought fantastically hard and had us under pressure, but we managed to get the goal. We were mature tactically, didn't make many big mistakes and we showed patience.”
Having dropped to third in the table, last season's Champions League finalists Dortmund possibly have to win both their remaining games at home to Napoli, then away to Marseille to keep alive their hopes of reaching the knock-out stages.
Mourinho hails Eto’o in Chelsea’s 3-0 win
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho paid tribute to Samuel Eto'o a transfer from Anzhi Makhachkala, who scored Chelsea's first two goals for their 3-0 win over Schalke.
"He [Eto’o] was for two years playing without big motivation,” said the Portuguese. “And when you play without big motivations, you train without big motivations, and you lose condition and you lose sharpness and you even lose appetite.
"So it was not a surprise for me that he arrived here not in the best condition after two years in Anzhi. Now, step by step, he's going.”
The victory, Chelsea's 100th in the Uefa competition, left Mourinho's side three points clear at the top of Group E and needing just a draw from their penultimate game away to Basel to reach the last-16.
Martino knew Messi 'spark' would return
Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino has said he never doubted that Lionel Messi would soon be back amongst the goals as the Argentine struck twice to put Barcelona into the last-16 of the Champions League with a 3-1 win over AC Milan.
Messi had failed to find the net for three consecutive games after scoring Barca's equaliser in the 1-1 draw between the sides in Italy two weeks ago, until the clash against AC Milan.
"He played a phenomenal game,” said Martino. “He had spark, speed, ability in one-on-ones, everything.”
Results
Basel 1-1 Bucharest
Chelsea 3-0 Schalke
Dortmund 0-1 Arsenal
Napoli 3-2 Marseille
Zenit 1-1 Porto
Atletico 4-0 Austria
Ajax 1-0 Celtic
Barcelona 3-1 Milan