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Champions League: Manchester clubs go down; Ronaldo surpasses Messi

September 16, 2015

Photos from the Champions League matches played across Europe on Tuesday

IMAGE: PSV Eindhoven players celebrate Hector Moreno's goal against Manchester United during the UEFA Champions League Group B match at PSV Stadion in Eindhoven on Tuesday. Photograph: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

PSV Eindhoven's Luciano Narsingh struck a second-half winner as they fought back to claim a 2-1 victory against a Manchester United side who lost Luke Shaw to a double leg fracture in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Left back Shaw was taken off on a stretcher with an oxygen mask strapped to his face after suffering the injury to his right leg in the early stages of the Group B game.

The match looked to be heading United's way and their close-season signing from PSV, Memphis Depay, reminded fans at the Philips Stadium of his prowess with a superb 41st-minute opener.

The hosts, however, caught United napping at a corner in first-half stoppage time as Hector Moreno, whose crunching tackle had forced Shaw to leave the pitch, equalised before a swift breakaway set up the 57th-minute winner.

United took the game to PSV with the 21-year-old Depay, warmly welcomed back by the home supporters, and newly-signed former AS Monaco forward Anthony Martial looking dangerous in a two-pronged attack.

Depay’s pass set up Martial, the world's most expensive teenager, for what should have been a tap-in from close range after seven minutes but the French youngster failed to put enough force into the effort.

 

IMAGE: Manchester United's Ashley Young steals the ball away from PSV Eindhoven's Andres Guardado (left). Photograph: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Shaw’s injury came after 15 minutes when a burst of acceleration put him through on goal before he was halted by Moreno’s poor challenge, which went unpunished.

The match was halted for eight minutes as medics put Shaw on a stretcher and took him off the pitch.

Depay’s goal was a breathtaking display of footwork, set up by fellow Dutchman Daley Blind, who was jeered throughout the game because of his previous connection to Ajax Amsterdam.

As the match went into a lengthy period of stoppage time at the end of the first half, Moreno rose to head home a corner, with Blind helping the ball into his own net.

IMAGE: PSV Eindhoven's Santiago Arias hugs Manchester United's Memphis Depay after the match. Photograph: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

United dominated the exchanges in the second half but were caught out by a sucker punch early on as they pressed high up the pitch.

A searching pass from Andres Guardado in midfield found Maxime Lestienne out on the left and his perfect cross eluded the visiting defence to allow Narsingh to stoop and head home.

Juan Mata should have equalised for United just after the hour mark but let a brilliant lofted pass from Bastian Schweinsteiger slip under his foot with the goal begging.

Juve strike late to beat City

IMAGE: Manchester City's Wilfred Bony is tackled by Juventus' Giorgio Chiellini during their UEFA Champions League Group D match in Manchester on Tuesday. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Juventus came from behind to hand Manchester City their first defeat this season as Mario Mandzukic and Alvaro Morata gave the Italian champions an opening 2-1 win in Group D of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Premier League leaders City were fortunate to go ahead after 57 minutes when Vincent Kompany, climbing all over Giorgio Chiellini, saw the defender head an own goal as the home skipper wheeled away to celebrate instead of being punished for a foul.

But Juve pulled level in the 70th minute when Mandzukic touched the ball in off the post after midfielder Paul Pogba sent in a high cross from the left.

It was the first goalCity had conceded after five domestic league wins so far this term but worse followed when Morata scored with a 20-metre left-foot curler in the 81st minute.

City's Wilfried Bony should have done better midway through the first half when he got clear of the defence before slicing wide.

Fernandinho then went close for the hosts with a fierce shot that flew over the bar but Juve otherwise looked comfortable, although they did not seriously test City keeper Joe Hart until Stefano Sturaro forced him into a smart save after an hour.

However last season's beaten Champions League finalists, without a win in their three opening Serie A matches, found the net twice in the closing stages to snatch all three points.

Ronaldo surpasses Messi as Real drub Shakhtar

IMAGE: Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his second goal against Shakhtar Donetsk during their Champions League match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on Tuesday. Photograph: Juan Medina/Reuters

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo surged three goals clear of Lionel Messi as the all-time Champions League top scorer with a hat-trick in a 4-0 drubbing of 10-man Shakhtar Donetsk in their Group A opener on Tuesday.

Portugal captain Ronaldo scored twice from the penalty spot in the second half and added a header nine minutes from time to take his tally in Europe's elite club competition to 80 goals, three more than Barcelona forward Messi.

A howler from Shakhtar keeper Andriy Pyatov let in Karim Benzema for the opener on the half-hour before the visitors were reduced to 10 men five minutes after the break when Taras Stepanenko hacked down Sergio Ramos and was shown a second yellow card.

Real doubled their lead after Ronaldo’s shot hit Shakhtar captain Darijo Srna on the back in the 54th and the referee inexplicably gave a penalty and the Portuguese netted another spot kick nine minutes later after Marcio Azevedo handled.

Ronaldo, who put five past Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday, completed his hat-trick at the Bernabeu when he followed up a saved Marcelo effort to set a Spanish record of 33 trebles, one more than Messi.

The victory gave new Real coach Rafa Benitez a winning debut for the capital club in the competition but came at a cost as their Wales winger Gareth Bale limped off midway through the first half with a calf problem.

Centre backs Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos were also substituted with knocks and Benitez said the trio would have tests to determine the seriousness of the injuries.

Di Maria delivers for PSG in Champions League opener

Paris St Germain were hoping that Angel Di Maria would help them reach new heights and the Argentina winger showed on Tuesday he is ready to deliver after a disappointing year in the Premier League.

Di Maria joined PSG during the close season after a below-par, injury-hit campaign at Manchester United following a move from Real Madrid.

In PSG's Champions League opener at the Parc des Princes, he scored the first goal in a 2-0 win against Malmo and looked more like the man-of-the-match of the 2014 Champions League final than the player who failed to make an impact at United.

"I hear people saying he is here to transform the game of PSG, he's more here to improve it," said PSG coach Laurent Blanc.

"He can play on both flanks, he has a lot to give to his team mates and he can also score goals as you saw tonight.

"We can see today that the right flank worked pretty well with him, (fullback Gregory) van der Wiel and (Marco) Verratti."

Di Maria scored with a fine shot into the top corner after four minutes having collected Verratti's pass.

After his goal, he continued to shine, setting up Zlatan Ibrahimovic three times.

Yet the Sweden striker, who is still looking for his touch after an injury-ridden start to the season, sent a header over the bar, hit a weak shot at Malmo keeper Johan Wiland, and struck another shot high and wide.

PSG, however, prevailed easily with Edinson Cavani wrapping up the contest shortly after the hour with a header.

Sevilla penalties enough to beat hapless Gladbach

Europa League winners Sevilla scored two out of three penalties in the second half as they beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-0 in Champions League Group D on Tuesday.

Kevin Gameiro scored from the spot seconds after the restart but failed to do it again two minutes later, striking his second penalty against the crossbar.

Sevilla's Argentine Ever Banega made amends with their third spot kick in the 67th minute and Yevhen Konoplyanka wrapped up the win in the 84th with a clever shot from a tight angle that beat goalkeeper Yann Sommer.

Gladbach, who have made their worst start to a Bundesliga campaign with four consecutive defeats, were no match for the speedy Spaniards and struggled to contain them throughout the entire game.

Sevilla, still without a La Liga win this season, should have scored in the fifth minute when Vitolo hit the post with a low drive and captain Jose Antonio Reyes somehow managed to fire over the bar from five metres.

Gladbach responded with a chance of their own but Roel Brouwers' glancing header sailed narrowly wide.

But the Spaniards kept pushing forward and earned a penalty seconds after the restart when Sommer brought down Vitolo. Frenchman Gameiro sent the Swiss keeper the wrong way to put the hosts ahead.

Gladbach, making their first European Cup appearance in more than 37 years, were lucky to see Gameiro then rifle a second spot kick, given for another foul on Vitolo, against the bar before Banega stepped up and kept his cool with their third penalty to seal the victory.

Sevilla, who next visit Juventus and ManchesterCity, with the Italians having won 2-1 in England on Tuesday, added a third when Konoplyanka caught Sommer off guard and the keeper fell into the goal with the ball.

Griezmann double eases Atletico to win at Galatasaray

Two first-half goals from Antoine Griezmann gave Atletico Madrid a strong start to their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 away win over Galatasaray in their opening Group C fixture on Tuesday.

Griezmann put the visitors ahead in the 18th minute when Juanfran sent in a cross from the right and the French international fired the ball past an outstretched Fernando Muslera in the Galatasaray goal.

Atletico doubled their lead with a second goal from Griezmann in the 25th minute when Diego Godin headed a cross from Koke back across the goal for the winger to knock the ball into the net from close range.

The home side's goal opportunities were few in the first half. Atletico keeper Jan Oblak was tested in the 29th minute, pushing the ball behind for a corner after a long-range shot from Wesley Sneijder. Umut Bulut and Jason Denayer both had opportunities late in the first half but headed wide.

In the second half Galatasaray raised the pressure on the Atletico goal while Atletico sat back and focussed on maintaining their lead.

Lukas Podolski shot wide from the edge of the penalty area in the 51st minute and Sneijder fired in a shot which missed the target two minutes later. An opportunity fell soon after to Selcuk Inan who also fired wide of the post.

But Atletico kept their lead intact despite the pressure and Griezmann had a chance to complete his hat-trick in the 86th minute but with only the keeper to beat, Muslera blocked his shot.

Newcomer Draxler scores winner as Wolfsburg beat CSKA

New signing Julian Draxler scored the winner as VfL Wolfsburg edged past CSKA Moscow 1-0 in their Champions League Group D opener on Tuesday for a winning return to Europe's premier club competition after a six-year absence.

Germany international Draxler, brought in from Schalke 04 for 35 million euros ($39.43 million) to replace Kevin De Bruyne who joined ManchesterCity, struck on the rebound in the 40th minute.

Wolfsburg dominated throughout with the Russians defending deep and the hosts could have scored more were it not for some sloppy finish.

Last season's Bundesliga runners-up next play Manchester United on Sept. 29 with CSKA taking on Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in the other group match.

Wolfsburg, who had played the Russians exactly six years ago to the day in their only other Champions League group stage participation, had control of the game from the start.

Bas Dost came close with a header and Andre Schuerrle tried his luck from eight metres for his shot to be saved by Igor Akinfeev as the Wolves pressed for an opening goal.

CSKA, who have played double the league matches the Germans have this season already, managed to hang on until the 40th minute when Draxler fed Max Kruse on the wing.

Kruse crossed and Draxler's header was punched clear by Akinfeev, but only into the attacking midfielder's path and he easily slotted in on the rebound.

Playing in front of a half-full stadium and about 19,000 spectators Wolfsburg should have scored again but instead the one goal was enough for all three points.

Benfica survive scare before Gaitan breaks down Astana

Champions League debutants Astana gave Benfica some worrying moments as they held out until halftime and then hit the post before going down to a 2-0 defeat in their opening Group C match on Tuesday.

Nicolas Gaitan burst through the Astana defence to provide the breakthrough six minutes into the second half and Kostas Mitroglu made the points safe for the Eagles in front of a sparse crowd at the Stadium of Light.

But Astana, the first Kazakh team to reach the group stage, will have plenty of positives to reflect on as they make the 7,000 kilometre trip back to Central Asia.

The Kazakh champions kept Benfica at bay for the first 45 minute with some solid defending, plus two last-gasp saves by goalkeeper Nenad Eric who denied Jonas with his leg on both occasions.

In between, Benfica goalkeeper Julio Cesar give home fans the jitters as he fumbled Foxi Kethevoama's curling free kick before gathering the ball at the second attempt.

Astana nearly took a sensational lead at the start at the second half when Aleksei Schetkin, who had just come on as a substitute, got between Jardel and Luisao to poke an effort against Julio Cesar's post.

Gaitan ended their resistance when he latched onto a loose ball, powered his way through a gap between the defenders and placed an angled shot past Eric in the far corner.

Mitroglu, having headed wide from eight metres, atoned for the miss when he turned in Eliseu's cross from close range following another move down the left in the 62nd minute to secure the points for the Portuguese champions.

Source: REUTERS
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