Match Details Date/Time: 21/09/2008 15:00 Match status: Played

3ª Giornata
Cagliari-Juventus Catania-Atalanta Fiorentina-Bologna Lecce-Siena Milan-Lazio Palermo-Genoa Roma-Reggina Sampdoria-Chievo Torino-Inter Udinese-Napoli

Torino 1 Elvis Abbruscato (76')

Starters

N°	Name	Role	Rating	Notes
1	Sereni M.	Goalkeeper	6
19	Diana A.	Defender	6
22	Di Loreto M.	Defender	5.5
50	Pratali F.	Defender	5.5
3	Pisano M.	Defender	5.5
27	Zanetti P.	Midfielder	5
5	Corini E.	Midfielder	5.5
24	Säumel J.	Midfielder	6.5
10	Rosina A.	Midfielder
11	Amoruso N.	Striker	6
90	Bianchi R.	Striker	6

Bench

N°	Name	Role	Rating	Notes
99	Calderoni A.	Goalkeeper
32	Colombo R.	Defender
33	Rubin M.	Defender
6	Ogbonna A.	Defender
8	Barone S.	Midfielder	6
7	Ventola N.	Striker
9	Abbruscato E.	Striker	7
	De Biasi G.	Manager/Coach	6

Inter Milan 3 Marco Pisano (24' aut.) - Maicon (26') - Zlatan Ibrahimovic (51')

Starters

N°	Name	Role	Rating	Notes
12	Julio César	Goalkeeper	6.5
13	Maicon	Defender	7
16	Burdisso N.	Defender	6.5
23	Materazzi M.	Defender	6.5
26	Chivu C.	Defender	6
14	Vieira P.	Midfielder	6.5
19	Cambiasso E.	Midfielder	6
4	Zanetti J.	Midfielder	6.5
33	Mancini	Striker	7
8	Ibrahimovic Z.	Striker	7
10	Adriano	Striker	7.5

Bench

N°	Name	Role	Rating	Notes
1	Toldo F.	Goalkeeper
24	Nelson Rivas	Defender
2	Córdoba I.	Defender
7	Figo	Midfielder
77	Quaresma	Midfielder	5
45	Balotelli M.	Striker	5
9	Cruz J.	Striker
	Mourinho J.	Manager/Coach	7

Match Events

	90'+3	And there it is, full time has been blown. A comprehensive victory for Inter, who despite being on the receiving end of a barrage of strikes in the closing stages, still manage to hold on for a well deserved 3-1 victory. It's Toro's first loss of the campaign, and they certainly should not be disappointed with their performance in any way, as they put the reigning champions to the test throughout the majority of the contest. The forward trident of Mancini, Adriano and Ibrahimovic worked wonders for Mourinho today, and the Portugese tactician will take alot away from their form today. He will have a few questions to answer in regards to his defence, however he will still be pleased with victory nonetheless. Thanks for joining me this afternoon, and I hope that you enjoyed Goal.com's live coverage from the Stadio Olimpico in Torino. Torino 1-3 Inter Milan. Adrian Del Monte..
	90'+2	Inter just teasing the Torino players now, as they play the ball around the field, with everyone getting a touch of the ball. Only seconds remain now..
	90'+1	Inter go forward through Balotelli on the right, however his ball in is poor, and easily cleared by Sereni there..
	90'	We're into the final minute now, and Torino seemed destined for their first league defeat of the season now, despite a glorious closing 10-15 minutes in this match..
	88'	Replays have just indicated that the Amoruso free kick taken a few moments ago, struck the hands of Inter players within the wall, which was positioned in the area. Thus, a huge lett off for the Nerazzurri..
	88'	Substitution	Ibrahimovic Z.	Cruz J.
	87'	Mourinho makes his third and fial change, as Cruz comes on for Ibrahimovic, who workes his way into the contest in the second half..
	85'	OHHHHH!!!!!!! UNBELIEVABLE SCENES IN TORINO!!!!! Abbruscato's header strikes the cross bar, from another glorious ball into the area from Samuel. And then the follow up shot taken by Bianchi, is well dealt with by Julio Cesar, as he puts it out for a corner.
	84'	Clumsy by Quaresma there to foul Di Loreto (the third Torino captain of the fay) in his attacking area. The two exchange a few facial gestures, and play continues..
	84'	Burdisso fouls Bianchi, just metres outside the area, and if this strike was to go in, it would make for a highly entertaining last few minutes to this contest..
	82'	Inter just slowing down the tempo of play here, as they put together several passes at the back, to keep Torino away from the ball. The home side are looking dangerous now, and the Nerazzurri are certainly aware of that..
	80'	Ten minutes remain in Torino, as the fans have come back to life! Samuel has the ball on the left, and he beats one, and directs a low and hard ball in towards Bianchi!!!! Ohhhhh what a tremendous header, and what a save by Julio Cesar to deny the home side..
	79'	Abbruscato makes a tremendous run on the right, but he has three Inter players to contend with. Due to a lack of support, he unfortunately loses possession. Great work..
	78'	Pratali fouls Balotelli, and that is the fourth caution of this match. Free kick to Inter, and it's in a dangerous position too..
	78'	Yellow Card	Pratali F.
	77'	The Nerazzurri seem to just have taken their foot off the pedal ever so slightly here in Torino, as the home side are on the attack once again..
	76'	GOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!! 1-3 - TORINO PULL ONE BACK THROUGH ABBRUSCATO!!!! Lovely ball in by Samuel, and a sliding Abbruscato at the back post, does the rest!!! Well done Torino!!
	76'	Goal	Abbruscato E.
	74'	Yellow Card	Balotelli M.
	74'	Balotelli receives a yellow card for a clumsy challenge.. That wasn't necessary from the young Italian..
	72'	Torino with some much needed possession in their attacking third, for the first time in a long time now. Some how they manage to break down this Inter wall of defenders, and the ball spills to Abbruscato!! Surely he can pull one back for the home side here. But ohhhh well done by Chivu to get back and clear teh danger, despite the score line. Great desperation shown by the Romanian there..
	70'	Ogbonna lets fly for Torino!! He hits it well, but Julio Cesar was up to the challenge. Good effort nonetheless..
	68'	Balotelli on the ball now, for the first time in this contest, and he wins a free kick immediately, thanks to a foul by Ogbonna.
	67'	Balotelli seems to be warming up on the sidelines, indicating that the games of either Adriano or Ibrahimovic may be coming to an end. And yes, it's Adriano who is taken off in place of the young Italian striker. It was a great performance today from the giant Brazilian, and he will certainly take a lot of confidence from this performance..
	67'	Substitution	Adriano	Balotelli M.
	66'	Substitution	Zanetti P.	Ogbonna A.
	66'	De Biasi makes his third and final substitution, with Ogbonna coming on to replace Paolo Zanetti.
	65'	Quaresma trying to make his presence felt, having just come on, however he fails to win the corner he sort after, and it's a goal kick to Sereni.
	64'	Mourinho makes his first change of the match, as he brings on Quaresma in place of Mancini. Not a bad change to make at all..
	64'	Substitution	Mancini	Quaresma
	63'	Mancini with a few trademark stepovers, and noe he plays it to Adriano, who shoots!!! It's wide though, but a great effort nonetheless..
	62'	Wonderful work by Maicon and Ibrahimovic on the right, Maicon sets up a tremendous one-two movement between the two players. Maicon then makes his way into the area, and tries to cut it back to Mancini, but there were one too many red shirts in the way, and Torino clear..
	60'	We've reached the hour mark here in Torino, and Inter seem desperate to wreak more havoc in this contest. 3 does not seem to be enough for the Nerazzurri, as they are on the attack through Vieira once again.
	59'	Adriano!!!!!! Ohhhh what a build up by the forward trident of Mancini, Ibrahimovic and Adriano. A host of glorious passes end with Adriano, whose chipping attempt from just outisde the area is well saved by Sereni. Had that gone in, it would have been one of the great goals in recent times..
	58'	Great ball by Pisano in to the area, but as has been the case all day, the Inter defence are not letting anything through. Abbruscato is at fault for easily losing the ball this time.
	57'	Well in by Cambiasso to dispossess Di Loreto. Inter have the numbers now, but Cambiasso decides to play the ball back towards Adriano. The Brazlian sees something he likes ahead, and it's Mancini!! But Adriano's lovely chipping ball to Mancini, catches the winger narrowly offside, and that's the end of that for Inter.
	55'	Ten minutes gone in this, the second half, and Inter are in full control of every aspect of this contest now. It's all too easy for the Nerazzurri, with a 3 goal advantage to their name..
	54'	Maicon sends another dangerous ball from the right into the area, but the Torino defence clear through Pisano.
	52'	GOOOALLL GOOAAAALLLL!!! 3-0 TO INTER, AND THAT'S THREE POINTS IN THE BANK TO INTER!!! Mancini chips a glorious ball in the path of Ibrahimovic. He is onside, and through one on one with Sereni, and he so easily slots it past the Torino goal keeper with minimal fuss. 3-0 to Inter..
	51'	What a save by Julio Cesar!!!!!!! Diana sends a dangerous looking ball into the area, which clips the head of Cambiasso. The ball is deastined for the top right corner, by Cesar does exceptionally well to react quickly.
	51'	Goal	Ibrahimovic Z.
	50'	Diana tests his luck from distance, and ohhhh! Is that a penalty?? The Torino players believe it is, as the ball seemed to strike the arm of Chivu. Replays show that it hit the Romanian's chest, and thus no penalty is awarded.
	49'	Sensational work by Adriano, to play the abll wide to Ibrahimovic. The Sweede has so much space to surge forward in, and he does exactly that. He gets himself into the area, and has Mancini and Adriano in the centre. Surely this will be three!! But no, Ibra shoots himself, and forces Sereni into making a save. Wrong option there by Zlatan.
	48'	Vieira trying to set the tone in the second half, however his challenge is a clumsy one on Diana, and that will be a free kick to Torino.
	47'	Toro on the attack immediately in the early stages, and it's through Pisano once again, who has been great today down the left hand side. He slips when crossing the ball in however, resulting in a weak ball, that's eventually cleared easily by the Nerazzurri..
	46'	The home side get play under way in the second half. Barone is brought on for Torino at the break, to add some much needed experience and poise in the midfield. Corini is replaced, in what is a surprise, as he wasn't all that bad in the first half.
	46'	Substitution	Corini E.	Barone S.
	45'+2	The referee blows his whistle to bring the first half to an end. It was an entertaining opening 45 minutes, with the visitors dominating for the large majority of the half. Goals from Mancini and Maicon is what seperates the two sides for now, and with another 45 minutes still to play in this one, expect more goal scoring in the second half. Rosina was forced to withdraw after 30 minutes through injury, making matters worse for Torino, however the facts are that the home side trail by two goals to nil heading into the half time interval. It's Torino 0-2 Inter Milan. Join me at the Olimpico once again, in around 15 minutes time..
	45'+1	There will be one minute of stoppage time in the first half..
	45'	It's been a frustrating first half for the home team, as we approach the final minute. Adriano with the ball, heading forward for Inter now..
	43'	Lovely looking ball forward by Corini, as he goes in search of Bianchi, but as has been the case all match, the quality of the service has not been great, making it tough for the Toro attackers to be dangerous.
	42'	Great challenge by Pratali to dispossess Ibra there. Ibrahimovic has tried hard all match, however he has just failed to get any results thus far.
	40'	5 minutes still to play in the opening forty-five minutes. Can Torino take anything away from this half?
	39'	Great long ball forward by Materazzi towards Mancini. What can the Brazilian winger do from here. Not much actually, as Diana makes the challenge, resulting in a throw in to Inter.
	38'	Clumsy challenge by Ibrahimovic, as he fouls Di Loreto at the back. Looks to be out of frustration, as the attacker is yet to fire tonight.
	37'	Ibrahimovic easily loses the ball, and it's Di Loreto who picks up the ball, and guide a long ball in towards Abbruscato!! Wonderful defending by Materazzi though, to get their first, and clear.
	36'	Good break here by Amoruso, who tries to create something on his way forward. He plays it to Corini, but with number back, the Nerazzurri easily clear the danger..
	35'	Ten minutes remain in the opening half, as Materazzi and Burdisso, the two centre-backs for Inter, play it to each other a few times..
	34'	Corini sends a lovely chipping ball into the area, in towards Bianchi. This looks good for Toro, but Bianchi is rightfully adjudged to be offside.
	33'	Vieira fouls Amoruso some 30 yards from goal, and it's a free kick to Toro in a scoring position. Corini stands over the free kick, and with Torino in need of a boost, he may be the man to provide exactly that.
	32'	What a counter attack by Inter. Adriano plays a super ball towards Mancini, who is taken down in the area by Pisano, but the referee calls for play to continue, despite the Inter claims for a penalty. That was the correct call by the referee.
	30'	Rosina is forced to come from the field through injury. A massive blow for the Granata. Abbruscato comes on in his place..
	29'	A free kick is awarded to Inter, 35 yards from goal. Up steps Adriano to take the free kick, and he strikes!!!! Ohhh it's wlel over the bar, but he can have a laugh, as his side are in a commanding position now..
	29'	Substitution	Rosina A.	Abbruscato E.
	28'	Yellow Card	Pisano M.
	28'	Pisano receives a booking for a clash on Maicon, who is down, and may require some treatment..
	26'	GOOOAAAALLLLLL!!!!! WHAT A GOAL, AND IT'S 2 TO INTER!!!!!! STUNNING STRIKE FROM MAICON!!!!! A great build-up by the Nerazzurri, ends up with Maicon on the right hand side, and what an unbelievable strike at goal that was. It nipped in off the cross bar, and sailed in to the top left corner, giving Sereni no chance whatsoever. It's near impossible for Torino now, as Inter have doubled their advantage. 2-0 to Inter..
	26'	Goal	Maicon
	24'	Own Goal	Pisano M.
	24'	GOOOOAAAALLLLL!!!!! 1-0 TO INTER!!!!! AND WHAT A GOAL BY MANCINI!!!!! Adriano plays a tremendous ball wide to Mancini, who on the most acute of angles, slots the ball past Sereni. Replays show that the ball struck the boot of Pisano, thus the reason he managed to score from such an angle. Nonetheless, it's 1-0 to Inter!
	23'	Ohhhh, that is dreadful defending by Pratali that almost cost his side a goal. Maicon's cross comes in, a ball that is completely miscued by Pratali. The ball spills out the back to a surprised Mancini!!! Surely it's 1-0! But no, he wasn't expecting that.
	21'	Pisano strikes from around 30 yards!!! It's a wicked effort, that sails well wide of the target. Quick thinking by the defender though, who may have caught Julio Cesar napping there.
	20'	Superb by Rosina, as he had three Inter defenders snapping at his heels, but despite this, he manages to win a throw-in in a dangerous position for his side.
	18'	Lovely turn by Adriano, but its another foul that halts an attacking Inter movement. This time it's Paolo Zanetti who is responsible for giving away the free kick, and he receives a yellow card for his troubles.
	18'	Yellow Card	Zanetti P.
	17'	Great work from Vieira to try and make his way past two opposing players. He evenually gets cut down by Amoruso, and wins a free kick as a result..
	15'	Despite heavy pressure from Ibrahimovic, Pisano coolly clears towards Corini. Great start by the centre half, who's working hard at both ends of the field.
	14'	Another Inter attacking play breaks down, and it seems as if communication is lacking in the final third of the Nerazzurri, as that is the thirs or fourth time, whereby a promising attacking play has come to nothing for the visitors..
	12'	Bianchi!!!!! Ohhhhh!!!!! What an opportunity there for the former Manchester City man!!! A wonderful comes in from Pisano on the left, and met by the head of Bianchi, but sent inches wide of the target. 0-0 it remains..
	11'	Adriano has support on the left in the form of Chivu. Chivu sends a curling ball into the area, as he goes in search for the man who played it to him. Adriano fails to win the header, but the defensive clearance spills to Ibrahimovic!!! Ohhhh, if only he had got some more power on that left-footed attempt, Inter may have taken the advantage.
	10'	Materazzi plays it to Chivu, who has just returned from injury. The Nerazzurri continue to knock the ball around their defence, just to halt the momentum of their opponents.
	9'	Ohhhhh, great effort by Rosina!!!!! Decent sixty seconds for Torino here, as Rosina beats Zanetti, and attempts to curl a left-footed strike in to the top left corner. It's a glorious stirke, that just doesn't curl enough. Promising signs for Toro..
	8'	Torino find themselves on a counter attack, as the ball spills to Amoruso. The recent summer signing has time, and he has space, as Vieira is slow to close him down. He strikes from 30 yards!! Ohh that's a poor effort, and he should have done better there.
	7'	Ohh that was careless at the back by Pratali, and that's a wonderful move by Vieira to step in there. His ball though is intercepted, and cleared successfully by the Torino defence.
	6'	The visitors are certainly in control in the opening stages, with the home side failing to string together more than two or three passes so far..
	5'	Cambiasso controlling the midfield as he so often does. Directs play forward, as he chips a neat ball towards Ibrahimovic. Zlatan has a poor first touch though, and loses it easily..
	4'	Diana on the right for Torino, looking for options inside the area. He has two defenders to contend with, but somehow manages to get a ball away. It's poor however, and is easily collected by Julio Cesar.
	3'	Better ball this time by Materazzi to Mancini. The Brazilian winger flicks it wonderfully to his captain, Javier Zanetti, but Torino work hard in attack to regain possession of that ball.
	2'	Maicon for Inter, one of four Brazilians in the starting eleven for the Nerazzurri today. He plays it acorss to Materazzi, as he goes in search of Adriano up front, but that's a poor ball from Matrix there, and it's a goal kick to Torino.
	1	Jose Mourinho's side get play under way at the Olimpico in Torino..
	0	Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to Goal.com’s live coverage of the match between Torino and Inter Milan. This match is brought to you live from Torino, as two undefeated sides square off at the Stadio Olimpico. The home side have made some key signings over the summer, with Bianchi and Amoruso heading the list, and will certainly be looking to build on their positive start today against the reigning champions. Meanwhile, following a shaky start to the season, in which they drew 1-1 with Sampdoria, the Nerazzurri have bounced back well more recently, with victories against Catania last weekend 2-1, and a 2-0 victory against Panathinaikos in the Champions League. There’s less than 5 minutes remaining until kick-off, so stay tuned, and enjoy Goal.com’s live coverage over the next 90 minutes…

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Dynamo Kiev 1-1 Arsenal

Arsenal earned a battling point in Ukraine after going behind to a controversial penalty shortly after the hour, William Gallas getting his third goal in as many Champions Leagues games this season to ensure there was no major shock in Kiev.

After largely controlling the match for an hour but failing to convert some good chances, Bacary Sagna was somewhat harshly adjudged to have fouled Ognjen Vukojevic in the area, and Ismael Bangoura expertly slotted home the penalty to put Dynamo Kiev ahead in the 64^th minute.

The goal infused Kiev with energy and purpose, and for the next 15 minutes the Gunners were rocking. But they held on, regrouped and battled back into the game, getting their reward in the last five minutes when captain William Gallas slammed the ball into the roof of the net from almost under the bar to cap a period of sustained Arsenal pressure.

Alexandre Song replaced Emmanuel Eboue in the only change made by Arsene Wenger to the side that beat Blackburn Rovers 4-0 in the Premier League on Saturday. With Samir Nasri amd Mikael Silvestre both injured, Wenger named Mexico starlet Carlos Vela, Wales teenager Aaron Ramsey and 16-year-old Londoner Jack Wilshere on his bench.

Robin Van Persie won an early corner, and soon Theo Walcott's pace threatened as he chased a hopeful ball over the top and, with keeper Bogush making no move, Mykhalyk had to turn the ball behind for another corner. But Dynamo were showing an attacking threat of their own through Bangoura and Eremenko.

On 20 minutes, Emmanuel Adebayor had an excellent chance for Arsenal when Kiev gave the ball away cheaply, but the Togo striker put his shot wide. The two defences then began to enjoy the balance of power, before Bacary Sagna set up Van Persie, whose shot rippled the side-netting.

Then just before the break, Van Persie laid a neat back to Cesc Fabregas, but the Catalan didn’t quite catch it right, and it went straight down Stanislav Bogush’s throat for a key save.

The second-half began with an early scare for the Gunners, Roman Eremanko surging into the area and taking the ball past Gallas and firing in a low drive that crashed off the base of the near post as a grateful Manuel Almunia, hitherto largely unused, pounced on the loose ball.

Arsenal, though, were unhappy about the attack because Walcott was down injured at the time.

Walcott recovered, though, and burst through the middle, spreading the ball wide to van Persie - but with Adebayor yelling for it in the middle, the Dutchman blazed wide from a tight angle.

Fabregas tried a shot from 30 yards which Bogush gathered cleanly after the ball took a deflection and bounced just in front of the keeper.

But when Bangoura broke down the right for Kiev and crossed towards Vukojevic, both he and Sagna tumbled. It was a case of six of one and half-a-dozen of the other but the referee decided Sagna had committed a foul, and Bangoura coolly took full advantage.

Bangoura especially was energised by the goal, and he had the Arsenal defence stretched repeatedly as the London side withstood a tense few minutes. However, he ludicrously dived, and was promptly booked, to ruin a swift incisive passing move by Dynamo. Had he stayed on his feet he could have burst through and had a shot from the middle of the goal.

With Aliev orchestrating the midfield for Dynamo, the Gunners - who were certainly the better team in the first-half, were suddenly hanging on. Bangoura blasted another effort wide, and Clichy made a well-timed tackle on Vukoyevic as the Kiev man was about to shoot. Then Bangoura shot into the side-netting, before Arsenal recovered some poise and were getting back into it in the final ten minutes.

Adebayor went past Nesmachnyi on the right and produced a teasing cross, but Diakhate was calmness personified as he chested the ball back to his goalkeeper. Then an Arsenal corner was cleared two minutes from time, and Bangoura and Aliev had a chance to punish their visitors in a two-on-one break but made a hash of it.

It proved costly because Arsenal immediately equalised. Walcott broke away again down the right and his low dangerous cross to the far post found Gallas gratefully smashing it over the line from almost point-blank range.

So the game ended all-square, both sides having produced some incisive attacking football at pace. Had they both shown greater composure when chances presented themselves, the outcome could have been different. But Arsenal will feel justice was eventually done after the contentious penalty decision.

Dynamo Kiev: Bogush, Betao, Diakhate, Mykhalyk, Nesmachniy, Vukojevic, Yussuf, Yeremenko, Aliev, Ninkovic, Bangoura. Subs: Shovkovskiy, Ghioane, Morozyuk, Shatskikh, Kravets, Olexander Romanchuk, Asatiani

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas, Song Billong, Denilson, Van Persie, Adebayor. Subs: Fabianski, Vela, Ramsey, Wilshere, Djourou, Bendtner, Eboue

Don't forget - Goal.com Champions League Manager 2008-2009 is STILL open for registration - it's not too late to join and win! Sign up now at http://fantasy.goal.com - it's absolutely free and there are great prizes to be won in the hottest managerial game of the new season!

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Juventus 1-0 Zenit

A 75th minute wonder goal from Alessandro Del Piero was enough to give Juventus a 1-0 victory over Zenit St Petersburg in a tight and at times drab Champions League Group H opener in Turin.

Team News

Juventus made their return to Europe’s premier club competition after two years in the Calciopoli-imposed wildnerness, and they were virtually at full strength, with only Jonathan Zebina and Cristiano Zanetti, who are by no-means first team players, out injured.

Claudio Ranieri made four changes from the team who beat Udinese 1-0 on Sunday, selecting Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet up-front, with Nicola Legrottaglie and Cristian Molinaro replacing Olof Mellberg and Paolo De Ceglie respectively in defence.

UEFA Cup and European Supercup champions Zenit were minus the services of midfielder Roman Shirokov, Turkish striker Fatih Tekke, as well as long-term absentee Nicolas Lombaerts.

There were no surprises in Dick Advocaat’s line-up as much admired offensive trio Andrei Arshavin, Danny and Pavel Pogrebnyak all started, with Anatoliy Tymoschuk anchoring the midfield.

First Half

Zenit made by far the better start and controlled the possession in the early stages. On 10 minutes they should have been ahead following a simply dreadful miss from Danny. Pogrebnyak got behind Zdenek Grygera down the right, and chipped a ball up to the far post for Alexander Anyukov, who nodded the ball down to Danny, but from just six yards out he somehow scuffed the ball wide when it was easier to score.

It took until the 14th minute for Juve to launch their first attack of note as Del Piero lost his man delightfully, and crossed for Trezeguet who glanced a header wide.

Del Piero was now finding his feet, and he left Tymoschuk for dead in the centre circle with some great quick feet before lifting the ball over for Trezeguet, who just couldn't take the ball down or else he would have been through.

Sissoko then had a shot from the edge of the area charged down, before Del Piero went on a mesmerising run inside the area, beating three men before being stopped by last man Sebastien Puygrenier.

On 25 minutes Juve were desperately close to taking the lead as Del Piero whipped in a free kick from the right, and Mauro Camoranesi nipped in to flick on a header, only to see it crash off the post and out of play.

Juve were improving but they then received a big blow just past the half-hour mark as Camoranesi was forced off injured, and had to be replaced by Hasan Salihamidzic.

Zenit tried to take immediate advantage of this as Danny volleyed over from 25 yards. There was an more dangerous moment soon after as Pogrebnyak got in behind Chiellini but his cross was headed away by Grygera.

Juve were disjointed again following the Camoranesi injury, and Zenit took control in midfield again, but in truth it had been a first half to forget about for the neutral, and indeed neither goalkeeper had been forced into a single save.

Second Half

Into the second half and Juve had the first attempt as Trezeguet rattled in a left-footed effort from 30 yards that sailed high over the bar. Chiellini then couldn't get his foot over the ball following a right-wing corner.

Yet it was Zenit who were looking the more dangerous, and Juve were forced into a spell of desperate defending before Denisov sliced the ball wide from the edge of the area.

Zenit were knocking on the door and on 55 minutes they missed their second glorious chance of the night as Arshavin put left back Radek Sirl clean through on goal, but Gianluigi Buffon made a superb stop to rescue his side.

Ranieri knew something had to be done and he made a second change, replacing the disappointing Molinaro with Paolo De Ceglie.

Juventus were disjointed, as they had been almost all night. There was also a distinct lack of pace or imagination in the team, and as the game entered the final quarter, if anyone looked like winning it certainly was Zenit.

However, on 73 minutes Juve could have gone ahead as Nedved fizzed in a free kick way out on the left, and Poulsen nodded the ball on, but Malafeev made a fine low save down to his left to push the ball away.

A few minutes later Juve finally broke the deadlock courtesy of an absolute wonder goal from Alessandro Del Piero. The legendary captain let fly with a dipping, swerving free kick from fully 30 yards that moved both left and right as it flew past Malafeev. It was a quite incredible strike!

Zenit tried to hit back, and with 10 minutes to go they were centimetres away from doing so as Denisov sidefooted the ball agonizingly wide of the far post from 20 yards out.

Substitute Alejandro Dominguez then tried to repeat Del Piero's trick but Buffon comfortably saved his long range shot.

Zenit pushed everyone forward for the equaliser, and Arshavin went on a winding run, beating two men before the colossal Chiellini saved the day with an expert tackle.

Amauri came on for Trezeguet in the closing minutes, and almost helped create a second goal for Del Piero but Juve managed to hold out as they earned a narrow win on their return to the Champions League.

Teams

Juventus: Buffon, Grygera, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro (De Ceglie 56), Camoranesi (Salihamidzic 31), Poulsen, Sissoko, Nedved, Del Piero, Trezeguet (Amauri 87)

Zenit: Malafeev, Anyukov, Krizanac, Puygrenier, Sirl, Denisov, Tymoschuk, Zyrianov (Dominguez 78), Arshavin, Danny, Pogrebnyak.

Goals

Del Piero 75 (J)


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Real Madrid 2-0 BATE Borisov

A goal in each half by Sergio Ramos and Ruud van Nistelrooy was enough to ensure Real Madrid open the 2008/09 Champions League campaign on a winning note.

Despite dominating the game from start to finish, playing some lovely passing football at times and creating countless chances infront of goal, Real Madrid spurned numerous opportunities to inflict a heavier defeat on their resilient opponents who had to play out the final half hour with only ten men.

Sergio Ramos and van Nistelrooy struck either side of the break to hand three points to the hosts but BATE goalie Sergei Veremko was undoubtedly the hero for the visitors as he single-handedly limited the damage.

First Half

As expected, it was Madrid who took the game to their visiting rookies, carving up three openings within the first two minutes.

Van Nistelrooy had the ball in the back of the next as early as the first when Raúl slipped in a lovely through pass but the Dutchman had just inched into an offside position to receive the pass.

Just a minute later, a fluent passing move finished with Gago releasing Robben down the left flank but his cutback into the box just evaded Guti. And seconds later, Van Nistelrooy was again put through on goal but, onside this time, he smacked his shot against the side netting.

On eight minutes, Robben did superbly to pick out Guti but the vice-captain clipped his shot wide with only the on-rushing BATE goalkeeper, Veremko to beat.

But in the tenth minute, a brilliantly worked short corner produced the opener for Los Blancos. Van der Vaart’s low delivery found Guti on the edge of box, who drilled in what seemed like a miscued shot but he cleverly picked out Sergio Ramos at the far post and the right back only needed to prod the ball home.

Casillas was forced into his first save after 14 minutes when he denied Kryvets’ close range header, while straight to the other end, van Nistelrooy unleashed a 30-yard piledriver which narrowly missed the mark by mere inches.

Chances continue to fall generously to Los Merengues and Robben was next to get a crack when Guti discharged him into the box but the flying Dutchman dragged the ball wide with a heavy touch when he tried to round Veremko as he eventually ran out of pitch at the byline.

BATE gradually crept into the contest and the game balanced out midway through the half. A 25^th minute set-piece for the Belarusians on the left flank almost caused the hosts a moment of déjà vu panic, but Kryvets wasted the opportunity when he overhit his delivery completely.

Madrid had to wait until the 40^th minute before they could see the BATE goal again when Guti teed himself up with a shot just outside the box but he smashed his effort just wide.

Robben had the last chance of the half deep into injury time when his glancing header from a van der Vaart freekick marginally shaved the bar.

Second Half

Bernd Schuster’s side again came out firing at the start of the second period, immediately going on the offensive down the left flank.

Sergio Ramos almost got his second of the night five minutes into the restart when he brought down Guti’s high ball inside the area and pummelled in a volley but Veremko managed to beat it away.

A minute after, Robben dazzled his way down the left wing, into the box and his cutback found van der Vaart but the Oranje playmaker’s tame sidefooted shot was blocked by a crowd of defenders, and even possibly teammate, Raúl.

But on 56 minutes, the captain helped make it two-nil when he latched onto Diarrà’s pass and let fly with a stinging left foot shot but Veremko was alert to fist it away, only for the ball to bounce off Rzhevski into goal and poacher extra-ordinaire van Nistelrooy was there, right on the goal line, to tap it in and ensure he is credited with the strike.

Any chance of a BATE comeback was effectively wiped-out for good when leftback Khagush was sent off on the hour mark for a second bookable offence, and van Nistelrooy narrowly made it three from the ensuing freekick but he blazed his volley over from three yards out.

Higuaín was next to miss a gilt-edged chance to put the icing on the cake 15 minutes from time when he ran onto Marcelo’s long ball but with only Veremko infront of him, he pulled his shot centimetres wide of the right post.

Four minutes from time, van der Vaart picked up Marcelo’s pass and swivelled elegantly to face the goal before unleashing a snapshot but his effort was parried away by the very busy Veremko.

Sergio Ramos and van der Vaart gave the BATE goalie one last test in injury time when the duo forced him into sharp saves with blistering shots on target.

Madrid failed to add on to their tally but will happily settle for the 2-0 scoreline, the three points and more importantly, a clean sheet.

LINE-UPS

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Casillas – Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Heinze, Marcelo – Gago (Diarrà 35’), Guti (Higuaín 67’), van der Vaart, Raúl, Robben (Drenthe 60’) – van Nistelrooy

Unused subs: Dudek, Torres, Saviola, Javi García,

BATE Borisov (4-2-3-1): Veremko – Khagush, Rzhevski, Sosnovski, Yurevich – Likhtarovich (Volodko 58’), Sivakov – Nekhaychik, Kryvets, Stasevich (Zhavnerchik 46’) – Mirchev (Kazantsev 64’)

Unused subs: Gutor, Skavysh, Pecha, Viskushenko,

REAL MADRID 2-0 BATE BORISOV

1-0: Real Madrid (Sergio Ramos 10’)

2-0: Real Madrid (van Nistelrooy 56’)

BOOKINGS

Real Madrid: Nil

BATE Borisov: Khagush (47’, 62’), Sivakov (78’)

RED CARDS

BATE Borisov: Khagush (62’)

MATCH STATS

Possession: Real Madrid 65% – BATE Borisov 35%

Shots (On Target): Real Madrid 27 (10) – BATE Borisov 7 (2)

Fouls Committed: Real Madrid 16 – BATE Borisov 20

KS Leong

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Man Utd 0 Villarreal 0

The holders began the defence of their trophy with a goalless draw at Old Trafford against Villarreal. Cristiano Ronaldo made a second half comeback but even his presence was not enough to secure victory for the home side.

Much of the pre-match talk had surrounded the return of Ronaldo and sure enough the winger was to be found on the substitutes’ bench at the start of the evening.

On the field, however, the United side had an unfamiliar look. Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick were both missing through injury, and with Paul Scholes suspended, Fletcher, Nani, Park and Hargreaves made up an unfamiliar looking midfield.

Certainly the holders were missing the creativity of Ronaldo, Scholes and Giggs and chances were at a premium in an uneventful first half at Old Trafford.

A cautious start from both sides ensured the game failed to really spark initially with long range shots from first Evra and then Tevez the closest the home side came to breaking the deadlock in the early stages.

The visitors, on the other hand, seemed content to sit back and absorb the United pressure and offered little as an attacking threat.

Pires, on his return to Old Trafford, forced Van der Sar into a save just before the half hour mark but it was to be as close as Villarreal came in a quiet opening period.

The second half yielded little more joy for United and indeed it was Villarreal who should have opened the scoring on the hour mark.

Some excellent interplay from the visitors saw them patiently keep possession in the United area. The move ended with a low cross from Pires being converted by Franco, but agonisingly for the striker, his flick rebounded off the inside of the post and into the grateful arms of Van der Sar.

Ferguson’s patience with his side quickly evaporated and on came Anderson and Ronaldo, to a huge ovation, as the holders stepped up their search for the goal.

It took the Portuguese only five minutes to test Diego Lopez in the Villarreal goal. A quick break from Anderson and Tevez found the winger in the box but his shot was hit into the ground and allowed the goalkeeper the opportunity to save.

The arrival of the United number seven, however, certainly seemed to inspire the home side who upped the tempo. A fast flowing break saw Ronaldo feed Rooney and his cross reached Tevez but Diego Lopez just got a hand on his shot which allowed the covering Rodriguez to hook the ball off the line.

With ten minutes to go it was Ronaldo again. A Nani cross was whipped into the far post but the United talisman could only watch as his header flew just wide.

He then turned creator, a ferocious cross reached the far post where Evans was on hand but his header cannoned back off the post.

With Villarreal clearly tiring, United were dominant but even with the presence of Ronaldo they couldn’t quite find the opening and the visitors hung on for a point.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Nani, Hargreaves (Anderson, 62), Fletcher, Park (Ronaldo, 62), Rooney, Tevez (Giggs, 80).

Villarreal: Diego Lopez, Angel, Rodriguez, Godin, Capdevila, Cani (Cazorla, 46), Eguren, Edmilson, Pires (Ibagaza, 68), Fernandez, Franco (Llorente, 77).

Gill Clark

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Lyon 2-2 Fiorentina

Despite a first-half brace by Alberto Gilardino, Fiorentina were unable to claim three points on their return to the Champions League away to Olympique Lyon, as second-half goals by Frederic Piquionne and Karim Benzema made it all square in this Group F tie.

Fiorentina travelled to Lyon to face the seven-time French champions in their first Champions League match for eight years. New Lyon coach Claude Puel, who knows the Champions League is the club’s primary aim this season, played with a 4-3-3 formation with Sidney Govou, Fred, and Karim Benzema up front.

His Fiorentina colleague Cesare Prandelli, who led the Viola to fourth place in Serie A last season, responded with a 4-3-1-2 line up with Zdravko Kuzmanovic behind Adrian Mutu and Alberto Gilardino up front.

First Half

After a scrappy first few minutes, the match started coming alive around the 8th minute, when the home side hit the woodwork as Benzema hit the post with a right-footed shot on a cross from midfield wizard Juninho Pernambucano.

When it seemed Lyon were taking control of the match, Fiorentina opened the score with their first chance. Just 11 minutes in, the visitors played a great counterattack and full back Luciano Zauri played a perfect cross for Gilardino, who headed the ball in from close range to make it 1-0 to the Viola.

The hosts reacted immediately by winning a series of corners, and in the 12th minute Fiorentina came close to "scoring" an own goal as midfield playmaker Riccardo Montolivo made a rare defensive intervention that put goalkeeper Sebastien Frey in serious trouble.

After managing to keep Lyon at bay as they tried to find an immediate equaliser, Fiorentina came close to scoring a second in the 21st minute, when Sergio Almiron struck a great free kick which forced a fine save from Hugo Lloris.

On the half hour mark, Frey was called into action again, as Benzema played a fine ball to Jeremy Toulalan inside the area, and the French midfielder fired a great shot that was tipped over the bar by the Viola’s goalkeeper (29’).

It was end to end stuff as Lyon saw most of the ball, but Fiorentina frequently made themselves dangerous on the counterattack. In the 34th minute, Jean-Alain Boumsong lost the ball in midfield to Mutu, who started a great run towards the goal, only to see his final shot saved by Lloris.

At the other end, full back Anthony Reveillere came surging forward for the first time in the match, and sent in a great cross for Fred, who could not quite take advantage as he sent his header wide (37’).

Once again Fiorentina proved to be more clinical up front in the 42nd minute, when Gilardino made it 2-0 with a goal very similar to his first. This time it was Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo who provided the cross from the right, and the Italian international headed it brilliantly past Lloris.

Before the half time break, Lyon still tried to create some danger, but their ball possession did not produce any significant chances. The teams went back into the dressing room with Fiorentina unexpectedly leading 2-0 thanks to a couple of fine counterattacks converted by Gilardino.

Second Half

During half time, neither coach opted to make any changes, but curiously Frey came out with a new orange jersey because the one he wore before the break was deemed to similar to Lyon’s.

The French champions began the second half in determined mood, as they knew they had to start taking some risks. In the 51st minute, Benzema forced Frey into a great diving save with a stinging shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Despite their best efforts, though, Lyon just could not find a way through a very stubborn Fiorentina defence, who were not ashamed to make a series of tactical fouls to keep the home side at bay.

For a long time, Fiorentina kept holding on and Puel’s team failed to make themselves dangerous. However, out of nothing they found a way back into the game, as substitute Frederic Piquionne slotted the ball into an empty net from a pass by Benzema after he had been found by a nice through ball inside the area (73’).

After that Lyon started playing with more conviction and put Fiorentina under more serious pressure. In the 78th minute, Ederson was in an excellent position to head the ball in on a long pass, but his header was easily grabbed by Frey.

Three minutes later, Juninho had an opportunity to shoot from outside the area, but sent his effort just over the crossbar, and Toulalan did the same a minute later. It turned out that this was a prelude to Lyon’s equaliser, which came in the 85th minute, when Benzema was found by a smart free kick by Juninho, and the young French international had no hesitation as he struck the ball first time past Frey.

In the remainder of the game, Fiorentina obviously tried to hold on for dear life to claim a draw. There was one final chance for the home side in the 93rd minute, when a free kick by Juninho just cleared the crossbar.

All in all, the draw was a just result and perhaps slightly less than Lyon deserved against a highly defensive Fiorentina side (consider that the French had no less than 26 shots!). In Group F, Bayern Munich are the leaders for now as they beat Steaua Bucharest 1-0 away from home tonight, while Fiorentina and Lyon obviously follow with a point apiece.

Danilo Pochini

OLYMPIQUE LYON-FIORENTINA 2-2

GOALS: Gilardino 11’, 42’, Piquionne 73’, Benzema 85’

Lyon (4-3-3): Lloris; Reveillere, Boumsong, Bodmer, Kallstrom; Makoun (59’ Ederson), Toulalan, Juninho; Govou (88’ Mounier), Fred (65’ Piquionne), Benzema.

Fiorentina (4-3-1-2): Frey; Zauri (75’ Jorgensen), Dainelli, Kroldrup, Vargas; Almiron, Melo, Montolivo; Kuzmanovic (64’ Santana); Mutu, Gilardino (81’ Pazzini).

BOOKED: Dainelli, Melo, Gilardino, Jorgensen (F); Benzema (L)

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