Archive for the ‘Football Post Match Review’ category

Matchday 8 in Serie B, Bundesliga and BundesligaII

October 2nd, 2009

Match day 8 in Serie B had only Ascoli and Sassuolo playing. 6th placed team Ascoli faced humiliating 1-5 home defeat against 4th placed team Sassuolo tonight in Serie B. Sassuolo opened scoring in the 2nd minute with Polenghi but 7 minutes later Bernacci equalized for the home team. The match looked in balance for some time but Noselli scored a hat trick with two of his goals coming in the first half and the third in the second. Martinetti added the 5th goal for the night in the 64th minute to the delight of the away team.

Similarly in Germany, Matchday 8 in Bundeliga saw Schalke 04 playing at home against Eintracht Frankfurt. Schalke 04 climbed up to third place in the league table with a 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt tonight.

Tonight’s action in Bundesliga II saw Energie Cottbus scoring a late equalizer against Alemannia Aachen. Fandrich scored in the 80th minute to give the away team 1 point from the match. Duisburg defeated Union Berlin 3-1 at home with the help of Larsen who scored a hat trick tonight. Union Berlin managed to score a goal late in the match with the help of Biran in the 82nd minute.

Koblenz faced a 0-1 home defeat against Oberhausen. König scored the only goal of the match in the 52nd minute. There was also a match between Bundesliga III teams Holstein Kiel and VfB Stuttgart (Am) tonight. The match ended in a 2-0 home win for Holstein Kiel.

Matchday 9 in Ligue 2

October 2nd, 2009

Matchday 9 in Ligue 2 saw Caen extending their lead at the top to 4 points with a win against Sedan tonight. Caen were playing home and defeated Sedan 3-1 coming from behind. Sedan went ahead in the 2nd minute and the score remained 0-1 at half time. But second half goals from Barzola, Nivet and Toudic ensured Caen was not embarrassed in front of their own fans. Scaramozzino was red carded in the 67th minute leaving his team with no chance of a comeback.

Le Harve was given a tough time away from home tonight when they played against Dijon. Zarour scored for the home team in the 41st minute leaving Le Harve trailing at half time. Diolla equalized in the 66th minute while Alla gave the away team 3 points when he scored the winner in the 90th minute.

Two first half goals were not enough to ensure Laval a win away from home against Metz. Lamatina and Lebouc scored in the 9th and 39th minute respectively leaving the home team trailing by two goals at half time. Second half saw a revived home team which scored 2 goals within 6 minute both of them were scored by Bourgeois in the 54th and 61st minute. Laval was frustrated after losing their 2 goals lead and if this was not enough 85th minute saw their player, Levrat shown the red card. A minute later Johansen scored the winner for the home team.

Angers and Strasbourg were involved in a goalless draw whereas Istres and Arles were involved in a 1-1 draw. Bastia was defeated at home by Chateauroux with Fleurival scoring the only goal of the match in the 33rd minute. Brest defeated Clermont Foot 2-0 for the night. The match also saw two Clermont players Abdoulaye and Madouni being red carded in the 59th and 88th minutes respectively. Nimes won 2-0 against Guingamp at home while Vannes lost 0-3 at home against Ajaccio.

Europa League Matchday 2 – Groups G, H, I, J, K and L

October 1st, 2009

Group G saw Lazio coming back strongly after their home defeat against Salzburg on Match day 1. Lazio scored 4 away goals against Levski Sofia who lost their second consecutive group game and are yet to score in the competition. RB Salzburg continued their winning run by defeating Villarreal 2-0 at home.

Alex de Souza scored the only goal in Group H on Match day 2. Fenerbahce defeated Sheriff 0-1 and also registered their first win in the competition. Twente Enschede drew at home against Steaua Bucuresti and managed to stay on top of the table.

Group I had AEK Athens playing at home against Benfica. Majstorovic scored the only goal in the 43rd minute while his team was reduced to 10 men when Georgeas was red carded for a second bookable offence in the match. Everton who were playing away tonight, displayed equanimity when they defeated BATE Borisov coming from behind. Second half goals from Fellaini and Cahill gave Everton their second win in the competition.

Shakhtar Donetsk continued their winning run as they defeated Partizan 4-1 at home. Shakhtar also defeated Bruges with the same score line on match day 1. Bruges drew 1-1 away at Toulouse in the other encounter of Group J. FC Copenhagen and PSV Eindhoven registered 1-0 wins tonight against Sparta Prague, and CFR Cluj, respectively in Group K.

Group L saw Austria Vienna score a late equalizer against Nacional as the latter had taken lead in the 35th minute. Earlier in the 10th minute, Acimovic failed to score a spot kick after his team Austria Vienna were awarded a penalty. Schumacher saved his team from embarrassment when he scored the equalizer in the 77th minute. Werder Bremen continued their winning run as they defeated Spanish club Athletic Bilbao 3-1 in front of home fans.

Europa League Matchday 2 – Groups A, B, C, D, E and F

October 1st, 2009

48 teams from top European Leagues contested tonight in the second most prestigious competition in European football. Anderlecht was playing at home against Ajax in Group A. Legear scored a crucial equalizer in the 85th minute to equalize the Ajax goal that was scored by Rommedahl’s in the 72nd minute. Other matches in the group saw FC Timisoar defeated 0-3 at home by Dinamo Zagreb.

Lille scored 5 away goals against Slavia Prague who looked promising after scoring the first goal within the first 7 minutes of the match. After that goal it was Lille all the way. Another fixture in Group B saw Valencia taking on Genoa at home. David Villa scored the winner in the 81st minute making the score 3-2 at the final whistle.

Celtic scored their first point in the competition when they drew 1-1 at home against Rapid Vienna in Group C. Hamburger SV defeated Hapoel Tel Aviv 4-2 in front of home fans. Group D saw Sporting Lisbon defeating Hertha BSC 1-0 at home whereas the other fixture in the group played between VentspilsSC and Heerenveen ended in a goalless draw.

Italians, AS Roma scored twice within a matter of 4 minutes at home against CSKA Sofia in Group E. English club, Fulham defeated Swiss club Basel 1-0 at home. Group F saw Dinamo Bucuresti losing 0-1 to Panathinaikos who went ahead in the 79th minute with a goal from Karagounis. Dinamo Bucuresti missed a chance to equalize in the 87th minute when Niculescu failed to convert a spot kick.

Match Day 2 Champions League – Groups C and D

September 30th, 2009

Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid continued their winning run this season in all competitions. Summer signings Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema showed their worth when they all came together to give Real Madrid 3-0 win at Santiago Bernabau against Marseille. Ronaldo continued to shine as he scored two goals and won a penalty for his team which was eventually converted by Kaka, all within a matter of 9 minutes.

Ronaldo’s composure seemed to defy Marseille keeper Mandanda in the 58th minute who jumped, thinking Ronaldo would lo instead he chose to keep the ball low and found the net by passing the ball through the skied keeper. 3 minutes later Diawara tried to outpace Ronaldo and ended up bringing him down inside the penalty box. This gave Diawara his second yellow for the night leaving his team down to 10 men. Kaka stepped up and scored the spot kick in the 62nd minute.

The scored was jointly scored by Real’s new trio, Kaka, Benzema and Ronaldo. Kaka passed the ball to Benzema who played it towards unmarked Ronaldo who scored in the empty net.  The other fixture of the group saw AC Milan continuing their dismal run this season when they lost 0-1 at home against FC Zurich. The results left Real clear at the top with 6 points followed by Milan with 3 points in Group C.

Group D had English powerhouse Chelsea winning away against APOEL Nicosia. Anelka scored the only goal of the match early in the 18th minute. Porto defeated Atletico Madrid 2-0 in front of the home fans and also scored their first win in Champions League this season. This left Chelsea on the top with 6 points followed by Porto with 3 points.

Match Day 2 Champions League – Groups A and B

September 30th, 2009

The big match of the day in Group A saw Italian giants Juventus visiting their German counterparts Bayern Munich for a group encounter at Allianz Arena, Munich. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, frustrating the 69,000 fans inside the Arena.

The second match of the group was being played in France between Bordeaux and Maccabi Haifa. This match too was heading towards a 0-0 draw when Ciani headed a winner in the 83rd minute from Sertic’s corner. Maccabi midfielder, Baram Kayal was red carded in the 88th minute for a foul on Tremoulinas. The results left Bayern Munich top the group with 4 points followed by Bordeaux with same points.

Manchester United came from a goal behind against German champions Wolfsburg to register their second consecutive win in the competition. United who were playing at Old Trafford went behind in the 56th minute when Evra found himself short to defend a volley in the box which was eventually headed home by 23 year old Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko. This was Dzeko’s first goal in the competition.

Probably the goal made Wolfsburg lose concentration as they gave away free kick just outside the box within two minutes of going ahead. Ryan Giggs took charge and saw his deflected free kick ending as an equalizer and giving Giggs his 25th Champions League goal. Carrick’s curl from the edge of the box in the 78th minute gave United the 3 points for the night. The other match in group B saw CSKA Moscow defeating Besiktas 2-1 in Moscow. Manchester United top the group table with 6 points followed by Wolfsburg with 3 points.

Match Day 10 – Coca Cola League Championship

September 29th, 2009

Midweek fixtures saw Newcastle United maintaining their position at the top of the table secure with 22 points in spite of not playing tonight. Their game is scheduled for tomorrow night. Second placed West Bromwich Albion had the chance to go to the top by defeating Barnsley, who are currently placed third from the bottom in the league table.

It was not WBA’s day, and they had to face an away defeat for the first time this season. The match ended 3-1 to the joy of home fans. Bristol City registered their 4th win this season with a 2-0 win over Blackpool. Cardiff City thrashed Derby County by 6-1 in front of home fans. Chopra who scored 4 goals for the night was by far the star of the match. Doncaster and Crystal Palace drew 0-0 against Swansea City, and Sheffield Wednesday, respectively at home.

Ipswich Town were looking for their first win this season against Sheffield United but the latter were successful in registering a dramatic draw from a match against Ipswich Town. Henderson opened the scoring for Sheffield United in the 9th minute but 3 goals from Ipswich Town saw the home team trailing 1-3 in the 70th minute. 7 minutes later Henderson scored another pulling one back for his team and a last minute equalizer from Morgan left everyone in disbelief.

Peterborough United and Preston North End were defeated 1-2 in front of the home fans by Plymouth Argyle, and Reading respectively. The away win gave bottom placed team Plymouth their first win this season.

Coventry City and Leicester City also manage to register away wins against Watford and Middlesbrough respectively. Coventry City came from a goal behind to register their second away win this season.

Match Day 2 Champions League – Groups E, F, G, H

September 29th, 2009

Liverpool faced defeat for the first time in eleven Champions League group stage matches against Italian club Fiorentina. Liverpool were humiliated away from home by two first half goals from Fiorentina’s 19 year old striker, Stevan Jovetić. Liverpool also failed to score for the first time in 24 Champions League matches.

Champions Barcelona continues their unbeaten run this season in all competitions. They defeated Ukrainian club Dynamo Kyiv 2-0 at Camp Nou, Messi and Rodriguez getting their names on the score sheet for the night.

Italian giants Inter Milan, drew for the second consecutive match in the competition, this time against Russian club Rubin Kazan. The match saw Stankovic equalizing in the 27th minute and his team mate Balotelli getting a second yellow, which left Inter with 10 men in the 60th minute.

Arsenal defeated Olypiakos 2-0 at the Emirates stadium. The first half of the match saw no goal but Persie showed his scoring skills in the 78th minute. 6 minutes later Arshavin added another, though the referee missed seeing that he was offside.

Sevilla scored 4 goals for the night against Scottish side Rangers. The match ended 4-1 as Novo pulled one back in the dying minutes of the match. AZ Alkmaar drew 1-1 at home against Standard Liege. Traore scored in the last minute to steal a point from the match for Standard Liege.

Lyon scored 4 goals for the night against Debreceen who were playing in front of home fans. Unirea Urziceni managed to draw 1-1 against Stuttgart.

Match Day 7 in Serie B

September 28th, 2009

This week’s fixtures saw Fronsione maintaining its position at the top of the table with 14 points. Brescia lost its second place to Torino and slipped to fourth as they lost against Grosseto. Most of the teams are placed according to goal difference as they seem to have the same points.

Torino, Ascoli, Brescia and Padova are placed 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in the table with 13 points each. Cesena, Ancona and Empoli securing 6th, 7th and 8th places with 12 points each. Lecce and Sassuolo are 9th and 10th with 11 points 10 points respectively. Grosseto and Reggina are next with 9 points each.

Vicenza, Cittadella, Gallipoli, Piacenza and Triestina secured the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th places with 8 points each. Modena is next on 18th place with 7 points. Albinoleffe and Crotone are 19th and 20th with 5 points each. Mantova and Salernitana sit at the bottom of the table with 3, and 2 points respectively.

Of the eleven matches played this week, 6 of them ended in draws and the remaining 5 ended in favor of the home team. Padova, Vicenza and Salernitana played against Gallipoli, Triestina and Ascoli. All three matches ended in a goalless draw. Sassuolo vs. Cesena and Albinoleffe vs. Crotone ended in 1-1 draw while Frosinone vs. Torino ended 2-2.

The teams that registered home wins this weekend were Empoli, Lecce, Grosseto, Ancona and Reggina vs Cittadella, Mantova, Brescia, Modena and Piacenza respectively. Empoli scored a late goal in injury time to secure 3 points against Cittadella. The winner that left home fans ecstatic was scored by 30 year old Italian midfielder Francesco Marianini.

Match Day 7 in Ligue 1

September 28th, 2009

Bordeaux and Lyon continued their unbeaten run this season with wins over Rennes and Toulouse respectively. Bordeaux lead the league table with 19 points while Lyon sits on second position with 17 points. Bordeaux was put ahead in the 23rd minute by a diving header from 27 year old Brazilian winger Wendel. At that point it seemed game on but the match ended 1-0 for the home team.

This was not the case in Lyon against Toulouse. First blood was drawn by a Toulouse player. 20 year old French midfielder, Sissoko who gave the Lyon fans a shock when he scored early on in the 8th minute. Lyon was unable to equalize and the score remained 0-1 at half time. Second half substitute, Yannis Tafer, another young striker from France equalized and brought the home team back in the game. Bafetimbi Gombis later scored the winner in the 70th minute for Lyon.

Valenciennes defeated Marseille 3-2. The match saw Valenciennes coming from behind twice in the match, and Schmitz finally scoring a late winner in the 84th minute which helped secure 3 points for his team. Monaco faced home defeat against Saint-Etienne. Bergessio scored a last minute winner making the score 1-2 to the away team.

Auxerre registered a home win against Grenoble with a 2-0 score that had Pedretti and Hengbart shining on the score sheet. Nice, and Paris S.G., both teams playing away with Lille, and Lorient respectively were able to salvage a point from the draw. Le Mans scored three goals in the match against Lens who in return, were not able to score even a single goal. Montpellier and Nancy registered home wins against Boulogne, and Sochaux respectively.