27 September 2011
NAPOLI 2 (Hamsik 15, Cavani 17 Pen)
VILLARREAL 0
Sweet revenge for Napoli over the team that dumped them out of last year's UEFA Cup. Zapata's untimely slip gifted Hamsik the opener and Lavezzi made the most of a stupid Rodriguez challenge to win the penalty.
Attendance : 55,000
Assists : Lavezzi, Lavezzi (won pen)
BAYERN MUNICH 2 (Gomez 38, Gomez 46)
MANCHESTER CITY 0
Two uncharacteristic mistakes by Joe Hart, though he wasn't helped by static defending, were punished by Mario Gomez in an otherwise disappointing clash.
Attendance : 65,000
Assists : n/a, n/a
CSKA MOSCOW 2 (Dzagoev 49 fk, Vagner Love 77)
INTER 3 (Lucio 6, Pazzini 23, Zarate 79)
Gabulov ran into traffic when trying to punch clear a Ricky Alvarez corner and Lucio scored via a deflection. Nagatomo skinned giant defender Berezutski before centring for Pazzini to put Inter two goals up. The fantastically gifted Dzagoev, still only 21, scored with a brilliant free kick deep into first half injury time. Vagner Love checked inside Zanetti and Lucio before crashing a low drive past Julio Cesar but gave away the ball the lead to the winner though it appeared as if Zarate handled before firing past Gabulov.
Attendance : 22,000
Assists : n/a, Nagatomo, Oliseh (won fk), Aldonin, Cambiasso
TRABZONSPOR 1 (Colman 75 Pen)
LILLE 1 (Sow 30)
Hazard shredded the Trabzonspor defence with a fantastic ball inside centre back Cech and as Zengin came off his line Sow beat him from a tight angle. Debuchy punched out a cross to concede the penalty.
Attendance : 23,000
Assists : Hazard, n/a
MANCHESTER UNITED 3 (Wellbeck 16, Wellbeck 17, Young 90)
BASEL 3 (F Frei 58, A Frei 60, Frei 76 Pen)
Giggs laid off a Raphael centre and Welbeck's shot bobbled into the corner. He side footed in the second from a wonderfully weighted Giggs pass. Fabian Frei lashed home on the rebound after De Gea fumbled a corner. Namesake Alexander met a Xhaka (who was carelessly left by Evra) cross with a bullet header to score a deserved equaliser - Basel had more shots than the home side at that point. Streller picked the pocket of Valencia on the edge of the United box and didn't need an invitation to go to ground as the midfielder tried to make amends for his mistake. De Gea was beaten for a third time before Young sparred United's blushes (though Ferguson was of course still left red faced) when he headed in a Nani cross.
Needless to say both defences were horrendous. For all of United's goals in the EPL in Europe Giggs remains their standout player and I don't fancy the chances of any team when so much rests on a 37 year old that is shot after 60 minutes.
Attendance : 73,115
Assists : Giggs, Giggs, n/a, Xhaka, Strellar (won pen), Nani
OTELUL GALATI 0
BENFICA 1 (Bruno Cesar 40)
Attendance : 10,000
Assist : Gaitan
REAL MADRID 3 (Cristiano Ronaldo 25, Kaka' 41, Benzema 49)
AJAX 0
Ronaldo started and finished a counter attack with an emphatic finish from a Benzema cut back. He laid on the second for Kaka', the Brazilian finishing with a typically crisp shot into the bottom corner and then laid on the third for Benzema.
Attendance : 78,000
Assists : Benzema, Ronaldo, Kaka'
LYON 2 (Gomis 23, Kone 42)
DINAMO ZAGREB 0
Gomis punished a hospital pass with a glorious lob over the head of Dinamo 'keeper Kelava. Kone poked in the second from a corner.
Attendance : 35,101
Assists : n/a, Grenier (ck)