November 29, 2007

Bremen 3 – 2 Real Madrid

Rosenberg 5 , Sanogo 40 , Hunt 58
Robinho 14 , Van Nistelrooy 71

BREMEN, Germany (AFP) – Werder Bremen upset nine-time titleholders Real Madrid 3-2 to leave Champions League Group C too close to call with one match remaining.

Real are still favourites to go through to the knockout round as they still lead the standings despite this loss, level on eight points with Olympiakos, who beat Lazio in Rome.

But Werder Bremen, whose last match next month is away to Olympiakos, put themselves back in contention by moving up to six points with even Lazio, who are away to Real, still in with a mathematical chance of going through.
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Thursday November 29, 2007
Dominic Fifield at Lerkendal Stadium, The Guardian

Rosenborg BK 0-4 Chelsea

07′ 0-1 Drogba
20′ 0-2 Drogba
40′ 0-3 Alex
73′ 0-4 Cole

The Champions League was supposed to have done away with mismatches like this. Chelsea claimed Group B at a canter last night, ripping a floundering Rosenborg side to shreds and ensuring that, when this competition resumes for the knockout phase in the new year, they will be paired with a runner-up rather than a group winner. Avram Grant's conviction that a first European Cup can be secured in Moscow next May remains unswayed.

This was a frighteningly comfortable evening against this season's supposed surprise package. The locals had arrived in this arena braced for temperatures to plummet to around -6C. In the end, they departed just grateful that their side's goal difference had not quite followed suit.
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Thursday November 29, 2007
Kevin McCarra at Anfield, The Guardian

Liverpool 4-1 FC Porto

19′ Torres 1-0
33′ 1-1 Lopez
78′ Torres 2-1
84′ Gerrard (penalty) 3-1
87′ Crouch 4-1

It has the air of a handsome victory, yet there were ugly interludes. Much of that will be forgotten now that the overall appearance of Group A is somewhat more comely. Nonetheless it can only look bewitching if Liverpool now go on to win in Marseille on December 11. With a draw, the French club would enjoy a superior head-to-head record.

A draw in France might just suffice so long as Besiktas, conquerors of Marseille yesterday, pull off a virtually inconceivable victory in Portugal. That would see the Turks, outlandishly, winning the group. The fate of the remaining three clubs would be settled by drawing up a mini-table of their fixtures against one another. Liverpool would prevail on goal difference.
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November 27, 2007

Lyon 2 – 2 Barcelona

Juninho 7 , 80(pen) Iniesta 3 , Messi 58(pen)

LYON, France (AFP) – Barcelona secured qualification for the knockout phase of the Champions League Tuesday as group E winners after French champions Lyon twice came from behind to level 2-2 with the Spanish giants.

A goal for each team inside the first seven minutes set the tone for a high-tempo match which also featured two second-half penalties for either side.

Barcelona's fourth win in five matches was enough for them to achieve their aim of finishing top of group E ahead of their final match against Stuttgart.
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by Phil Minshull
November 27, 2007

Seville 3-1 Arsenal

11′ 0-1 Da Silva
24′ Keita 1-1
34′ Luis Fabiano 2-1
89′ Kanoute (penalty) 3-1

SEVILLE, Spain (AFP) – Sevilla gained revenge for their humiliating 3-0 defeat by Arsenal in the opening game of this season's Champions League when they turned the tables with a 3-1 win here on Tuesday.

First half goals by Seydou Keita and Luis Fabiano, followed by a late penalty by Fredi Kanoute, put them on top of Group H after an early strike by Arsenal's Eduardo Da Silva had put the London side in front.

Sevilla now have 12 points from their five games, with first place in their group vitally important to keep them away from European giants and former winners like Manchester United and AC Milan in the draw for the last 16.
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November 27, 2007

Stuttgart 3-2 Rangers

27′ 0-1 Adam
45′ Cacau 1-1
62′ Pardo 2-1
70′ 2-2 Ferguson
85′ Marica 3-2

STUTTGART, Germany (AFP) – Rangers lost 3-2 to battling VfB Stuttgart here on Tuesday but can still reach the Champions League knockout phase if they draw with Lyon in their final group game.

With Lyon drawing with Group E leaders Barcelona, the Scottish side can hold on to the second spot and qualify if they avoid defeat at home on December 12.

Ciprian Marica gave Stuttgart their first victory and their first points of the tournament with his 85th minute winner, poking in Ludovic Magnin's cross to settle a pulsating match at a damp Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium.
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Steve Griffiths, November 27, 2007

Manchester United 2-1 Sporting Lisbon

21′ Abel 0-1
61′ Tevez 1-1
90′ Ronaldo 2-1

MANCHESTER, England (AFP) – Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo hit a stoppage-time stunner that clinched a 2-1 win over Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday and ensured his side will finish top of Champions League Group F.

United trailed after Tomasz Kuszczak misjudged Abel's long range strike but Carlos Tevez came off the bench to equalise and Ronaldo stole the points at Old Trafford with a superb free-kick.

Sir Alex Ferguson's under-strength team rarely hit peak form against a determined Sporting team, but they can now afford to take it easy in their final match at Roma on December 12.
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11/25/2007

(Reuters) – World Cup preliminary draw for Asia (four nations qualify for finals, one goes into an inter-confederation playoff):

Group 1 Australia, China, Iraq, Qatar

Group 2 Japan, Bahrain, Oman, Thailand

Group 3 South Korea, North Korea, Jordan, Turkmenistan

Group 4 Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Lebanon, Singapore

Group 5 Iran, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Syria

Five group winners and five runners-up go through to final qualifying stage where they will be drawn in two groups of five. The two winners and two runners-up of these groups qualify for the finals. The two third-placed teams play off against each other for the right to play the winner of the Oceania qualifying tournament for a place in the finals.

FIFA.com
Sunday, November 25 2007

The name Ali Daei rings out proudly in Asian football circles, especially so in the former striker's native Iran. With 109 goals to his name in just 148 appearances for Team Melli (as Iran is nicknamed), he is far-and-away the top scorer in the history of international football and is unlikely to be caught out any time soon.

Now coach of Iranian club side Saipa FC, Daei – regarded as the best Persian player in history and one of Asia's true greats – is in Durban, South Africa as one of the honorary ball-pickers for the Preliminary Draw for the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010. The first Asian player ever to line up for German giants Bayern Munich is hoping intently to bring a bit of luck to his beloved national team when the ceremony rolls on Sunday.
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11/25/2007
Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Javad Nekounam has been given a huge boost as he battles back from injury by being handed an contract extension at Osasuna that will keep him at the club until 2011.

The Iranian international's previous deal expired at the end of the current season and he feared that he would not have long to earn a new one.

During pre-season training Nekounam ruptured his anterior curciate ligament in his right knee and undewent surgery in Germany to repair the damage.
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