5 November 2008



AAB AALBORG 2 (Curth 54, Due 81)

VILLARREAL 2 (Rossi 41, Franco 75)



Rossi and Franco ran forward in support of a Pires lead counter attack, Pires played the ball to Rossi who had taken a position on the right of the penalty area, he cut outside two players before beating Zaza with a low drive. Caca's back heel took out four defenders and Curth finished with a fierce first time strike. Llorente chipped a ball over the Aalborg defence after the Danes failed to clear a free kick, Franco took the ball on his chest and volleying Zaza. Due's fantastic left footed free kick was worthy of winning a point in any match. Great game.



Attendance : 9,500

Assists : Pires, Caca, Llorente, Risgard (won fk)





CELTIC 1 (McDonald 13)

MANCHESTER UNITED 1 (Giggs 84)



Vidic appeared to clear the danger from a Celtic free kick, as the Man United defence pushed up two headers sent the ball back into the box and from a ridiculous angle McDonald beat Foster with an outrageous lob. Boruc, who by all accounts has had a poor season, flapped at a Ronaldo shot from distance which he should have saved comfortably and Giggs headed in the rebound.



Attendance : 58,903

Assists : Caldwell, n/a





FIORENTINA 1 (Mutu 11)

BAYERN MUNICH 1 (Borowski 78)



Gilardino flicked out Zauri's deep inswinging cross which Adrian 'the 8 ball' Mutu volleyed past Rensing. Montolivo made a half hearted attempt to clear Ribery's hopeful cross, the ball fell to Borowski and he scored as the Fiorentina defence appealed in vain for offside.



Attendance : 40,000

Assists : Zauri, n/a





LYON 2 (Juninho 44 fk, Reveillere 89)

STEAU BUCHAREST 0



Steaua's coach was furious when the ref awarded Lyon a free kick, 35 yards from goal. He should have saved his fury for goalkeeper Zapata who was beaten but a low but not particularly well struck shot. Reveillere scored late in the second half. Taking advantage of the space left by Keita's marker, he ran to the edge of the D before shooting over the poorly positioned Zapata.



Attendance : 30,243

Assists : Juninho (won fk), Delgado





ARSENAL 0

FENERBAHCE 0



Attendance : 60,003

Assists : n/a





DYNAMO KYIV 1 (Milevski 21)

PORTO 2 (Rolando 69, Lucho 92)



Milevski beat Helton from the edge of the box with a precise low first time shot, passing the ball into the bottom corner. Centre back Ronaldo threw himself at a Meireles free kick to head in the equaliser. Dynamo hit the woodwork before being mugged on the break. Lisandro Lopes played a one-two with Hulk and despite being forced wide by two defenders crossed to the back post for Lucho to tap past Bogush.



Attendance : 16,000

Assists : Ghioane, Meireles (fk), Lucho





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)





4 November 2008



CFR CLUJ 1 (Dani 9)

BORDEAUX 2 (Gourcuff 6, Wendel 38)



Chamakh tuned on a throw in to Gouffran and Gourcuff side footed his centre into an empty net. Three minutes later Cluj were level. Kone headed Juan Culio's free kick across goal and Dani darted across two defenders to send a header crashing into the top right corner. Great goal. Wendel's superb free kick kept Bordeaux hopes of a place in the knockout stages alive.



Attendance : 20,500

Assists : Gouffran, Kone, Chamakh (won fk)





ROMA 3 (Panucci 34, Vucinic 48, Vucinic 58)

CHELSEA 1 (Terry 75)



Roma won a free kick miles from goal. With everyone expecting a cross Pizarro rolled a pass out wide to Cicinho and the Chelsea defence ball watched as Panucci, who briefly played for them at the turn of the century, converted the Brazilian's cross. Brighi and Vucinic worked the ball up Chelsea's left flank, Brighi drifted infield after exchanging passes with Totti then teed up Vucinic who hit an extraordinary first time shot with very little backlift which flew inside Cech's post. Vucinic mugged Mikel in his half own half and ran a good 70 yards, Mikel couldn't match him for pace and the Serbian rode a last ditch tackle before slamming the ball past Cech. Deco fired off a shot from the left flank, the ball hit Terry, Doni saved, and Terry controlled the rebound before tapping in a consolation goal. Deco was the victim of a ludicrous decision when the ref showed him a second yellow card for taking a free kick too quickly.



Spalletti's switch to 4-4-2 worked a treat. So far under Scolari are flat track bullies.



Platini was in the stands to witness the Roma fans rioting with Chelsea supporters. Roma continue to be an embarrassment to Italian clubs. A supporter ban and moving the final from Roma to another city would be a good start.



Attendance : 38,425

Red Card : Deco 81 (Chelsea)

Assists : Cicinho, Brighi, n/a, n/a





FAMAGTUSTA 3 (Bardon 31, Panagi 46, Frousos 50)

INTER 3 (Balotelli 13, Materazzi 45, Cruz 71)



Balotelli tapped in a rebound to give Inter the lead. Burdisso attempted a back pass as Julio Cesar rushed off his line, he overshot and Burdisso theatrically dropped to his knees as Bardon tapped his header into an empty net. Materazzi pushed over a defender and headed Balotelli's corner at Begaj who fumbled the ball into his own net.



Famagusta's second goal also arrived from a corner. Dobrasinovic headed Taher's cross towards goal, Cambiasso left post duty to make a challenge and headed the ball against Panagi and it bounced inside the post he was supposed to be guarding. Inter's charitable defending continued, Burdisso headed a cross against Frousos and he got the break of the bounce before firing past Julio Cesar. Cesar kept Inter in the match with two excellent saves before Cruz snatched a point with a great header from a Balotelli free kick.



Ibrahimovic's Champions League record - 56 games, 14 goals. BOTTLER.



Attendance : 18,000

Assists : n/a, n/a, Balotelli, n/a, n/a, Balotelli (fk)





BREMEN 0

PANATHINAIKOS 3 (Mantzios 58, Karagounis 70, Tziolis 83)



Mantzios received possession on the edge of the box, as he was being shadowed by Pasanen but instead of making a tackle, Pasanen ran past him, like a fire engine going in the wrong way (TM Geoffrey Green) leaving the striker with space to work an opening and score. Karagounis called for a throw in, he let the ball bounce twice before hitting an incredible right foot half volley which dipped and swerved wickedly past Wiese. Tziolis ran onto a deflected cross to slam in a third, embarrassing Wiese at his near post.



I realise they are unpopular in Germany but one advantage of Hoffenheim playing in the Champions League next season, assuming they finish in the top three in the Bundesliga, is we will be sparred most pathetic performances from Bremen.



Attendance : 35,968

Assists : Tziolis, Spiropoulos, n/a





SPORTING 1 (Derlei 73)

SHAKHTAR 0



Attendance : 24,282

Assist : Izmailov





BARCELONA 1 (Messi 62)

BASEL 1 (Derdiyok 83)



Guardiola rested his big hitters and gave a chance to the reserves i.e. Henry, Sylvinho, Sanchez etc, etc. When that didn't work Messi and Xavi came off the bench with immediate effect. Messi turned onto a Xavi pass, played a one-two with Henry, ran through a sliding tackle (I was sure he would go down) then shot wide of Costanzo. Despite having somewhere in the region of 30% possession Basel came away with a point. Carlitos swung in a cross from the right and Derdiyok, finding himself in space between Barca's centrebacks, volleyed a first time shot into the roof the net.



Attendance : 47,000

Assists : Henry, Carlitos





LIVERPOOL 1 (Gerrard 95 Pen)

ATLETICO MADRID 1 (Maxi Rodriguez 37)



Heitinga hit a longball out of defence to Antonio Lopez, Maxi Rodriguez touched his centre past Carragher, who has looked very shaky this season, then lashed a right foot shot into the bottom left corner. Having told a friend over the phone Liverpool were losing but would score a last minute equaliser no guesses for what happened next. In the fifth minute of injury time as Pernia tried to head out a cross Gerrard jumped into him, landed on his knees and rolled to his back with his arms outstretched appealing for a penalty. CHEATING BASTARD.



Torres's girlfriend - disappointing in fact not just disappointing but with a worryingly square jaw. I think I'll have to write another letter to UEFA over their officiating of Liverpool matches.



Attendance : 42,010

Assists : Lopez, Gerrard (won pen)





MARSEILLE 3 (Kone 30, Niang 63, Niang 71)

PSV 0



Marseille broke at lightning pace after PSV lost possession in their own half, Ben Arfa released midget Kone with a ball straight down the middle and he smoked Addo before rounding Isaksson and chipping into an empty net. Niang scored the first of his two goals with a superb left foot volley at he back post, Kone providing the cross. Ben Arfa played an absolutely marvellous pas through the heart of the slow, lumbering PSV defence and Niang ran into the box before poking wide of Isaksson.



High offside traps never work against pace.



Attendance : 40,000

Assists : Ben Arfa, Kone, Ben Arfa