Rare goal from Anderson gives United top spot
United survive scare as Anderson revived the team from a goal down to a draw.
MANCHESTER:
Anderson’s second-half equaliser ensured Manchester United will avoid their main rivals in the last-16 of the Champions League after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Valencia at Old Trafford. United needed to avoid defeat to seal top spot in Group C but were left shocked when Pablo Hernandez fired the visitors into a 32nd-minute lead robbing the hosts of a record six successive Champions League clean sheets.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were guilty of wasting a string of opportunities and it looked like the evening would finish in frustration before Anderson was well placed to level in the 62nd minute.
Ferguson said he was relieved to have ensured avoiding the bigger guns. “Well we could have won the match but their keeper made some brilliant saves. Berbatov especially could have scored five [like he did in the previous Premier League home game] but he missed with two headers and the others were saved.”
Spurs top group after six-goal thriller
Spurs joined United in the top spot in their qualifying group after battling to a 3-3 draw with Dutch side FC Twente. Spurs, who had already assured themselves of a place in the last-16, clinched first place in Group A with a draw as second placed Inter Milan crashed to 3-0 defeat at Werder Bremen.
Spurs took the lead three times thanks to a Peter Wisgerhof own goal and two second-half strikes from Jermain Defoe. Twente secured a share of the points thanks to goals from Denny Landzaat, Roberto Rosales and Nacer Chadli.
Bremen enjoyed a rare but meaningless win over the Champions League holders as the Italians progressed while Bremen bowed out of Europe. Goals by Sebastian Proedl, Marko Arnautovic sealed the win against Rafael Benitez’s lacklustre Italians before sub Claudio Pizarro added the third near the end.
Barcelona triumph
A second string Barcelona side proved too strong for Rubin Kazan as the Russians fell 2-0 to miss out on a berth in the Champions League knockout phase. Second-half goals from Andreu Fontas and Victor Vazquez sent Barcelona
streaking on with 14 points while Danish side FC Copenhagen won 3-1 against Panathinaikos to claim second spot with 10 points.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 9th, 2010.
Anderson’s second-half equaliser ensured Manchester United will avoid their main rivals in the last-16 of the Champions League after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Valencia at Old Trafford. United needed to avoid defeat to seal top spot in Group C but were left shocked when Pablo Hernandez fired the visitors into a 32nd-minute lead robbing the hosts of a record six successive Champions League clean sheets.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were guilty of wasting a string of opportunities and it looked like the evening would finish in frustration before Anderson was well placed to level in the 62nd minute.
Ferguson said he was relieved to have ensured avoiding the bigger guns. “Well we could have won the match but their keeper made some brilliant saves. Berbatov especially could have scored five [like he did in the previous Premier League home game] but he missed with two headers and the others were saved.”
Spurs top group after six-goal thriller
Spurs joined United in the top spot in their qualifying group after battling to a 3-3 draw with Dutch side FC Twente. Spurs, who had already assured themselves of a place in the last-16, clinched first place in Group A with a draw as second placed Inter Milan crashed to 3-0 defeat at Werder Bremen.
Spurs took the lead three times thanks to a Peter Wisgerhof own goal and two second-half strikes from Jermain Defoe. Twente secured a share of the points thanks to goals from Denny Landzaat, Roberto Rosales and Nacer Chadli.
Bremen enjoyed a rare but meaningless win over the Champions League holders as the Italians progressed while Bremen bowed out of Europe. Goals by Sebastian Proedl, Marko Arnautovic sealed the win against Rafael Benitez’s lacklustre Italians before sub Claudio Pizarro added the third near the end.
Barcelona triumph
A second string Barcelona side proved too strong for Rubin Kazan as the Russians fell 2-0 to miss out on a berth in the Champions League knockout phase. Second-half goals from Andreu Fontas and Victor Vazquez sent Barcelona
streaking on with 14 points while Danish side FC Copenhagen won 3-1 against Panathinaikos to claim second spot with 10 points.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 9th, 2010.