6 December 2006
 
MANCHESTER UNITED 3-1

BENFICA
Vidic 46  

Nelson 27
Giggs 61    
Saha 75    
     
Long term Premiership target Simao took three players with him as he ran into
the box from the left flank, he rolled the ball back to Nelson and from the edge
of the box he blasted a stunning first time shot into the top left corner. Under
the weight of incessant pressure Benfica finally caved when in first half injury
time the impressive Vidic met Giggs's free kick with a bullet header. On the
hour mark United fans were treating to an absolute rarity, a great Ronaldo cross
which Giggs met with a perfectly placed header beyond Quim. Saha completed a
hat-trick of headed goals from a Fletcher corner.

Man United's potential last 16 opponents : Barcelona, Inter, PSV, Roma, Real
Madrid

United better hope for PSV or Roma.

Attendance : 74,955
Assists : Simao, Giggs (fk), Ronaldo, Fletcher (ck)
 
 
COPENHAGEN 3-1

CELTIC
Hutchinson 2  

Jarosik 75
Gronkjaer 27    
Allback 57    
     
It's a good job Celtic didn't need the points given their abysmal away record in
the competition. Canuck Hutchinson headed on a throw-in to Allback, he played
the ball back and Hutchinson ran through half arsed tackles from Gravesen and
Balde before shooting wide of Boruc. Miller blew a one on one against the
'keeper before Gronkjaer volleyed the Danes further in front after Hangeland
headed on a corner. Allback punished more bad defending from a set piece to make
it 3-0. Jarosik, who was at fault for the third goal, scored Celtic's
consolation from a Nakamura free kick.

Celtic's potential last 16 opponents : Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Liverpool,
Valencia, Porto, Milan

Porto and Milan are Celtic's best chance of progressing.

Attendance : 41,500
Assists : Allback, Hangeland, n/a, Nakamura (fk)
 
 
21 November 2006
 
CELTIC 1-0

MAN UNITED
Nakamura 81 (fk)  

 
     
Nakamura broke the deadlock with a magnificent free kick which was simply un-
saveable. Rooney dropped a chipped pass at Saha's feet and as the Celtic defence
stood still waiting for an offside flag that never came he wastefully tried to
lob Boruc but his lame effort was easily saved. A minute from time Maloney
charged out of a Celtic wall in the box and blocked a Ronaldo free kick with his
elbow, penalty. Saha took the spot kick and Boruc made a brilliant save low to
his right earning Celtic a place in the last 16.

United need a point at home to Benfica.

Attendance : 60,632
Assist : Jarosik (won fk)
 
 
BENFICA 3-1

COPENHAGEN
Katsouranis 14  

Allback 89
Miccoli 16, 37    
     
Benfica were rewarded for their early attacks down Copenhagen's right when Leo
exchanged passed with both Miccoli and Simao before Simao ran into the box and
centred for Lucho who immediately pushed the ball back to Leo and his shot took
a double deflection of Gravgaard and Katsouranis. Two minutes later Simao and
Nelson stole the ball from Linderoth on Copenhagen's opposite flank, Nelson
fired the ball into the box, Nuno Gomes immediately passed to Miccoli and he
took one touch before drilling a low shot which caught the inside of a post.
Benfica were tearing the Danes apart with frenzied one and two touch attacks and
could have score a further two goals before Miccoli tapped in a rebound after
Nuno Gomes forced Christiansen into a save. Allback scored a late consolation
goal, a peach of a header.

Benfica need to beat United at Old Trafford in order to qualify for the next
stage. Stranger things have happened.

Attendance : 47,500
Assists : Leo, Nuno Gomes, n/a, Bervgold
 
 
1 November 2006
 
BENFICA 3-0

CELTIC
Caldwell 10 (og)  

 
Gomes 22  

 
Karyaka 76  

 
     
Caldwell gave Benfica the lead when he beat both Nuno Gomes and his own
goalkeeper to Nelson's deep cross. The defender was equally at fault for
Benfica's second. Quim hit a monstrous goalkick upfield and as Caldwell was
watching the ball drop from the skies it smacked him in the face and bounced to
Gomes who controlled on his chest before side footing past Boruc. Nelson
exchanged pass with two players before centring for Karyaka to tap-in a third.

Attendance : 49,000
Assists : n/a, n/a, Nelson
 
 
COPENHAGEN 1-0

MAN UNITED
Allback 73  

 
     
Attendance : 40,000
Assist : Hutchinson
 
 
17 October 2006
 
CELTIC 3-0

BENFICA
Miller 56, 66  

 
Pearson 90  

 
   

 
Miller re-directed Nakamura's wayward shot past the unfortunately named QUIM
then scored a second on a lightening counter attack from a corner. Nakamura
helped a clearance forward to Miller and he his a first time pass out wide to
Maloney, Maloney sidestepped a desperate sliding tackle as he cut infield then
threaded an inch perfect pass through to Miller and he blasted hard and low into
the net. Pearson tapped in the third after Nakamura forced Quim into a save.

Attendance : 58,313
Assists : Nakamura, Maloney, n/a
 
 
MANCHESTER UNITED 3-0

COPENHAGEN
Scholes 39  

 
O'Shea 46    
Richardson 83    
     
The ginger Paul Scholes blasted Saha's lay-off past Christiansen from 20 yards.
O'Shea volleyed in the second from Ronaldo's corner and Christiansen sliced
a speculative, if well struck, shot from Richardson into his own net.

Attendance : 72,020
Assists : Saha, Ronaldo (ck), Scholes
 
 
26 September 2006
 
BENFICA 0-1

MAN UNITED
   

Anderson 60 (og)
   

 
Attendance : 61,000
Assist : n/a
 
 
CELTIC 1-0

COPENHAGEN
Miller 36 (Pen)  

 
     
Attendance : 57,598
Assist : Nakamura (won pen)
 
 
13 September 2006
 
MANCHESTER UNITED 3-2

CELTIC
Saha 30 Pen, 40  

Vennegoor 21
Solskjaer 47  

Nakamura 43 (fk)
   

 
A mistake by Ferdinand let in Vennegoor to give Celtic a shock lead. Boruc launched
 a goalkick downfield Vennegoor backed into Ferdinand, pulled down the ball, turned
 and hit a low shot across goal which Van der Sar probably should have saved. Saha
 got United back on level terms with an absolute gift of a penalty. Speaking of gifts
 when trying to play the ball out of defence Gravesen gave it to Carrick, he passed
 to Scholes and Saha's shot squirmed under the 'keeper. Nakamura equalised with
 a brilliant free kick but Gravesen's treachery continued as once again he gave the
 ball away in his own half this time to Scholes, he played in Saha whose initial effort
 was saved but he knocked the rebound out wide for Solskjaer to tap-in his first
 Champions League goal in like forever.

Attendance : 74,031
Assists : Boruc (gk), Giggs (won pen), Scholes, Jarosik (won fk), Saha
 
 
COPENHAGEN 0-0

BENFICA
   

 
Attendance : 40,000
Assist : n/a
 
R Mehdi