Theo Walcott to miss UEFA Champions League tie vs Montpellier

By Ashley Williams

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 20, 2012: Theo Walcott has been ruled out of the Arsenal FC’s UEFA Champions League encounter against Montpellier on home soil on Wednesday as the winger is yet to recover from a shoulder problem.

Theo Walcott, who also represents England as striker, is an integral part of the Arsenal FC but he sustained the injury during this weekend’s 5-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League. Walcott had carried on during the match despite of the injury and scored the fifth and final goal for The Gunners in the stoppage time.

Arsenal FC are due to host Montpellier at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday and manager Arsene Wenger said that Theo Walcott has not trained with the team but will have a scan to determine the damage caused by the injury to the striker.

Gervinho has been put on standby to replace the injured Walcott if he failed to make it.

Talking to media here in the pre-match press conference, Arsene Wenger said, “The injury he got during the game with his shoulder, we have to scan that today and see if there is no damage. He will be out for tomorrow. It should be short-term. We will miss [Andre] Santos as well, who has a muscle strain in his abdomen. The two players coming in the squad are Gervinho and [Kieran] Gibbs."

Read More

UEFA Champions League last-16 race enters decisive phase

Ashley Williams

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 19, 2012: With 15 out of 16 qualification spots available, the top European soccer clubs will give it a full go on Tuesday and Wednesday night across the continent as fans lick their lips for a mouthwatering soccer gala.

Manchester United have already booked their last-16 spot in the UEFA Champions League 2012 while FC Porto and Malaga also did enough to get close to qualification on Matchday 4 but Group H still has a massive fight going on for the qualification as Galatasaray, Cluj, and Braga all three have a valid chance of joining Manchester United in the final 16.

Another big match on Matchday 6 is between defending champions Chelsea FC and Juventus in Group E as the English soccer giants will travel to Juventus Stadium in Turin with their last-16 qualification on the line.

The Group E is also presenting a very confused picture as only point separates the top three teams and any of them can qualify for the knock-out stage on the Matchday 6 but as happens in all the major tournaments in the world one of these two European soccer giants will be knocked out this week.

Chelsea FC are relatively better placed than Juventus but they seem to have lost their galore they exhibited early in the season as they have managed only two points in their last four games in the Barclays English Premier League.

Juventus on the other hand will have to defeat the reigning UEFA Champions after they recorded a 2-2 draw in London. If Juventus beat Chelsea FC then they will have to secure a draw in their final fixture to make sure they book their ticket to Shakhtar Donetsk. However, the Italian soccer giants have also struggled for goals dearly this season as the Serie A leaders were held for a goalless draw with Lazio this weekend.

Both the teams will have to find a way of scoring goals as this is where they will have to rise to the occasion. Chelsea FC have a good news as they will have Juan Mata and Oscar both back in the squad after Roberto Di Matteo rested the duo on Saturday’s EPL action while Belgian striker Eden Hazard has found some form as he struck a brilliant goal against West Bromwich Albion.

The other top game in the Group E on November 20, 2012 (Tuesday) is between Shakhtar Donetsk and Nordsjaelland where the Ukranian side has recently tasted defeat in their local championship after registering 15 victories on the trot. Shakhtar Donetsk are clear favorites against Nordsjaelland who are still looking for their first victory in the UEFA Champions League.

Interestingly enough, Nordsjaelland could still qualify into the last-16 stage if they record their first victory at the UEFA Champions League and then Chelsea FC defeat Juventus.

Group F will have two matches to be played on Tuesday where BATE Borisov will be up against Lille and the tough Valencia will take on the mighty Bayern Munich.

Valencia need a victory over Bayern Munich to book them a place in the last-16 round and even a draw would be enough if BATE Borisov are held by Lille to a draw.

On the other hand, Bayern Munich are in dire need of a victory in Spain and with BATE Borisov becoming the Belarusian soccer champions for seventh straight season on November 11 things are looking positive for the German giants.

Group G is another complicated group where Benfica are pitted against Celtic and Spartak Moscow will be up against FC Barcelona on Tuesday night.

FC Barcelona probably are the best-placed team in the Group G as all they require is a draw to qualify into the next stage of the UEFA Champions League 2012. Even a loss can’t hurt their chances but in that case they will have to rely on the result in the other match. Celtic, who defeated FC Barcelona in their last outing, also are in good position to qualify as a draw would suffice for them to join Barca in the last-16 stage if they score at least a goal and Barca don’t get defeated.

As far as Benfica are concerned, they are trailing the Celtic by three points and they must record a victory to stay in the hunt before their final round-robin clash against FC Barcelona.

Group H has one spot to be filled as Manchester United have already secured their berth in the final-16. The Red Devils will take on Galatasaray while Cluj will take on Braga on Tuesday night with all the three teams staying in the race to the knockouts.

Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League action also promises great thrill and euphoria for the soccer fans across the globe where FC Porto will take on Dinamo Zagreb and Dynamo Kiev will be up against Paris Saint-Germain in the Group A.

In Group B, Arsenal FC will be playing against Montpellier while Schalke 04 and Olympiakos will battle it out in the second game on Wednesday night.

Arsenal FC will have to defeat Montpellier to keep their chances alive in the competition while Schalke 04 are the best-placed side at the moment as they need only a draw to proceed.

The two matches in the Group C are Zenit Saint Petersburg vs Malaga and Anderlecht vs AC Milan where Malaga are almost certain to finish on top of the table but the rest of the three sides will still battle it out to stay in the hunt.

The Group D matches include Ajax vs Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City vs Real Madrid where Borussia Dortmund, who are leading the group, need only a draw to qualify while Real Madrid will join them if they beat Manchester City and Ajax don’t triumph.

It is important to mention here that the Manchester City have won the last three home matches against Real Madrid and it will be a tough task for Cristiano Ronaldo and company to achieve a victory there.

Read More

Manchester United enter UEFA Champions League last-16 stage

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 8, 2012: Manchester United became the first British side through to this season's UEFA Champions League knockout stage after coming from behind to beat rivals Braga 3-1, the official FIFA website reported.

Needing just a point to assure their qualification to the last 16, United fell behind to a penalty from Alan just after half-time, but strikes from Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez ensured the Red Devils maintained their perfect record in this year's competition.

United lead the group on 12 points after four matches, while defeat for Braga leaves them bottom on three points, one behind both Galatasaray and Cluj following the Turkish champions 3-1 win in Romania.

"I think we were all disappointed (we didn't progress from the group stage last year)," said Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs. "It was not good enough and we knew we had to do something about it and we have. Long may it continue."

Alex Ferguson elected to make six changes to the side that defeated Arsenal at the weekend, with Chris Smalling making his first start of the campaign after recovering from a metatarsal injury suffered during pre-season, while Robin van Persie was only named among the substitutes.

Jonny Evans was one of five holdovers from Saturday's victory over the Gunners, but his misjudgement of Douglao's over-hit pass allowed Eder an early chance, the striker sneaking in behind the defence only to see his low effort flash across the face of goal.

More hesitant defending, this time from Smalling, then enabled Ruben Micael to run at United's backline and fire just wide from the edge of the box. With the English giants very much on the back foot, Braga were unfortunate not to take the lead midway through the first half as Eder's diving header cannoned back off the foot of the post.

Alan, who scored twice against United in a 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford a fortnight ago, then forced a smart low save from David de Gea. However, United's resistance was broken four minutes after half-time as Braga were awarded a penalty after Evans blocked off Custodio just inside the box.

Alan stepped up and duly converted for his fourth goal of the group phase. But the game was interrupted only a few minutes later as a generator broke down, leaving the stadium shrouded in darkness and the players ordered back to the changing rooms.

With power restored roughly ten minutes later, play resumed and only a sprawling save from De Gea kept out Nuno Andre Coelho's free-kick.

Braga, winners of their past four ties against English opposition on home soil without conceding a goal in that time, had been relatively untroubled for most of the evening but the introduction of Van Persie for Danny Welbeck proved to be a tactical masterstroke by Ferguson.

The Dutchman capitalised on a rash decision from Beto as he rushed off his line only to be left stranded as Van Persie clipped the ball over the Braga goalkeeper to draw United level with ten minutes remaining.

The visitors then went ahead after Rooney slotted home from the spot after the England striker was felled by Coelho. A late third from Hernandez completed United's turnaround, extending their unbeaten run in Portugal to five matches, leaving Braga to rue their late collapse.

Read More

UEFA Champions League: Valencia hammer BATE 4-2 to stay top

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 8, 2012: Valencia completed the double in UEFA Champions League Group F with a 4-2 win over Belarus outfit BATE Borisov to stay level on points with pacesetters Bayern Munich, who crushed Lille 6-1, the official FIFA website reported.

BATE had made a bright start to the campaign, stunning group favourites Bayern on their way to winning their opening two fixtures. But they then came unstuck at home to Valencia and the Spaniards once again outfoxed them, taking the lead in the 26th minute at the Mestalla Stadium.

Brazilian striker Jonas Goncalves broke the deadlock, firing home on a turn high into the net after controlling a cross from a Tino Costa. Almost straight from the restart, it was 2-0, Roberto Soldado - who scored a hat-trick in the away match - converting from the spot after Denis Polyakov fouled Andres Guardado as the latter burst into the box.

Coach Mauricio Pellegrino has been struggling to conjure coherent league form from his Valencia side this season - they sit mid-table with only four wins from ten games - but this success, following their win in Belarus, should propel them towards the last 16 in Europe.

Former Barcelona midfielder Aleksandr Hleb tried gamely to spark a riposte, but was unable to call on support from the suspended Alexander Pavlov as Valencia tightened their grip on proceedings.

Vitali Rodionov had an early effort wide for Viktor Goncharenko's BATE, but the two goals took the wind out of the visitors' sails as Valencia, finalists in 2000 and 2001, made it 3-0 six minutes after the restart.

Algerian Sofiane Feghouli slammed home after Fernando Gago cut through a tiring defence to find his teammate unmarked. BATE did knuckle down to make a game of it as Renan Bressan converted for 3-1 just two minutes after Feghouli's effort.

And suddenly the Spaniards were sweating when Dmitri Mozolevski, on for Hleb, made it 3-2 in the 83rd minute with a tap-in from Rodianov's pass as Valencia looked to be counting down the clock and cruising.

However, the hosts quickly snapped out of their complacency as Feghouli bagged his second goal of the night with four minutes remaining, cracking home a fierce drive after substitute Ever Banega had found him.

Read More

UEFA Champions League: Yilmaz hits hat-trick as Galatasaray stay alive

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 8, 2012: Burak Yilmaz grabbed a hat-trick as Galatasaray kept their hopes of reaching the UEFA Champions League knockout stages alive with a fine 3-1 win at CFR Cluj, the official FIFA website reported.

The Turkish side went into the game without a win in the competition so far and knowing only victory would realistically be enough to give them hope of going through behind group winners Manchester United.

And the visitors were immediately on the offensive with Emre Colak coming close in the sixth minute with a shot from 12 yards which flashed just wide of the Romanian goal.

Yilmaz opened his account in the 18th minute when Selcuk Inan played a lofted through ball and the striker connected to head the opener into the top corner of the net.

Luis Alberto had the first real chance for Cluj in the 23rd minute when he brought a save out of Galatasaray keeper Fernando Muslera, then Modou Sougou shot wide as the home side threatened.

Cluj came close again at the start of the second half as Sasa Bjelanovic flashed a header just wide, before Sougou grabbed the equaliser in the 53rd minute after finishing off a pass from Rafael Bastos.

Bastos shot over as Cluj pressed for a second, but against the run of play it was Galatasaray who went back in front when Yilmaz netted his second from close range after a cross from Hamit Altintop was allowed to run all the way across the area by the home defence.

Mario Felguiras had to be alert to prevent Yilmaz netting his third in the 70th minute, but four minutes later it came as the striker slid the ball home from a tight angle to complete his hat-trick.

Bjelanovic came close again for Cluj in the dying seconds, but Galatasaray coasted home for a victory which gives them renewed hope of muscling in on the knockout stages.

Read More

UEFA Champions League: Bayern Munich pound Lille with 6-0 rout

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 8, 2012: Bayern Munich surged to the top of UEFA Champions League Group F with a hammering of pointless Lille. Claudio Pizarro completed his hat-trick in the 33rd minute, by which point Bayern led 5-0 with Bastian Schweinsteiger and Arjen Robben both striking from free-kicks, the official FIFA website reported.

Salomon Kalou pulled one back from long range but substitute Toni Kroos was quick to add his name to the list of scorers as Bayern moved to nine points ahead of their second meeting with fellow pace-setters Valencia.

"Right from the start, we put in a very good performance. It has been a long time since I have scored three goals, so I am very happy," said Pizarro.

"They scored with almost every attempt on goal," said Lille captain Rio Mavuba. "We're now out of the competition and it hurts. We fought last year to be here and to produce a performance that is not worthy of the club is really disappointing."

Lille's Franck Beria fired over before Bastian Schweinsteiger opened the floodgates inside five minutes, finding the bottom corner with a free-kick after being fouled by Florent Balmont. Nolan Roux nodded over and Salomon Kalou's header was saved by Manuel Neuer as Lille sought a quick response.

But Pizarro made it 2-0 in the 18th minute when he fired home Franck Ribery's pass from outside the box. Another free-kick brought Bayern's third goal, Schweinsteiger fouled once again and Arjen Robben this time stepping up to extend the lead.

Roux threatened twice before his side fell still further behind, Pizarro sweeping home Philipp Lahm's right-wing cross. And the Peruvian international was on the scoresheet again five minutes later, heading home another Lahm delivery to complete his treble.

Neuer saved from Roux and Balmont before Robben threatened a sixth goal at the other end, but his lob was parried away by Mickael Landreau. Marko Basa blocked Ribery's drive and Dante repelled Payet's curler as half-time arrived with no addition to the already extravagant scoreline.

After a quiet opening to the second period, Lille pulled a goal back out of the blue when Kalou let fly from 30 yards and found the top corner of Neuer's net. Jerome Boateng's block denied Roux a second and Bayern quickly extended their lead as Kroos, who had only been introduced on the hour mark, scored in the 66th minute from Lahm's cut-back.

Bayern were not finished and Basa blocked Robben's angled drive before Landreau saved from Xherdan Shaqiri. Landreau produced a double-save to keep out Anatoliy Tymoschuk's long-range drive and Robben's follow-up before Kroos twice went close in a stoppage-time period that also saw Dante block the busy Roux's drive.

Bayern's 2-0 win over Valencia in September means Bayern top the group ahead of their rematch in two weeks' time.

Read More

Moses saves the day for Chelsea in UEFA Champions League

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 8, 2012: Victor Moses came off the bench to score an incredible last-gasp winner tonight as Chelsea somehow survived a Shakhtar Donetsk onslaught to keep their UEFA Champions League fate in their own hands, the official FIFA website reported.

The Blues were in danger of being the first holders to crash out of the competition before Christmas as former target Willian twice cancelled out almighty howlers from goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov which gifted goals to Fernando Torres and Oscar, the latter's fourth in as many Champions League games. But late substitute Moses nodded home Mata's 94th minute corner to steal a barely-believable victory that put Chelsea level on points with their opponents at the top of Group E with two games remaining.

"We've got a crucial three points. It was crucial for us to win this tough home game," Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo told Sky Sports. "They are a very good side. Now it's probably going to go down to the last kick of the last game in this group. The spirit that my group showed again to keep going to the end - we knew we had to score at the end, and we did so."

Di Matteo refused to shy away from the importance of tonight's game from the moment the final whistle went in the reverse fixture - which Chelsea lost two weeks ago - branding it must-win. As if to drive home the point to his players, the following fortnight saw him dub the match Chelsea's biggest since the May's final and claim his side needed to produce a "perfect" performance to succeed.

That made his decision to leave John Terry on the bench - albeit for match-fitness reasons - a massive gamble, with the holders having shipped ten goals in the four games their captain had missed during his domestic ban. The Blues were also without Ashley Cole against a team who had not lost for almost 12 months and had won an astonishing 19 of their 20 matches this term.

That included the reverse fixture, in which Shakhtar never looked back after racing into an early lead. But they saw the tables turned tonight thanks to Pyatov, whose attempted clearance from Yaroslav Rakitskiy's backpass was closed down by Torres and careered into the net.

The visitors should have equalised when Luiz Adriano produced an airshot but they were level in the ninth minute when Willian fired home Fernandinho's cutback after a crucial slip by Ryan Bertrand. Cole's understudy, playing his biggest match since the Champions League final, was having an absolute nightmare, making a succession of basic errors that threatened to cost Chelsea.

Petr Cech prevented him diverting a corner into his own net before making an acrobatic save from Fernandinho's long-ranger. At least Torres was looking more interested than he had in the defeat in Donetsk. He twice went close to nodding in brilliant Branislav Ivanovic crosses but, otherwise, Shakhtar were in complete control, popping the ball about as if they were the home side.

A breathtaking one-touch move almost saw them take the lead in the 32nd minute when Alex Teixeira shaved the post from 18 yards. Chelsea fans began calling for Terry but they were soon celebrating their side going ahead completely against the run of play thanks to the madness of Pyatov and genius of Oscar.

Pyatov came charging out to head Juan Mata's harmless 40th-minute cross clear but the ball fell straight to Oscar, who produced a sublime 40-yard half-volley that sailed over the goalkeeper and into the net. Eden Hazard also forced a good fingertip save from the beleaguered stopper before a frenetic half was out.

Stung by the injustice of being behind, Shakhtar took less than two minutes to equalise again after the restart with another stunning move, Fernandinho's defence-splitting pass and Darijo Srna's cross allowing Willian to stroke home.

Cech got away with a Pyatov-like clearance and Razvan Rat's first-time half-volley clattered the post from 25 yards out before Torres wasted a great chance to turn in Hazard's free-kick after Teixeira was booked for tripping the Belgian. Pyatov almost gifted Oscar another clearance and Tomas Hubschman brought down Torres for a free-kick which John Obi Mikel powered home from Mata's cross. But the midfielder was rightly denied his first goal for five years by an offside flag.

Chelsea, who were now on top, had genuine cause for complaint 16 minutes from time when a flying Ramires was convinced he had been bundled over in the box by Srna but referee Carlos Velasco Carballo was unmoved. Teixeira was replaced by Ilsinho before Oscar was denied by a desperate Rat tackle and Mikel volleyed Pyatov's punch narrowly wide.

Moses came on for Oscar and Willian cleared Gary Cahill's dangerous header as Chelsea poured forward but they were almost caught out on the break, leading Luiz was booking late on and nearly a winner for Henrik Mkhitaryan. But in the 94th minute, Chelsea won a corner which an unmarked Moses nodded in seconds before the final whistle.

"We dominated the match and had lots of opportunities to score, and I think we were better than Chelsea," said Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu. "It was a pity that in the last minutes we went forward to score the third goal, because we left some spaces behind and we made a big mistake."

Read More

Juventus devastate FC Nordsjaelland 4-0 in UEFA Champions League

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 8, 2012: Juventus registered their first UEFA Champions League win of the season after a comfortable 4-0 victory over FC Nordsjaelland, the official FIFA website reported.

First-half strikes from Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal and Sebastian Giovinco, plus a second-half header from Fabio Quagliarella were enough to see off the Norwegian champions as the Italians finally tasted victory after three successive draws.

For the hosts, Mauricio Isla came in for Stephan Lichtsteiner who was injured in their 3-1 loss to Inter at the weekend, while Alessandro Matri replaced Mirko Vucinic. The visitors made two changes from the team who won 2-1 at Sonderjyske, with Soren Christensen and Morten Nordstrand making way for Andreas Laudrup and Nicolai Stokholm.

After Chelsea's late win over Shakhtar Donetsk left the defending champions in second place one point ahead of the Italians, assistant Juve coach Angelo Alessio admitted his side's clash at home to the English side will be crucial.

"We must beat Chelsea at home in the next game if we are to earn our place in the next round," Alessio told Sky Sport. "We wanted to go out there with the right degree of intensity and the lads got it right for this type of performance."

Marchisio admitted Juventus's defeat to Inter had put the fire back in Juve's bellies. "After our defeat to Inter there was a lot of talk, but someone forgot to mention we hadn't been beat for over a year," said the Italian. "We could have suffered a psychological blow, but we didn't let that happen."

Juventus were thankful for a Vucinic strike nine minutes from time to spare the Serie A champion's blushes when the two teams met a fortnight ago. However, it took them just six minutes to get on the scoresheet this night as Isla's low cross from the right was converted by Marchisio from six yards out.

And they were two up after 23 minutes as Vidal capitalised on hesitant Nordsjaelland defending to slide in and divert the ball past Jesper Hansen. The home side then almost grabbed a third just three minutes later as Andrea Pirlo's corner was headed onto the crossbar from six yards out by Matri.

The visitors were struggling and needed a fine save from Hansen just after the half-hour mark, with the stopper tipping Marchisio's shot from the edge of the area round the post. Juve made it 3-0 ten minutes before the break as Sebastian Giovinco curled an effort from just inside the box into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

The visitors did not manage a shot on goal during the opening 45 minutes and 20 minutes into the second half forced Gigi Buffon into action for the first time, with the Italian No1 parrying Patrick Mtiliga's 25-yard effort.

Juventus rounded off the win in the 75th minute through substitute Quagliarella.

Read More

UEFA Champions League: Cardozo hits brace to revive Benfica hopes

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 8, 2012: The crossbar denied Oscar Cardozo a hat-trick but he did enough to keep Benfica alive in Group G of the UEFA Champions League with victory over ten-man Spartak Moscow, the official FIFA website reported.

Cardozo scored twice in the second half and then saw his penalty rattle the bar after Nicolas Pareja had been sent off for bringing him down in the area.

But while there was no matchball for Cardozo, there were three vital points for Benfica to move them off the bottom of the group, even if their chances of sneaking into the knockout stages were hugely complicated by Celtic's shock defeat of Barcelona.

Spartak enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, but Diniyar Bilyaletdinov's shot was blocked by goalkeeper Artur Moraes and Kim Kallstrom sent an ambitious volley over the bar. Benfica finally began to find their rhythm after 20 minutes and created a series of openings.

Rodrigo Moreno's shot was blocked before Eduardo Salvio spurned a better chance, shooting wide on the follow-up after Artem Rebrov could only parry Rodrigo Lima's effort. Enzo Perez then blazed wide from the edge of the area.

A free-kick from Salvio picked out the head of Jardel Vieira but his effort went wide. Moreno also headed wide and Benfica's frustration continued to grow as Salvio failed to keep a volleyed shot down and Moreno's free-kick curled wide.

The hosts continued to pile on the pressure after the break, but their finishing did not immediately improve as Salvio's 25-yard effort went over and Lima also shot wide. Spartak briefly threatened again, with Bilyaletdinov's powerful effort parried by Moraes, who then held another shot from Dmitri Kombarov.

The breakthrough came moments later, but it was for Benfica. Lorenzo Melgarejo crossed from the left and Cardozo was there to apply the finish from close range. From ten on they only threatened to add to the lead.

John Ola tried his luck with a driven shot from 25 yards that fizzed wide while Andre Almeida's effort from similar range went over. Lima also shot over and Cardozo could not keep his header down from a 65th minute corner, but the second was coming. It arrived in the 69th minute, Ola's cross finding Cardozo for a left-footed volley into the roof of the net.

Artem Dzjuba sought a response for Spartak but Moraes dealt with his shot comfortably and then the Russian cause grew significantly more difficult as Pareja hauled down Cardozo inside the area, conceding a penalty and receiving his marching orders. Cardozo went for power with the penalty, but was denied a hat-trick as it cracked off the crossbar.

The striker then fired wide from inside the area as the match moved into the final ten minutes. Enzo Perez sent another shot wide while at the other end, Zhano Ananidze could not get enough curl on his shot to find the target and Benfica cruised home.

Read More

FC Porto enter knockout stage of UEFA Champions League

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 7, 2012: Porto lost their 100 per cent record, but they booked their place in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League after a goalless Group A draw against Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine, FIFA’s official website reported.

Porto's point takes them to ten points in the section and guarantees their progress after a game of few clear-cut chances which leaves the hosts with little chance of progressing.

Porto's confidence was not too evident in the cagey opening exchanges, with Kiev pressing forward and forcing a free-kick within the first minute which was comfortably cleared by Nicolas Otamendi.

Porto had their first chance in the ninth minute when Yevhen Khacheridi's foul on James Rodriguez led to a Joao Moutinho free-kick which was headed on by Abdoulaye Ba and blocked in the box.

In a first half of few clear-cut chances, Porto almost grabbed the lead in the 35th minute when Maksym Koval tipped a Jackson Martinez header round the post after a pin-point cross by Rodriguez.

Taye Taiwo fired wide for the hosts two minutes later, but Porto were beginning to look more dangerous and Koval was forced into action again in the 38th minute when he saved a volley from Danilo.

Silvestre Varela had the first chance of the second half for Porto with a left-foot shot from the edge of the area in the 50th minute, which flashed wide of Koval's goal.

Porto keeper Helton was then forced into action as he saved a shot from Andriy Yarmolenko, and as the game belatedly sprang into life, Koval caught an effort from Danilo at the other end.

Koval then denied Rodriguez and from the resulting counter-attack Artem Milevskiy hit a shot from 18 yards which was well saved by Helton.

Ognjen Vukojevic fired over from long-range for the hosts, then a free-kick from the dangerous Moutinho flashed wide and moments later a Rodriguez shot in the box was blocked by Taiwo.

Brown Ideye should have done better with a 72nd minute header which sailed over Da Silva's bar, and Porto's Lucho Gonzalez was not far away with a 25-yard drive which tested Koval at the other end.

Read More

UEFA Champions League: Pato helps Milan stay in the hunt

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 7, 2012: Alexandre Pato denied Malaga the chance to seal progression to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League at the San Siro tonight, as the Brazilian striker kept i Rossoneri within touching distance of qualification, FIFA’s official website reported.

Malaga's perfect debut season on Europe's biggest stage looked set to continue unchecked as Eliseu's first-half goal put the Spaniards on the verge of wrapping up top spot in Group C. But Pato capitalised on fine work from Kevin Constant to register his first Milan goal since December last year - spoiling Malaga's clean sheet in the competition - to book second place ahead of Anderlecht, who are one point behind the Serie A giants.

Milan suffered an early setback as Ignazio Abate pulled up injured after just six minutes, young full-back Mattia De Sciglio his replacement. Both sides prodded and poked in the early exchanges, Eliseu failing to properly work Milan keeper Christian Abbiati with a tame shot, before Constant tested Willy Caballero at the other end.

But Milan soon turned up the heat, Bojan Krkic thundering into the box to force a fine save from Caballero and Stephan El Shaarawy seeing his dangerous effort deflected behind. Urby Emanuelson had Caballero at full stretch with a wickedly swerving free-kick after Martin Demichelis' foul on Pato, as Massimiliano Allegri's men exerted their authority.

Indeed, box-to-box man Riccardo Montolivo confidently defused Malaga's intricate build-up play, but Nigel De Jong's less-cultured approach in the 33rd minute earned him the first booking of the evening.

I Rossoneri would pay dearly for a rare moment of ill-discipline, with Isco ensuring the Spanish side made the most of it. The 20-year-old midfielder weaved through the home side's backline to supply a perfectly-weighted ball for Eliseu, the Portuguese swerving Constant's challenge to beat Abbiati with his right foot.

Milan had been caught cold and Emanuelson's wayward drive over the crossbar was certainly not the clinical response the Italians required before the break. The Dutchman did warm Caballero's palms with a more accurate strike as play resumed, courtesy of Bojan's cool pass, but El Shaarawy's shot on the turn left much to be desired.

Nerves were frayed on both sides, though, and Emanuelson almost capitalised on a moment of confusion between Caballero and Demichelis. Kevin-Prince Boateng emerged for the unusually ineffective El Shaarawy shortly after the hour mark, and the ex-Tottenham man introduced himself with an ambitious shot from distance.

Malaga substitute Roque Santa Cruz's first contribution was more impressive, Abbiati tested with a daisycutter, before the Milanese faithful finally were given an equaliser. In the 73rd minute, Pato wriggled free in the box to meet Constant's left-wing cross and head home his first goal of the season.

Boateng lacked the precision to put Milan ahead moments later, but still the hosts poured forward, and it needed a firm block from Demichelis to deny Montolivo the killer blow.

Read More

UEFA Champions League: Ozil rescues Real Madird at home

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 7, 2012: Mesut Ozil saved Madrid with a brilliant late free-kick to earn a UEFA Champions League point in an entertaining 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund in the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, FIFA’s official website reported.

Borussia were ahead until the 89th minutes thanks to a Marco Reus strike and an Alvaro Arbeloa own-goal in the first period. Pepe had earlier levelled for the home side.

The result means, with two games remaining, the Germans still lead Group D with 8 points, one more than Madrid, with Ajax three points behind after a 2-2 draw away at Manchester City. It could have been worse for Madrid as it seemed for long periods the Germans would repeat the 2-1 result from the first game between the sides a fortnight ago in Dortmund.

"In the first-half we were not good and our crowd told us so, but we were better in the second," said Real coach Jose Mourinho. "I am not unhappy with the draw, but yes with not winning when we scored 3 goals, because (Jose) Callejon should have had a goal allowed."

Borussia's coach Jurgen Klopp was happy with the result. "We are still top so a draw was a good result for us." he said. "If we had won I think we would have deserved it, I'm proud of our performance but a little sad as we were so close to direct qualification."

For Madrid, Luka Modric was chosen to partner Xabi Alonso in the centre of midfield with Raphael Varane again called upon into the centre of defence to allow Sergio Ramos to cover at right-back.

Borussia captain Sebastian Kehl was able to play with a protective mask, despite picking up a facial injury on Saturday against Stuttgart.

The German keeper Roman Weidenfaller had to be quick of his line on two minutes to deny Higuain after Angel Di Maria had played a long through ball. However, backed by around 10,000 noisy travelling fans, the Germans settled quickly into the game.

First Lewandowski burst down the left on four minutes and fired over a dangerous cross that had to be expertly dealt with by Madrid's defence Then, on ten minutes, Iker Casillas was quick to stop a Marcel Schmelzer effort with his feet and Lewandowski fired over the rebound. Next it was Kevin Grosskreutz's turn to test Casillas after a quick counter-attack and mazy run down the left from Gotze.

Cristiano Ronaldo should have done better when heading wide an Higuain cross from a good position on 22 minutes, but it was a sign of life from the home team and it lifted their support.

Both sides were now jostling for control of midfield and the opening goal, that eventually fell to the Germans on 28 minutes. Right-back Lukasz Piszczek was deep in his own half when he played a searching ball that Lewandowski headed into the path of Reus, who powerfully volleyed home with his first touch.

The Germans seemed momentarily on top and comfortable until Pepe powered home a Mesut Ozil cross with his head on 34 minutes.

Borussia regained the lead right at the death of an exciting half. Lewandowski was again prominent, heading a long ball from Weidenfeller into the path of Grosskreutz, who burst into the area and laid on a pass for Gotze, who bundled the ball past Casillas. A desperate lunge from Madrid defender Arbeloa provided the decisive touch, but it was a well-worked goal from the Germans.

Jose Mourinho looked for a reaction from his side, making two changes at the interval by bringing on Jose Callejon and Michael Essien to replace Modric and Gonzalo Higuain.

Immediately, Callejon had the ball in the net, but was ruled to be marginally offside before the same player shot just wide on the turn. Callejon again was denied with a block by Weidenfeller on 60 minutes, but as the half went on, the Germans became increasingly comfortable as Madrid's goal opportunities became rare.

Mourinho's last throw of the dice was to introduce Kaka with 13 minutes remaining, and he quickly instigated a move that Ronaldo should have finished. Callejon had a weak shot cleared off the line by Grosskreutz before Ozil's late escape act, a curling a free-kick over the wall and just inside a post, saved Madrid at the last.

Read More