By Alexia Krause
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| Joaquin Sanchez scores for Malaga as AC Milan were stunned |
MALAGA, Spain (TheSportsNEXT) October 25, 2012: Malaga heaped the pressure on embattled AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri after the Italian giants suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Spanish side in the UEFA Champions League.
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Milan are languishing below mid-table in Serie A with only two wins in eight games, a situation which has led to daily speculation about Allegri's position as coach of the Rossoneri.
The Milanese came into this Group C game buoyed by a 3-2 win away to Zenit Saint Petersburg, following a scoreless draw at home to Anderlecht, and still sit second in the group. Their latest setback is likely, however, to put Allegri's tenure firmly back in the spotlight.
Leaders Malaga meanwhile joined Porto of Group A as the only team to remain unbeaten after three rolls of the Champions League dice.
The Spaniards dominated the first half, but their biggest chance to break the deadlock came in the 44th minute when the hosts were awarded a penalty following a foul in the area by Kevin Constant. Forward Joaquin stepped up, but his shot went over keeper Marco Amelia's crossbar.
Joaquin then made up for that miss in style when he ran on to a delightful chip over the Milan defence by Manuel Iturra to beat the advancing Amelia at his near post in the 64th minute.
Milan were lucky not to be 2-0 down moments later. Malaga won a free-kick just outside the area and Pereira dos santos Eliseu confidently struck a superb curling effort which looked destined for the top corner until Amelia produced a superb diving save.
Allegri sent on Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato in place of Constant in a bid to bolster the Milan front line. And for awhile the ploy appeared as though it might pay dividends.
In the 70th minute Milan striker Giampaolo Pazzini got his head to a cross whipped in from the right, but his effort went just wide.
With barely a quarter-hour remaining, Allegri sent on Spain international striker Bojan Krkic for defender Francesco Acerbi, prompting a chorus of whistles from the Malaga crowd aimed at the former Barcelona man.
The changes seemed to invigorate Milan, and Stephan El Shaarawy broke through into the area to unleash an angled shot that brought a good block from Malaga keeper Wilfredo Caballero.
From the corner, French defender Phillipe Mexes pounced on a rebound from a Milan header to hit an angled, first-time shot that went just wide of the post. For Milan, however, it proved too little too late.
Zenit St. Petersburg 1-0 Andrelecht
Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg grabbed their first win of this season's UEFA Champions League campaign with an unconvincing 1-0 win over Belgian outfit Anderlecht.
A 72nd-minute penalty by Alexander Kerzhakov gave the Russians a barely-deserved three points and saw them climb to third in the table. Spanish debutants Malaga top the table with six points from two games, while AC Milan are on four and Anderlecht have just a point and are yet to score a goal in this season's competition. Malaga host Milan later on Wednesday.
Kerzhakov, who has had a tempestuous past few months with a poor UEFA EURO 2012 and then going on strike over the huge wages being paid to big-money signings Hulk and Axel Witsel, had the first serious effort on goal in the seventh minute, his shot flashing past the near post.
Anderlecht returned fire when a nicely worked move saw Milan Jovanovic slipped free, but his shot scraped the far post as the players battled atrocious weather conditions. Hulk then went close after winning a free-kick on the edge of the box, his whipped-in effort sliding past the far post with Anderlecht goalkeeper Silvio Proto beaten.
The second half was not of great quality and had few clear chances, Zenit substitute Vladimir Bystrov going closest in the 69th minute with a shot that went over the bar. However Lady Luck smiled on Zenit two minutes later as Jovanovic clumsily gripped Alexander Anyukov round the neck and threw him to the ground in the box. Kerzhakov made no mistake with the resulting penalty for his seventh goal of the season.
Jovanovic, who was booked for his moment of madness, almost made up for his error with seven minutes remaining, firing in a fierce volley from outside the area, but it went just over the bar.
Zenit's total lack of unity was encapsulated in two incidents within seconds of each other towards the end of the encounter as first Kerzhakov fired in a wild shot with Hulk in a better position and then the bulky Brazilian opted to go on his own in taking on two Anderlecht defenders with his strike partner free on the left.
Kerzhakov let his feelings be felt wringing his hands in frustration and shaking his head in the direction of the former Porto star. Indeed Hulk was to enrage Kerzhakov further in time added on as he produced a barnstorming run into the penalty area, but again, instead of passing to the unmarked Russian, he was dispossessed of the ball and received a volley of abuse for his selfishness.
Olympiacos 2-1 Montpellier
Substitute Kostas Mitroglou scored an injury-time winner as Olympiacos stunned French champions Montpellier in their UEFA Champions League encounter. The Greek side had just two shots on target all night, but after skipper Vassilas Torosidis scored his first goal in over two years, Mitroglou tapped home the winner in the first minute of injury time.
It was rough justice on Montpellier, who had deservedly led through Gaetan Charbonnier's clinical finish just after half-time. But their failure to convert a host of chances thereafter was cruelly punished to leave them bottom of Group B with just a single point.
Olympiacos had lost their opening two matches and looked second best for a large part of the opening period. Montpellier's rough diamond striker Younes Belhanda fizzed a low shot across goal from the edge of the area before the hosts thought they had a penalty on 11 minutes. Kostas Manolas handled in the area but the referee called the play back for an earlier foul just outside the area.
Montpellier boss Rene Girard, who was serving a touchline ban, cut a frustrated figure in the stands and his mood would hardly have been helped when Anthony Mounier sliced his shot from the ensuing set-piece high and wide. Belhanda blazed over from 30 yards after strong lead-up work by Mounier but the hosts' early pressure began to fizzle out as the Greek side settled.
Benjamin Stambouli had to block a Rafik Djebbour header at close quarters before the striker just failed to get a foot on Leandro Greco's dangerous cross from the left. Greco caused more problems down his flank but Paulo Machado wasted the chance. As the half ticked down, Montpellier returned fire and Charbonnier almost dinked a shot over Roy Carroll but the goalkeeper was alive to the danger.
The hosts did take the lead just three minutes after half-time though thanks to some quick thinking from Charbonnier. The striker initially flicked a header forward, and when the defence was only able to poke the ball back into his path, he lashed his shot in from just inside the area.
Olympiacos passed up a glorious chance to draw level moments later when Pablo Contreras floated a cross to an unmarked David Fuster at the back post but he headed wide. Montpellier then should have killed off the game but passed up a series of chances.
John Utaka forced Carroll into a save before Belhanda missed their best opening. The striker latched on to another weak clearance but after feigning by a defender he arced his shot wide.
It proved costly as Olympiacos drew level on 73 minutes after Giannis Maniatis won a free-kick 35 yards from goal. Jose Holebas whipped the set-piece to the top of the six-yard box where skipper Torosidis was able to take a touch, after his marker Benjamin Stambouli slipped, before volleying home.
Montpellier pressed forward in search of a winner they just about deserved, but were instead caught on the counter-attack. After losing the ball on halfway the French side still had a chance to clear the threat, but Henri Bedimo was caught on the ball and Djamel Abdoun raced clear and centred for Mitroglou to tap in.
FC Porto 2-0 Dynamo Kiev
Jackson Martinez's brace proved just enough to edge out spirited Dynamo Kiev in the UEFA Champions League tonight as Porto kept their 100 per cent record in Group A intact. Oleh Blokhin's men pegged the Portuguese champions back twice, Oleg Gusev's header cancelling out Silvestre Varela's fine individual effort within 20 minutes.
Colombian striker Martinez sent the hosts in ahead at the break after good work from countryman James Rodriguez, only for Brown Ideye to level in the 71st minute. But after Martinez hit his seventh goal of the season, Porto held out to stay top of their group ahead of big-spending French outfit Paris St Germain.
Dynamo Kiev were quickest out of the blocks and Ideye gave Helton an early scare as his corner threatened to sneak in at the far post. But in the 15th minute, Varela took Lucho Gonzalez's cross under control with one confident touch, striding across the 'D' to flick up the ball and rifle it past Olexandr Shovkovskiy.
Helton coped better than his counterpart five minutes later as he tipped Miguel Veloso's shot round a post, but Dynamo would get their equaliser from the resulting corner. Veloso swung the ball into the area, Gusev rising above every Porto defender to glance home a header from close range.
A scrappy phase of push-and-run followed, Varela's dangerous header a rare highlight, before Porto edged into the lead once again in the 36th minute. In a delightful move, Martinez squeezed the ball under Shovkovskiy after fending off Yevhen Khacheridi to make the most of Rodriguez's sumptuous pass.
Martinez threatened to grab his second just after the break but his snapshot sailed over the bar, with Ognjen Vukojevic forced to block Rodriguez's rising effort moments later. The Estadio do Dragao was subjected to a 20-minute stretch of attritional football but Dynamo made up the required ground to eke out an equaliser.
In the 71st minute, Nigeria international Ideye chested down Andriy Yarmolenko's diagonal pass from deep before rattling the ball beyond Helton. But Martinez ensured the parity would not last very long with his cool conversion from Gonzalez's slide-rule pass just six minutes later.
Maicon fancied his chances of wrapping up all three points with a swerving free-kick deep into stoppage time, but Porto had already done enough.
PSG 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb
Zlatan Ibrahimovic turned on the style as PSG earned an impressive and valuable 2-0 UEFA Champions League win in Croatia against a lacklustre Dinamo Zagreb.
Sweden international Ibrahimovic, considered to be one of the game's most enigmatic strikers, seems to have found a home with French club and has been their stand-out player of the season so far.
He was brilliant tonight, scoring his 11th goal of the term and then setting one up for Jeremy Menez, as Carlo Ancelotti`s men moved into second place in Group A, three points behind leaders Porto, but crucially three and six ahead of the two Dinamos (Zagreb and Kiev).
Ante Cacic Sova's side had no answer to Ibrahimovic tonight and only the brilliance of goalkeeper Ivan Kelava kept the scoreline respectable. PSG gave a nod towards what was coming as early as the second minute when Ibrahimovic's shot from just inside the area was saved by Kelava.
Dinamo actually responded positively, with Domagoj Vida going close with a header, but Ibrahimovic was soon working the home goalkeeper again, with his edge-of-the-box piledriver only just kept out.
Again Dinamo had a chance of their own straight after, Salvatore Sirigu doing well to tip over a vicious corner from Jorge Sammir, before Kelava was again getting his gloves dirty, this time to deny Mathieu Bodmer.
It was becoming a one-man show and the Croatia international was then going down to keep out Menez, before Ibrahimovic drilled a shot into the body of Ante Puljic and then over the bar as the pressure continued.
The goal was always going to come and it did in the 32nd minute, with Ibrahimovic on the end of a pass from Menez, finally finding a way past Kelava from 12 yards.
It would have been unfair for Ibrahimovic to hog all the glory, though, and two minutes before the break he returned the favour, playing in Menez from the left and the former Roma midfielder did the rest from close in.
PSG would have been three ahead at the break were it not for a fine Kelava save from an Ibrahimovic free-kick, while after that the sides generated a flurry of chances, with Menez, Marcelo Brozovic, Jorge Sammir and Javier Pastore all whistling efforts either over or wide.
Not content with his goal, Ibrahimovic piled on for more, going close with a 12-yard hit, while Kelava again excelled as he denied Pastore, with Thiago Silva then having a shot deflected away by Marcelo Brozovic as the visitors finished as they had started.
Ajax 3-1 Manchester City
Manchester City's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League last 16 are looking grim after losing 3-1 at Ajax's Amsterdam ArenA in Group D.
Samir Nasri opened the scoring against the run of play in the first half but Ajax equalised just before the break through Siem de Jong.
City started the second period the better side but a Niklas Moisander header and deflected Christian Eriksen strike gave the Dutch champions a famous win.
City now prop up the group with one point, with Ajax on three.
Borussia Dortmund top it with seven points after beating Real Madrid, who have six points, on Wednesday.
Roberto Mancini gave Edin Dzeko a rare start after the Bosnian complained following his match-winning brace as a substitute against West Brom at the weekend.
Sergio Aguero looked the more dangerous player in a first half which City started poorly, largely watching as Ajax knocked the ball around with skill.
The Dutch champions lacked the outlet of a target man but caused problems. On nine minutes Eriksen's arrowing half-volley flew just wide after a chest-down and lay-off by fellow Dane Lasse Schone.
Captain De Jong, operating behind Tobias Sana with former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel employed on the left side of attack, almost got a head on a cross in the 20th minute before Eriksen employed a subtle touch to beat James Milner then shot just wide from outside the area.
And on 22 minutes City took an undeserved lead. Micah Richards fed the ball over the halfway line and inside to Milner who picked out the run of Nasri into the box on the left and the France star finished into the far corner with aplomb.
That gave City impetus. Aguero was almost immediately denied a goal by a last-ditch block from Toby Alderweireld and the Argentina star again burst into the box two minutes later, with another great challenge denying him.
Richards then had space to enter the box and shoot from the right, but hesitated as he expected Yaya Toure to take the ball on and home keeper Kenneth Vermeer advanced far enough to pull off a superb block when the shot finally came.
The equaliser, like all the goals on the night, came against the run of play. Ricardo van Rhijn sent in a low cross from the right and De Jong arrived just inside the centre of the box to crack home a low first-time effort that left Joe Hart standing.
City raced out of the blocks in the second half, with Aguero denied by a late Moisander block, and looked more composed on the ball. But they were behind on 57 minutes when Moisander nodded a corner down inside the far post with Joleon Lescott not close enough to his man.
Roberto Mancini hauled off Lescott and reverted to three at the back, with Vincent Kompany flanked by Richards and Gael Clichy with incomer Aleksandar Kolarov at left wing-back and Milner on the right.
Clichy did not look happy to be asked to play to the left of centre and in the 68th minute his attempted block diverted the superb Eriksen's shot past Hart for 3-1. The Denmark star tricked his way past Kompany to set up the opportunity.
Soon after Hart saved from Sana after a one-two with Schone put him through on goal - he should have scored - then at the other end Dzeko sprung into life, bringing the ball down on his chest and angling into the box with Vermeer making a point-blank save. It should have been a penalty as Alderweireld had hold of his shorts.
Dzeko again surged into the area through two defenders and away from the diving Vermeer before the keeper saved and moments later Nasri claimed that Moisander had hold of some of his shirt as he tried to shoot, but it would have been a harsh penalty to give.
Babel was always a menace cutting in from the left, but - as with his time at Liverpool - his shooting let him down with Hart equal to anything he had to throw at him.
Ultimately City fell short of the standards expected of them in the competition this season and now face an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stages.
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