Champions League action resumes with drama
Real Madrid ground out a 2-0 victory at Wisla Krakow and Man-chester United needed an own goal to scrape a 2-1 win at Dinamo Bucharest in Champions League third qualifying round first leg matches on Wednesday.
There was frustration for two other favorites bidding for a place in the lucrative group phase when Inter Milan drew 1-1 in Basel and last season's semifinalists Deportivo Coruna were held to a shock 0-0 draw by Shelbourne in Dublin.
There were no such problems for last season's finalists Monaco, who trounced Nova Gorica of Slovenia 3-0 with 10 men, or Bayer Leverkusen who thrashed Banik Ostrava 5-0, while 1991 champions Red Star Belgrade edged PSV Eindhoven 3-2 at home.
Real Madrid 2 Wisla Krakow 0
Fernando Morientes grabbed a late double to give Real Madrid a workmanlike 2-0 win over Wisla Krakow in the first leg of their third round Champions League qualifier on Wednesday.
Morientes, returning to competitive action for the club after last season's loan spell at Monaco, struck when David Beckham sent in a well-weighted cross in the 72nd minute.
He added a second on the stroke of full-time, converting a cross from Roberto Carlos to take Real into the home leg of the tie with a comfortable advantage.
Morientes started on the bench but his introduction after 68 minutes for playmaker Zinedine Zidane seemed to pour cold water on media speculation that Real were ready to let him go in part exchange for Liverpool striker Michael Owen.
New Real coach Jose Antonio Camacho confirmed as much after the match, saying: "There are no plans relating to Morientes leaving the club." Regarding a move for Owen, he added cryptically: "I've heard that the decisions have been made."
Until Morientes came on Real had looked sluggish and only threatened in spells against a Krakow team desperate to be the first Poles to reach the group stage since Widzew Lodz in 1998.
Real's best chances came in the first five minutes when Brazil's Roberto Carlos hit a close-range shot straight at Krakow goalkeeper Radoslaw Majdan and Raul was inches from reaching a Luis Figo cross at the far post.
Zidane and Ronaldo also fluffed chances in the box later in the first half, with Wisla's response limited to a scrambled half-chance for Nigerian international Kalu Uche.
The Poles did better in the second half with a stinging 20m drive from Argentine Mauro Cantoro and a mazy run and shot from Poland striker Maciej Zurawski the closest they came to scoring from a series of openings.
Man U 2 Dinamo Bucharest 1
United, missing seven first-team players through injury, suspension and Olympic duty, made a nightmare start when Dinamo striker Ionel Danciulescu's angled shot was turned into the net by South African defender Quinton Fortune after 10 minutes.
Ryan Giggs settled the FA Cup holders' nerves in the 38th minute of the first leg tie, collecting a superb defense-splitting pass from Paul Scholes, rounding the keeper and coolly slotting home.
"Giggs' goal coming from Manchester's single clear opportunity at the end of the first half destroyed my players' morale," Dinamo Bucharest coach Ioan Andone said.
"But this is the mark of a great team -- converting few opportunities into goals. Manchester deserved the victory because of their excellent organization."
United's new striker Alan Smith hit the post just after the break but the pressure finally paid off when United substitute Liam Miller crossed from the right and Dinamo defender Angelo Alistar knocked the ball into his own net.
RSS