Print

Mail

wiki links

Real Madrid and AC Milan start campaigns with wins

European legends Real Madrid and AC Milan kicked off their 2007-2008 Champions League campaigns with victories while top English clubs Chelsea and Liverpool had to toil for draws.

AC Milan's 2-1 defeat of Benfica at the San Siro meant they started their title defense on a high while Raul and Ruud van Nistelrooy both found the net in Real's 2-1 defeat of Werder Bremen at the Bernebeu.

Last season's finalists Liverpool struggled in their 1-1 draw at Porto, the 2004 champions, while Chelsea's 1-1 draw at home to Norwegians Rosenborg was only gained with an equalizer from Andriy Shevchenko on a frustrating night for English clubs.

Finland center-half Miika Koppinen flicked in a free-kick cross in the 24th minute for Rosenborg but Shevchenko equalized for Chelsea with a header 53 minutes in, his 56th Champions League goal in 90 appearances.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho summed up their tough night saying: "I am very disappointed. We had 20 chances and scored just one goal. Perhaps to score two goals, we will need 40 chances and for three, 60. And of those 20 chances, 15 of those were not even on target."

"I am worried about our form. I'm not happy. We can't score and I'm not getting good news from the medical staff. The drama for me is that in three matches we have scored one goal," he said. "[Frank] Lampard and [Didier] Drogba are not always available and we are suffering from their absences."

First half goals from Andrea Pirlo and Italian veteran Filippo Inzaghi were enough to put AC Milan top of Group D on this opening night of pool matches.

Substitute Nuno Gomes earned Benfica a consolation goal in the second minute of injury time.

Milan may have won only one of their three matches in the Serie A this season but they did not show any weaknesses in their opening match in European competition.

No team has ever won consecutive titles since the European Cup became the Champions League in the early 90s but Milan have a great deal of pedigree at their disposal in their attempt to repeat the triumph.

"It was the type of performance I would always want from my team. It was great. We played well, created chances and the victory was quickly achieved," AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said afterwards.

On goalscorer Pirlo, Ancelotti said: "His goal, his setting up the other goal and his touch on the ball was incredible. A player of this type is irreplaceable."

Milan official Adriano Galliani put Milan's victory in context.

"Europe is our natural habitat," he said. "That's what we try to explain to everyone who comes to Milan. We always feel good playing in it. It's the 15th time we have played in the Champions League, and in the 14 previous occasions, we have reached the final eight times [with five victories]. That's fantastic."

Real Madrid went into their opening Group C match against Werder Bremen in what was their 300th European fixture in buoyant form with three wins out of three seeing them topping their domestic league, but without injured duo Pepe and Gabriel Heinze and the suspended Mahamoud Diarra.

Raul headed in van Nistelrooy's low cross from the left side of the penalty area to put Real in front in the 16th minute to put his haul of European goals to 57 and consolidate his position as the tournament's top scorer.

Despite his effort it didn't take Werder long to restore parity, 60 seconds to be precise, when Boubacar Sanogo slipped his marker to latch on to Dusko Tosic's cross from the right and shoot past keeper Iker Casillas from close range.

Van Nistelrooy reached a scoring milestone too when, on 74 minutes, he latched on to Raul's neat throughball to side-foot the ball past the wrong-footed Weise for his 50th Champions League goal.

Dirk Kuyt ensured 10-man Liverpool escaped with a hard-fought point as Rafa Benitez's side started their Champions League campaign with a 1-1 draw at Porto.

Kuyt's clinical header canceled out Lucho Gonzalez's early penalty but the English club had to survive a nervous final half hour at the Dragao Stadium after Jermaine Pennant was sent off for a second booking.

In a milestone of note, Lazio keeper Marco Ballotta became the oldest person to play in the Champions League group stages at 43 years and 168 days in the Italian club's 1-1 draw at Olympiakos.
This story has been viewed 1296 times.