10 December 2008
JUVENTUS 0
BATE 0
Attendance : 12,000
Assists : n/a
REAL MADRID 3 (Raul 25, Robben 50, Raul 57)
ZENIT ST PETERSBURG 0
Zenit 'keeper Malafeev should have tipped a cross over the bar out for a corner but dropped the ball at Raul's feet and he promptly scored his first Champions League goal of the season. Raul tracked a defender all the way back to the half way line, forcing him to underhit a back pass, Raul intercepted, turned and sent away Robben who lobbed Malafeev from the edge of the box. Fearing a repeat with Raul in possession in the centre of the box, Malafeev rushed off his line and dived at the striker's feet only to see the ball sail over his head into an empty net. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, fool me a third time, I'm a dipshit.
Attendance : 45,000
Assists : n/a, Raul, Robben
25 November 2008
ZENIT 0
JUVENTUS 0
Attendance : 20,000
Assists : n/a
BATE 0
REAL MADRID 1 (Raul 7)
Attendance : 5,500
Assists : n/a
5 November 2008
BATE 0
ZENIT ST PETERSBURG 2 (Pogrebnyak 34, Danny 94)
Zyrianov angled a ball across the Bate defence to Pogrebnyak and he waited for Veremko to come off his line before lobbing a first time shot into an empty net. Record signing Danny scored another sensational individual goal. Receiving possession near the centre circle he drifted out wide to the left flank, dribbled past two players, beat another as he ran into the box then shot into the bottom corner.
Attendance : 40,000
Assists : Zyrianov, Shirokov
REAL MADRID 0
JUVENTUS 2 (Del Piero 17, Del Piero 67 fk)
Marchionni intercepted Guti's hospital pass and gave the ball to Del Piero who was 50 yards from goal. The Real defence and midfield backed off as he run upfield before beating Casillas from 20 yards. Another brilliant Del Piero free kick ensured Juve went home with an ill deserved three points though he was given a standing O by the Real Madrid supporters.
Real had THREE clear penalty appeals turned down, one in each half for handball and one in the second when Chiellini checked RVN as he chased down a through pass. Don't expect Pieter Vink to officiate another Real Madrid game.
This was the first match Diego Maradona watched in his capacity as coach of Argentina. He was unlikely to have been impressed by Higuain or Heinze.
Attendance : 80,000
Assists : Marchionni, Sissoko (won fk)
21 October 2008
ZENIT ST PETERSBURG 1 (Tekke 80)
BATE BORISOV 1 (Nehaychik 52)
Nekhaichyk's nimble footwork took him away from Anyukov and as he steered the steered the ball inside Malafeev's post as the goalkeeper came off his line. Tekke volleyed in a late but deserved equaliser.
Attendance : 20,000
Assists : Bliznyuk, Shirokov
JUVENTUS 2 (Del Piero 5, Amauri 49)
REAL MADRID 1 (Van Nistelrooy 66)
Del Piero turned his marker and former team-mate Cannavaro as he touched on a pass to Amauri, the Brazilian returned the ball through Pepe's legs and before the Real Madrid defence had a chance to close him down he curled a brilliant first time shot inside the right post.
Nedved intercepted Pepe's blind pass out of defence, Sergio Ramos didn't bother making a challenge leaving the former European footballer of the year time and space to measure a cross to the back post and Amauri headed past Casillas via a deflection off Heinze. Real finally woke up and having gone close on four occasions eventually scored through who else but Van Nistelrooy.
Juve's ownage of Real Madrid continues and Ranieri saves his job, for now. Based on this showing Real's chances of winning 'la decima' look slim.
Attendance : 25,813
Assists : n/a, n/a, Heinze
30 September 2008
ZENIT ST PETERSBURG 1 (Danny 25)
REAL MADRID 2 (Hubocan 4 og, Van Nistelrooy 31)
Zenit failed to clear their lines from a corner. Van der Vaart fired in a low centre and Hubocan beat Van Nistelrooy to his cross, great finish, wrong net. Ramos was supposed to be marking Arshavin (remember him?) but got distracted when Tymoschuk and Sirl traded passed from a throw in, Sirl sent Arshavin into the gap vacated by Ramos and he clipped a low cross to the back post which Danny nonchalantly flicked past Casillas. The visitors regained their lead following another defensive mistake, Puygrenier stretched to clear a Van der Vaart shot that was heading nowhere and sliced the ball across goal and Van Nistelrooy pounced for European Cup goal #55 for those of you keeping count. At 32 he remains one of the best strikers in the game.
Attendance : 21,000
Assists : n/a, Arshavin, n/a
BATE BORISOV 2 (Kryvets 17, Stasevich 23)
JUVENTUS 2 (Iaquinta 29, Iaquinta 48)
Sosnovsky headed a goalkick to Likhtarovich, he dummied Sissoko and accelerated away from Nedved before driving a firm pass straight down the middle and with Juve's centre backs miles apart Kryvets was left with a free run on goal, he rounded Manninger before tapping into an empty net. I'm not sure what happened to Juve's right back but Stasevich found himself marked by Nedved at the back post and easily got above the ageing midfield to head in a great cross. The future of Italian football, Sebastian Giovinco, sparred the Italians from an embarrassing defeat with two assists. The first an inch perfect cross which arched into the box before landing on Iaquinta's head. He started the move which lead to the equaliser with a quick free kick to Nedved who no longer has the legs to run so after turning away from two players he gave the ball back to the tiny prodigy, Giovinco carried the ball 30 yards before passing to Iaquinta on the left hand edge of the box, with his right foot he narrowed the angle and with his left shot between Veremko legs. Great goal, great match.
Juve's away record in Europe is almost as bad as Celtics so don't be too surprised by the result. Giovinco has to be pencilled in for Lippi's 2008 World Cup squad. He's already good enough to start for Italy and unless something disastrous happens in the 2 years he'll be even better by 2010.
Attendance : 5,500
Assists : Likhtarovich, Nehaichik, Giovinco, Giovinco
17 September 2008
JUVENTUS 1 (Del Piero 76 fk)
ZENIT ST PETERSBURG 0
Attendance : 22,000
Assist : Nedved (won fk)
REAL MADRID 2 (Sergio Ramos 11, Van Nistelrooy 57)
BATE BORISOV 0
A cleverly worked corner set Real on the way to an easy win. Van der Vaart played a corner to Guti who was standing about 10 yards from the edge of the D, he threaded a ball to an unmarked Sergio Ramos and his first time shot beat Veremko at his near post. A superbly timed run took Raul past two defenders onto a Diarra pass, his first time left footed shot was punched away by Veremko but bounced off team-mate Stasevich as he tracked Van Nistelrooy and the Dutchman stabbed the ball over the line to claim his 54th Champions League goal.
Attendance : 65,000
Red Card : Khagush 62 (Bate Borisov)
Assists : Guti, n/a