Sport Station: Champions League

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Zabaleta says squad must help Tevez

Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta on Thursday said teammates needed to help Carlos Tevez after his apparent refusal to play in the midweek Champions League loss at Bayern Munich.
City have suspended Tevez pending a full investigation but Zabaleta insisted a hand of friendship had to be extended to his compatriot.

"We need to try to help Carlos," said Zabaleta. "He has been a really important player for us in the last two years but maybe this season he has had more games on the bench.
"Sometimes that is difficult, and more so for strikers, who need to play, need to score, need to feel confidence."

"Everybody always wants to play, maybe it's like that," Zabaleta said in trying to rationalise Tevez's behaviour - though the striker insists the whole incident was a misunderstanding.
"We need to accept that sometimes we are on the bench but we always have to be looking to get into the team," said Zabaleta, who also watched from the sidelines as City went down 2-0.
Fellow Argentine Sergio Aguero, a close friend of Tevez, regretted the falling out between the latter and the club.
"Carlos is a great player but obviously I am not inside his mind, to know his thoughts and opinions."

Lampard not happy with bench duty

Frank Lampard has admitted he was not happy at being left out of the Chelsea side, insisting he needs a run of games to maintain his form.

Lampard almost enjoyed a dream return to the side on Wednesday night when his goal set the Blues on their way to what looked set to be another Champions League victory in Valencia.
The midfielder's performance appeared to vindicate manager Andre Villas-Boas' decision to rotate him in and out of the team and speaking after the 1-1 draw at the Mestalla, Lampard said: "I don't want to just pick my money up and sit on my backside on the bench."
He added: "But you have to respect the manager and respect the team and the quality and the squad that we have.

"It's a big squad and the manager has to do what he sees fit. If he wants to bring young players through at times then I have to go on with that.
"Fortunately enough, I'm at a club that I love and I've got a great history here.
"I want to continue that story on for a good few years, not just now, not just the next few months."

Lampard has previously acknowledged he is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning but he insisted that made him even more determined to play as many matches as possible.
"I've probably been like that for a while," he said.
"I'm a player, I think, who likes to play regularly because I think it helps me get my momentum and stay fit and get confident. Hopefully, now, I can get a run of games. It's down to the manager."

Mancini told striking Tevez: F*** off to Argentina

Furious Roberto Mancini swore at Carlos Tevez after the Manchester City striker refused to play against Bayern Munich.

Mancini is alleged to have told Tevez he could “f***off back to Argentina” after the former City skipper defied his boss by refusing to come off the bench in Tuesday's Champions League group game.

City boss Mancini is also understood to have directed a similar volley of abuse at Edin Dzeko, telling him to “f*** off back to Bosnia,” after he reacted angrily to being subbed in the 2-0 defeat.

Tevez was suspended on Wednesday night for two weeks - the maximum allowed - and banished from the training ground while the club conducts an investigation into why he refused to play.

Mancini said Tevez would never play for City again after his public show of defiance and disloyalty, and the club's owners are backing their boss, having finally lost patience with their capricious striker.

Billionaire owner Sheikh Mansour and his backroom team have taken an extremely dim view of Tevez’s latest act of petulance, with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak understood to have backed Mancini’s hardline stance.

Tevez’s antics over the past year - twice demanding a move from City, as well as bad-mouthing the club and Manchester itself - have exasperated the club’s hierarchy, and their patience finally snapped after Tuesday’s extraordinary episode in Munich.

For his part, Tevez is said to feel “victimised” by Mancini, having been stripped of the captaincy and losing his first-team place to fellow Argentine Sergio Aguero after causing so much turmoil at the club last summer with his repeated demands to leave.

Although terminating the player’s contract would see City jettison a top-class forward worth £40m-50m on the transfer market, there is no mood at the club to indulge such a disruptive influence any longer.

Tevez has released a statement apologising for the incident, the intention of which is clearly damage-limitation.

It read: "There was some confusion on the bench and I believe my position may have been misunderstood. I would like to apologise to all Manchester City fans, with whom I have always had a strong relationship, for any misunderstanding that occurred in Munich.

"They understand that when I am on the pitch I have always given my best for the club. In Munich on Tuesday, I had warmed up and was ready to play. This is not the right time to get into specific details as to why this did not happen.

“But I wish to state that I never refused to play. Going forward, I am ready to play when required and to fulfil my obligations."

Despite Tevez's statement, there is a feeling at City that the point of no return has finally been reached with the 27-year-old.

A sale in January's transfer window, with Tevez training in isolation or with the club’s reserves until then, is the likeliest scenario, as City are happy to cut their losses and take a major hit on a player who has now become more of a liability than an asset.

Brazilian side Corinthians remain keen on Tevez, despite failing with an audacious bid of £35m for the Argentina international last summer.

But with City now desperate to offload him, the forward could be available for a relatively modest fee of around £20m.

CARLOS THE JACKASS: TIMELINE OF HIS TEMPESTUOUS CAREER

Corinthians 2005-06: 47 apps, 31 goals Tevez’s time at Corinthians (celebrating daughter’s birth with dummy after scoring, left) was also fractious and he has previous in refusing to play a match. Despite a fantastic record, he was chastised by fans and the club for failing to turn up for a derby match against Palmeiras in 2006. He also had a training ground fight with team mate Marquinhos the same year

West Ham (Loan) - 2006-07: 29 apps, 7 goals Tevez made a shock move to West Ham, alongside Argentina team-mate Javier Mascherano, in August 2006. Benched at the start of his Upton Park career, he played his way into the starting line up under Alan Curbishley. The Argentine scored some vital goals for the club, including the winner on the last day of the season at Old Trafford (left) to avoid relegation. However, the loan move had been engineered by Kia Joorabchian’s Media Sports Investments and West Ham were found guilty by the Premier League of breaching third party ownership rules over the transfer. The club were fined £5.5m, but the controversy continued as Sheffield United (who were relegated in West Ham’s place) pursued legal action, eventually being awarded up to £20m in 2009.

Manchester United (Loan) 2007-09: 99 apps, 34 goals Having scored against them on the final day of the season, Manchester United signed Tevez on a two-year loan in summer 2007. United were careful not to fall foul of the same ownership regulations as West Ham, delaying completion of the transfer. Joorabchian also took West Ham to court to secure Tevez’s release, paying a £2m settlement to secure the move to United. A productive first season saw him net 19 goals in 48 appearances. However, the signing of Dimitar Berbatov limited his opportunities in 2008-09, and he fell out with Sir Alex Ferguson having been relegated to the bench. Despite his popularity with the club’s fans, Tevez rejected United’s attempts to sign him permanently, for an agreed £25.5m, following his breakdown of relations with the club.

Manchester City (£47m) 2009-present: 84 apps, 52 goals Controversy again surrounded Tevez’s next move as he joined United’s local rivals Manchester City for a reported £47m. A ‘Welcome to Manchester’ banner greeted his arrival as City attempted to goad their neighbours over the coup. Tevez also aimed swipes at his former club, including a public spat with former United team mate Gary Neville during a League Cup match in 2010. His fine performances on the pitch (resulting in 43 league goals in his first two seasons) were often overshadowed by his attitude off it. Signed by Mark Hughes, Tevez’s relations with Hughes’ successor, Roberto Mancini, were often strained. Issues including problems with training, homesickness and a transfer request culminated in a refusal to enter the field of play as a substitute for a Champions League tie with Bayern Munich. Despite Tevez’s denials, Mancini has stated that he will never play for the club again.

Compiled by Callum O’Toole

No regrets for Villas-Boas

Andre Villas-Boas insisted he had no regrets about sending on Salomon Kalou for Frank Lampard in Chelsea's Champions League draw at Valencia, despite the decision backfiring spectacularly.
Villas-Boas' recall of Lampard for the Group E clash was completely justified, with the midfielder scoring what looked set to be the winner at the Mestalla. But the Chelsea's manager's 83rd-minute substitution of his fellow 33-year-old proved disastrous, with replacement Kalou immediately conceding a needless penalty which saw Roberto Soldado make it 1-1.

Villas-Boas rejected suggestions he should have sent on a more defensive-minded player, with his side under pressure at the time and he said: "No, no, no, no. Putting on a striker is nothing to do with being more offensive or putting on a defender sometimes is nothing to do with being more defensive."
He added: "I think it was the right choice bearing in mind what we were looking at, which was the fact that Valencia were coming out on the left side and doing a lot of two against ones against Bosingwa. We controlled the left side.

"The goal doesn't come from that situation. If you bring on a defender, you suffer the goal the same. So it's nothing to do with that in my opinion."
The build-up to the game was dominated by speculation about Lampard's future after his reduced role in recent weeks and Villas-Boas yesterday declared himself fed up of answering questions about the midfielder.
Lampard arguably benefited from his manager's decision to hold him back for the bigger game and Villas-Boas said: "It was a good performance, a good display from a top player, one of the best players in the squad.

"A goal always comes at a good time for Frank. He's been a goalscorer all his life. His abilities are never in doubt and we trust him 100% - like I told you."
Chelsea should have been further than 1-0 ahead before Lampard's substitution as their wastefulness in front of goal returned and Villas-Boas said: "It was a pity. We had very, very good opportunities to reach 2-0 and we just couldn't find the back of the net. It was very, very unlucky.

"The performance was solid and a draw away from home, if it's proposed to you before you take it. So near to a win, it leaves you with a strange feeling but we're in a good position still in the group. We're looking forward to the Genk game - they're going to be difficult games, of course. But if we get six points out of them, we're almost ensured qualification."

Aguero 'sad' as City ban Tevez

Sergio Aguero admits he feels "sad" for fellow countryman Carlos Tevez as Manchester City slapped a two-week ban on the controversial striker.

With Tevez pledging to report for training, in line with a stated aim of "fulfilling the terms of his contract" as outlined in the statement he released yesterday, City chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak acted quickly, confirming the 27-year-old would not be at Carrington this morning.

"Manchester City can confirm that striker Carlos Tevez has been suspended until further notice for a maximum period of two weeks," said a short statement released by City.
"The player's suspension is pending a full review into his alleged conduct during Tuesday evening's 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.

"The player will not be considered for selection or take part in training whilst the review is under way."
Manager Roberto Mancini stated immediately after Tuesday's game that, as far as he was concerned, Tevez is "finished" at City.
He clearly had no wish to see Tevez quite so soon after the South American's apparent refusal to play. It all adds to a sense of unease around City, which even Aguero is not too happy with despite his own recent impressive form.

"Roberto is in charge," he said, before news of Tevez's suspension became known.
"He puts through his opinions and ideas, and obviously makes his decisions. We just have to go with it.
"Carlos is a great player but obviously I am not inside his mind, to know his thoughts and opinions. It does make me sad. But they are two grown men and maybe they will sort it out."

Messi at the double in Barca rout

Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona claimed their second consecutive 5-0 win and three points in UEFA Champions League Group H after outclassing hosts BATE Borisov in Minsk.
Fresh from hitting a hat-trick in his side's Primera Liga win by the same score over Atletico Madrid on Saturday, Messi blasted home in the 38th and 56th minutes to put the game out of sight.

Aliaksandr Volodko's own goal after 19 minutes had set the defending champions on their way and Pedro added a second two minutes later. David Villa completed the scoring in the last minute.
Also in Group H, AC Milan had to work hard to dispatch Viktoria Plzen 2-0 at the San Siro, waiting until the 53rd minute until Zlatan Ibrahimovic finally broke the deadlock from the penalty spot.

Massimiliano Allegri's men, who have struggled to make an impact in Serie A so far with five points from four games, put the points beyond doubt when Antonio Cassano netted the second in the 66th minute.
Bayer Leverkusen proved too strong for Genk in Group C. Lars Bender opened the scoring on the half-hour and former Chelsea man Michael Ballack wrapped up a 2-0 win in injury time.

Meanwhile Marseille served notice of their Champions League intentions with a 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund with two goals for Andre Ayew and one for Loic Remy. Marseille had substitute Jordan Ayew sent off in injury time.

Zenit St Petersburg took advantage of Jorge Fucile's 45th-minute sending-off to beat Porto 3-1 in Group G.
Roman Shirokov cancelled out James Rodriguez's early strike before second half efforts from Shirokov and Danny sealed the points.

Also in Group G, Shakhtar Donetsk shared the points with APOEL in a 1-1 draw in the Ukraine. Ivan Trickovski put the visitors in front before Jadson hit a 64th-minute equaliser.

Valencia 1-1 Chelsea: Match Report

Andre Villas-Boas' recall of Frank Lampard was totally vindicated but the Chelsea manager's decision to substitute him backfired spectacularly as Valencia snatched a 1-1 draw in Wednesday night's Champions League clash at the Mestalla.

Lampard looked to have scored a trademark winner that would have put the visitors in complete command of Group E but Villas-Boas brought him off for Salomon Kalou with seven minutes remaining and the new man immediately conceded a penalty.

Roberto Soldado scored, with Chelsea's frustrations boiling over at the final whistle after what was a missed opportunity.

Arsenal 2-1 Olympiakos: Match Report

Arsenal came through some nervy second-half moments to register their first Champions League Group F victory of the season with a 2-1 win over Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored on his Champions League debut and Andre Santos bagged his first Arsenal goal after 20 minutes, but David Fuster took advantage of the hosts' poor defending to head home and reduce the deficit to one goal just before the half hour.

Vassilis Torossidis rattled the Gunners' bar in the second half and Kevin Mirallas also came close to scoring for the Greeks, but Arsenal hung on to take all three points and they remain in second place in the group ahead of next month's trip to Marseille.
After a positive start by the Greeks, who had lost all of their nine previous European ties in England, with Fuster sidefooting wide, Arsenal went ahead in the eighth minute.

Alex Song, dropped back into central defence because of mounting injury problems, chipped the ball up to the edge of the Olympiacos area, where Oxlade-Chamberlain was onto it like a flash, before making the most of a ricochet off Ivan Marcano to cut inside and then drive a low shot into the bottom right corner.
Arsenal, though, were fortunate not to concede a quick equaliser when Mikel Arteta had to clear Rafik Djebbour's close-range effort off the line.

The Gunners looked to have given themselves some breathing space when Santos doubled their lead on 20 minutes.
The Brazil full-back, signed ahead of the deadline from Fenerbache, burst down the left before crossing to Marouane Chamakh. Jose Holebas made a saving tackle in the six-yard box, but the loose ball fell back to Santos, who turned Ivan Marcano before rolling his shot inside the near post.
It should have been cruise control from then on in for Arsene Wenger's men, but this season, nothing is that simple.

Arsenal failed to defend a short corner, and Ariel Ibagaza pumped the ball back into the penalty area, where Fuster arrived unmarked to plant a header past the stranded Wojciech Szczesny.

Tevez suspended by City

Carlos Tevez has been suspended for two weeks by Manchester City.
The Blues confirmed the news on Wednesday evening following a telephone conference involving senior staff, including chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak. It comes in the wake of Tevez's refusal to play against Bayern Munich on Tuesday and seems certain to be the start of a drawn-out disciplinary process that will end a stormy two-year period with the club.

"Manchester City can confirm that striker Carlos Tevez has been suspended until further notice for a maximum period of two weeks," said a short statement released by City. "The player's suspension is pending a full review into his alleged conduct during Tuesday evening's 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich."
The statement continued: "The player will not be considered for selection or take part in training whilst the review is under way."

Aware of Tevez's intention to report for training in line with his stance of "fulfilling his contractual obligations" as outlined in the statement he released early on Wednesday morning, City felt they needed to act to avoid a media circus at Carrington.
Having already stated his desire for Tevez never to play for the Blues again, manager Roberto Mancini had no wish for the Argentina forward to be around as planning began for Saturday's Premier League trip to Blackburn.

Now City have time to complete a thorough investigation of events at the Allianz Arena, when Mancini claimed the 27-year-old simply refused to play, having been overlooked first for the visitors' starting line-up, then as replacement for Edin Dzeko at the start of the second half. Condemnation of Tevez's refusal to play has been almost universal.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp was amongst the most vocal critics of a player who was a hero at his old club West Ham.

For Tevez, the turmoil is nothing new. And being turned away from a local golf course as it was fully booked merely added to the sense of chaos in a life for which the football pitch has tended to be an oasis. However, City have taken advantage of a planned day off for their first-team squad to give the whole furore some breathing space.

The gap was not used to try and change Mancini's mind. Instead, officials were ensuring any action they take will not be the subject of appeals by Tevez, as prima-face as the evidence appears to be.

Messi equals Kubala record in Barca romp

Lionel Messi became the joint second highest goalscorer in Barcelona’s history as the Spanish side enjoyed a 5-0 win in a mismatch of a Champions League tie against minnows BATE Borisov at Minsk’s Dynamo Stadium.

Messi’s double - one in each half in a desperately one-sided Group H encounter – saw the little Argentina playmaker equal the haul of 194 scored by Hungary’s Laszlo Kubala in the 1950s.
Barca’s all-time club record of 235 is held by Cesar Rodriguez who played for Barca between 1939 and 1955, but Messi will surely overtake that total in the near future if this outing in Belarus is anything to go by.
Pep Guardiola’s side enjoyed 80 per cent of possession in a game that was probably a bad advert for the group stages of Europe’s top competition such was the uneven nature of the contest.
If UEFA president Michel Platini thinks nights like these are good for the competitive element of such a tournament, he needs to lie down in a darkened room.

BATE did all they could to unsettle the Champions League holders – including narrowing the pitch – but were left chasing shadows before a crowd of 41,000 that ended up drooling over the Spanish side’s movement.
Barca never looked back after Aleksandr Volodko flicked Dani Alves’s cross into his own net under pressure from the typically buzzing Messi on 19 minutes.
BATE were still licking their wounds when they conceded for a second time on 22 minutes with Barca now well on the road to a first away win of the season.
This time Pedro was on hand to head home a cross from David Villa for his second goal of the season in the competition.
With Barca simply cutting open the home side like it was a training exercise, it was of minimal surprise to see Barcelona add a third goal of the night on 38 minutes.
Home goalkeeper Alexsandr Gutor opted to bounce the ball into the ground from Pedro’s cross, and Messi displayed razor sharp reflexes to nod into the gaping net for a third goal.
Messi slipped a shot past the post minutes before the break from Villa’s pass as BATE somehow staggered off the pitch only three goals behind.

Messi cracked a majestic shot beyond Gutor with his left foot from inside the home area after being played in by Alves on 55 minutes. The chances kept coming as it became apparent that BATE did not have the class to score their first home goal in the competition against a side such as Barca.
Villa made it 5-0 in the final minute when he slipped the ball through Gutor’s legs after a tiring BATE had needlessly squandered possession in their own half. The home players at least trudged off the pitch in good company: Barca had stuffed Atletico Madrid 5-0 in La Liga on Saturday.
As expected, Barca share top place in Group H with AC Milan on four points after the Italian champions completed a 2-0 win over Viktoria Plzen at the San Siro.

Tevez must never play for City again

Former Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder Stefan Effenberg believes Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is right to throw Carlos Tevez out of his squad for refusing to come on as a substitute in last night's Champions League match at the Allianz Arena.

Effenberg, who captained Bayern to their last Champions League triumph in 2001, said the Argentina forward's behaviour was unacceptable and that he, like Mancini, would never consider the player again.

"That player would never play in the same club as me again - that goes without saying," he told Germany's Sky television, for whom he now works as a pundit.

"There is a clear order from the coach and he disregards it.

"That is poor behaviour and the club has got to come down hard on it."

According to Effenberg, Tevez will also now have problems finding another employer who would still be keen on him after the incident in last night's 2-0 loss to Bayern.

"Other clubs are going to have to consider whether they want to sign a player with such a character," he added.

"You just don't do something like that. It is disrespectful to your team-mates and is not just in spite of the coach, but in spite of the whole team.

"I hope that they actually go through with what Mancini says and that he never plays for the club again."

The incident formed part of a disappointing night for City in Munich as they lost 2-0.

Tevez's actions also drew a scathing response from British television pundits, with former Liverpool manager Graeme Souness reacting furiously.

"He (Tevez) is one bad apple," the Scot told Sky Sports 2.

"He can undo all the good work that has been done (at City). He's a disgrace to football. He epitomises what most people think is wrong with modern football.

"It is totally unacceptable. He's a football player and he is paid to play.

"He is refusing to help his team-mates. It's all about him, him, him."

Souness also suggested the 27-year-old's attitude may have contributed to his exit from Manchester United, where he played prior to his Eastlands switch.

"Why didn't Fergie take him? Fergie (Sir Alex Ferguson) is the oldest fox in the business and he must have seen something he didn't like in him," he said.

Mancini is now keen to see the back of Tevez once and for all and Souness believes that is the right move for City, who he thinks could risk losing their manager if they fail to agree.

"He (Mancini) walked into a hornet's nest with him (Tevez) and several other players who were at the club at the time," continued Souness.

"That would cause you to walk away from the job. How can you deal with players acting like that?"

Mark Hughes was City manager when Tevez moved to Eastlands and believes the player's personal situation is at the root of the issue.

"The problem with Carlos is he missed his family," said Hughes on Sky Sports 2.

"That's why he said if it was possible he wanted to leave the club, he had this situation with his family.

"There is obviously no relationship whatsoever, or you would imagine given the events of this evening, with the manager. That needs to be mended and if it can't then something else has to happen."

Former United striker Dwight Yorke also believes Mancini has some work on his hands resolving an awkward situation with a player who is lavishly paid at City and would be affordable to only a small number of top clubs.

"I don't condone what he's done, in terms of refusing to go on the pitch. No-one likes to see that," said Yorke.

"We don't know the ins and outs but they need to sort that out. You don't need that around the place.

"The manager has got some work to do and he alone can make those decisions."

Tevez: I did not refuse to play at Bayern

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has denied refusing to play against Bayern Munich in last night's Champions League match in a statement.

Tevez angered manager Roberto Mancini when he appeared to refuse to leave the substitutes' bench and take the field during the second-half with City trailing 2-0.

Mancini later claimed the Argentinian would never play for him at City again before saying he would consult the club's owner about the way forward.

But Tevez this morning claimed he did not refuse to play and also said he was ready to fulfil his obligations to the club.

Tevez said in his statement "I would like to apologise to all Manchester City fans, with whom I have always had a strong relationship, for any misunderstanding that occurred in Munich.

"They understand that when I am on the pitch I have always given my best for the club.

"In Munich on Tuesday I had warmed up and was ready to play. This is not the right time to get into specific details as to why this did not happen. But I wish to state that I never refused to play.

"There was some confusion on the bench and I believe my position may have been misunderstood.

"Going forward I am ready to play when required and to fulfil my obligations."

"Last season I was the top scorer and I wanted to leave for family reasons but I keep trying to do my best."

Nevertheless, it is difficult to see how Mancini could want him in his dressing room after making such unforgiving comments.

"Do you think at Bayern Munich one player can play like this? Or Milan or Manchester United? No," he said.

"There were 30 minutes to the end. There was time to change the game.

"Carlos didn't play at the start of the season because he didn't do a pre-season for three years. He is not ready to play."

This would have been bad enough, in addition to being condemned to defeat by two goals in eight first-half minutes from Mario Gomez.

But Mancini also had to contend with a strop from Edin Dzeko, who took exception to being replaced by Nigel de Jong 10 minutes into the second half as City tried to stop themselves being submerged in their opponents' bombardment.

"I should be unhappy with this performance, not Edin," said Mancini.

"But he played a poor game. If you play every three days, it is impossible that one player can always play well and that he can always stay on the pitch for 90 minutes."

But there was also a stern warning for the giant Bosnian.

"This is the last time one player leaves the pitch and moves his head like this," Mancini continued.

"I can understand a player is disappointed. I can understand inside he can be upset if he thinks he has played well. But I am the manager. I decide everything."

Champions League - Real Madrid outclass Ajax

Real Madrid beat Ajax 3-0 to stay top of Group D in an enthralling Champions League match at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ajax more than played their part and created more than their fair share of chances, but Real were at times irresistible and scored three times in 25 minutes.
Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring after 25 minutes, Kaka added a second shortly before half-time with an excellent effort and Karim Benzema put the game to bed just after the restart with a simple finish.
Ajax had more possession and 18 shots on goal to Madrid's 13, but were far too open defensively to deny the likes of Ronaldo, Kaka and Mesut Ozil.

Real started the game slowly and it was Ajax who created the first chance within a minute of the whistle with Derk Boerrigter hitting a first time effort from the edge of the box following a deflected cross that Iker Casillas did well to save at his near post.

It was the Dutch side again who fashioned the next opening, though it was a mistake from the Real defence that allowed Siem de Jong to break into the area. His attempt was again blocked well by Casillas, who came off his line well to cut down the angles.

What followed though was an absolute torrent of opportunities for Madrid in the space of 10 minutes. Benzema first missed a sitter after a pull-back form Sami Khedira, putting it past the far post with just two men on the line to beat. Ronaldo had the next glimpse of goal, but Kenneth Vermeer came out well to smother the effort and Ozil's follow up.

Gregory van der Wiel almost then put it in his own net after getting a head to a cheeky half-volleyed back-heel from Ronaldo, but Vermeer held on. A minute after that Benzema dragged a shot just wide of the far post after being played through by Ozil.

The incessant pressure finally told and on 25 minutes Real scored a beautiful goal. Ronaldo and Kaka played a couple of one-twos, moved the ball on to Ozil who shifted it out wide to Benzema. His first time cross was met by Ronaldo who lashed it into the net from 10 yards.

The game entered a bit of a lull following the goal, but three minutes from the end of the half Kaka added a second. Xabi Alonso hit one of his many raking passes out wide to Ronaldo, who played inside to the Brazilian. From the edge of the box and on his weaker foot he blasted past the despairing dive of Vermeer and into the far corner.

Benzema bagged Real's third within minutes of the start of the second half. It was another well crafted goal, instigated by Alvaro Arbeloa. He got down the left wing and delayed play, waiting for the onrushing Kaka before playing a perfectly weighted pass into the former World Player of the Year's feet. Quick footwork shifted the ball across goal to Benzema and his task was simple.

Ajax created further chances after that with Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen twice going close. The best chance was the second effort from Vertonghen, his thumping header when completely unmarked seemingly destined for the net, but denied by a world class save from Casillas.
The game had already gone by this point though and Real were happy to see the game out and keep the clean sheet.

Thomas Embury-Dennis / Eurosport

Sobering defeat for Man City in Munich

Manchester City suffered a demoralising 2-0 defeat at Bayern Munich in Group A of the Champions League as a Mario Gomez brace and an eruption of disunity on the City bench made for a difficult night at the Allianz Arena.

Enjoying a fine start to the season domestically, City were unfortunate to be denied an early spot-kick in Germany when former employee Jerome Boateng brought down David Silva in the box, but Bayern responded and Gomez took his tally for the season to 11 goals in nine games when twice exploiting some slack defending, much to the fury of Joe Hart.

A fractious evening for City continued in the second half when Mancini became engaged in a row with Edin Dzeko following his perplexing decision to replace the striker with Nigel De Jong. Carlos Tevez was also reported to be a picture of discontent on the bench, even apparently refusing to come on as a substitute, as the second half completely passed City by.

Bayern, though, were imperious, with Franck Ribery particularly impressive as they enjoyed a 10th successive victory in all competitions to stay top of Group A with maximum points from two games.
Indeed, after extending their run without conceding to 928 minutes and exercising complete control over the second half, Bayern could be content with a fine victory that gave the Oktoberfest revellers further reason to celebrate. City, meanwhile, have plenty to ponder after a sobering experience that leaves them with one point from two games.

Tuesday's encounter was the first meeting between one of Europe's established grandees, who had won the competition four times, and a club in City that hope to be accepted amongst the elite after elbowing their way into the Champions League courtesy of Sheikh Mansour's billions. Their previous experience of the competition resulted in a premature exit in 1968.

However, it was City who looked the more accomplished side in the opening exchanges and they should have had a penalty inside four minutes. Former City defender Boateng clearly caught Silva's trailing leg when sliding in recklessly in the box but a spot-kick was mysteriously not awarded. Denied, Silva jumped to his feet to play the ball to Samir Nasri and the Frenchman saw his effort blocked.
Inside a minute City threatened again as the marauding Micah Richards steamed down the right and squared for Dzeko. The former Wolfsburg striker, so potent during his time in the Bundesliga, could only test Manuel Neuer with a weak effort though.

Bayern looked strangely reserved in front of their home supporters, especially for a side enjoying a nine-game winning streak, and were exposed again when Richards played a one-two with Sergio Aguero before driving into the box and falling to ground under contact from Boateng, again. Richards's theatrical fall probably denied him a deserved spot-kick.

But Bayern sprang to life, largely thanks to the figure of Ribery, who has been a man rejuvenated under Jupp Heynckes in the early weeks of the new season. He tested Hart with one low effort and then skipped away from Gareth Barry to tee up Thomas Mueller for another as he, and Bayern with him, grew in stature.
Bayern's first decent chance came on 37 minutes when a slack pass from Barry allowed the German giants to break and find themselves with five attackers to City's three defenders. Mueller whipped in a low cross to the near post but Bastian Schweinsteiger lifted the ball over the bar from close range when he should have scored.

Inside 60 seconds, Bayern did take the lead though. Ribery ghosted in from the left wing and produced a fierce effort that Hart could only parry. The goalkeeper then produced a brilliant reflex save to deny Mueller from the rebound and with the City defenders static, Gomez was left free to tuck the ball home at the third attempt.

As Bayern began to swarm confidently around the City box Vincent Kompany was fortunate not to concede a penalty with half-time approaching when blocking off Ribery and making no attempt to win the ball. No matter, though, as Bayern did score a second in injury time.
Toni Kroos saw his free-kick flicked on by Daniel van Buyten and after Hart made another fine stop, Gomez was on hand once again to sneak the ball in at the near post. Hart, who had more than fulfilled his obligations for both goals, was absolutely and understandably furious with his inattentive defence as City trudged in 2-0 down at the break.

City could do little to change their fortunes and on 55 minutes Mancini made a curious substitution when removing Dzeko for De Jong, making his first appearance since August 15 after returning from injury. The Bosnian striker was absolutely furious with the decision and had words with Mancini before casting his tracksuit to the ground, before substitute Tevez also became involved in heated discussions.
As tempers flared on the City bench, Bayern's dominance went unchecked on the pitch and Gomez could have claimed a hat-trick when he met a cross from Lahm with an intelligent run and an attempted flick with the outside of his boot. Hart watched the ball fly out, relieved.

The City goalkeeper then made a fine save to prevent Gomez from claiming a hat-trick with a header from another Kroos free-kick, with Mueller failing to tap home at the back post from the rebound to underline Bayern's dominance.

Tom Adams - follow me on twitter @tomEurosport / Eurosport

Manchester United 3-3 FC Basel: Match Report

Manchester United needed a last-gasp goal from Ashley Young to snatch a 3-3 draw with Swiss side FC Basel here Tuesday in a thrilling Champions League battle at Old Trafford.

Young steered in a 90th-minute header from a Nani cross to deny Basel a famous victory after two goals from Alex Frei and one from namesake Fabian Frei had fired the Swiss side into a 3-2 lead at Old Trafford.
United, missing the injured Wayne Rooney, had looked to be cruising to victory early on after two first-half goals in the space of a minute from Danny Welbeck helped them into a 2-0 lead at the break.
But Sir Alex Ferguson's men were left shellshocked by a superb second-half fightback from the Swiss visitors, who ruthlessly punished slack defending by the English champions to go within a whisker of a famous upset.

The draw leaves Basel on top of Group C with four points from two games, with Portuguese side Benfica second on goal difference. United are two points off the pace after two games.
United were given a let off after only six minutes, Basel captain Marco Streller sending Fabian Frei racing into the box with a deft reverse pass through the legs of defender Phil Jones.
The covering Rio Ferdinand did just enough to unsettle Frei but the striker should have done better with his shot, which flew high and wide.

United's response was swift, Young beating his marker before curling a cross to the far post which Antonio Valencia headed wide.
With United probing Basel menacingly, it appeared only a matter of time before the visitors defence buckled and on 16 minutes United took the lead.
Valencia sent fullback Fabio charging into the box with a perfectly weighted pass that sprang the Basel offside trap, and the young Brazilian squared for Ryan Giggs who laid off for Welbeck to screw a low angled shot in off the post.

The celebrations from that effort had only just subsided when Welbeck grabbed his second a minute later, Giggs threading an exquisite pass through to Welbeck for the United striker to stab home.
Yet the remainder of the half was anything but one-sided, and had Basel possessed a more clinical finisher the visitors might easily have scored, Alex Frei squandering good openings in the 24th and 36th minutes.
United maintained their commanding two-goal lead at half-time but Basel were far from ready to concede defeat after the break and should have pulled a goal back on 51 minutes through Streller.
Once again, United's defence were caught out by lax marking and Streller found himself with only David de Gea to beat.

But with the goal at his mercy Streller took a fraction too long to get his shot off and the Spanish keeper was able to pull off a fine block with his legs.
That ought to have been warning enough for United, but seven minutes later the English champions were found wanting again.
De Gea saved brilliantly from a Streller header but United were slow to clear and Fabian Frei had time to lash home for 2-1.
Two minutes later and Basel were level. Granit Xhaka sent Fabian Frei racing away down the right flank with a lovely ball, who then floated a wonderful cross into Alex Frei who steered his header beyond de Gea to level it.

United replaced the tiring Giggs with Park Ji-Sung and Fabio with Nani soon afterwards but the substitutions failed to staunch the sense of a game slipping out of the home team's control.
On 75 minutes United's worse fears were realised when Jones tried to pass the ball out of defence and Basel went on the attack once more.
Streller darted forward onto the loose ball and when Valencia bundled him over, referee Paolo Tagliavento immediately pointed to the spot.
The veteran Frei duly stepped up to shoot Basel ahead. That looked to have settled it until relentless late pressure secured Young's late strike.

Bayern Munich 2-0 Manchester City: Match Report

Manchester City's big night in the Champions League ended with failure on the pitch and problems off it for manager Roberto Mancini as Bayern Munich maintained their remarkable record over English teams with a 2-0 victory.

Although City initially appeared to be in good shape against the German giants, two Mario Gomez goals in eight first-half minutes turned the tie on its head.
Then, when Mancini introduced Nigel de Jong for Edin Dzeko 10 minutes after the re-start, the Bosnian seemed to exchange words with his manager. This drew Carlos Tevez into the row, with suggestions that the Argentina star, left stewing on the bench on Saturday, had refused to warm-up, which then led to an exchange with compatriot Pablo Zabaleta.

City could have had the perfect start when David Silva went down under a rather impetuous challenge from Jerome Boateng, it looked a certain penalty but the referee was unmoved.
Bayern took their time to get going but when they did they might have gone in front if Franck Ribery had got a touch to Thomas Muller's low cross.

Ribery blazed over before City were fortunate to survive getting in a real mess as they tried to play offside when Muller crossed, leaving Bastian Schweinsteiger completely free barely six yards out. Amazingly, the midfielder scooped his shot over.

But shortly after Bayern went ahead when Ribery lashed a fierce shot goalwards that Joe Hart could not hold. Somehow, Hart prevented Muller tucking home the rebound. But he could not stop Gomez making it third-time lucky as he finished from close range.

Aguero was booked for a foul on Schweinsteiger as City tried to steady the ship, but worse was to come in stoppage time when Toni Kroos fizzed over a free-kick that Van Buyten flicked goalwards. Again, Hart saved. Again, Bayern had another option as Gomez tucked home his second.

Bayern continued to press after the break as Muller met Philipp Lahm's cross at the near post but could not turn the ball goalwards, then Kolo Toure headed a dangerous Schweinsteiger corner away from the City box.
Kolo Toure was booked as he gave away a free-kick which would have led to a third Bayern goal if Hart had not superbly turned Gomez's header away.

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