Euro Football Highlights

Lyon screw Real Madrid Dreams

Published on 2010-03-10 15:49:00

Cristiano Ronaldo could not prevent Real Madrid from crashing out of the Champions League after a 1-1 draw in the Bernabeu saw Lyon progress to the last eight 2-1 on aggregate.The Portuguese lashed in an early opener as Real went on the attack for the remainder of the first half.However a half-time reshuffle by Claude Puel paid dividends as Miralem Pjanic crashed home to leave the home side needing two goals in the final 15 minutes they barely threatened to score.The first chance of the evening

Manchester United demolish Milan by four

Published on 2010-03-10 15:45:00

A brace from Wayne Rooney sealed a 4-0 victory and an emphatic 7-2 aggregate scoreline as Manchester United romped past Milan at Old Trafford to clinch their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.Rooney gave United the lead in just the 13th minute with a sublime glancing header, and the England forward netted his 30th goal of the season with a deft finish seconds after half-time to stun the visitors.David Beckham was confined to the Milan bench from the outset, but the former United midfi

Robin helps Bayern to progress

Published on 2010-03-09 15:47:00

Fiorentina won 3-2 but still crashed out of the Champions League as Bayern Munich sealed their quarter-final spot on away goals at the Artemio Franchi.Bayern suffered their first defeat in 19 games, but thanks to stunning strikes from Arjen Robben (pictured) and Mark van Bommel, the German side progressed at the expense of a valiant effort from the Viola as the tie ended 4-4 on aggregate.Bayern assumed a slender 2-1 lead from the first leg at the Allianz Arena as Miroslav Klose's controversial o

Arsenal brilliance Porto 5-0

Published on 2010-03-09 15:46:00

A Nicklas Bendtner hat-trick helped Arsenal thrash Porto 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium to triumph 6-2 on aggregate and reach the Champions League quarter-finals.Bendtner grabbed both first-half goals before a moment of brilliance from Samir Nasri and finish from substitute Emmanuel Eboue ended a nervous opening to the second period.And Bendtner, who came under fire at the weekend for missing several chances against Burnley, secured his first career treble from the penalty spot in injury-time.It wa

Manchester United wins the Carling Cup

Published on 2010-02-28 11:03:00

Rooney, on as a 42nd minute substitute for Michael Owen, headed home in the 74th minute to ensure last year's winners retained the trophy - the first time United have successfully defended a cup competition.James Milner gave Villa an early lead from the penalty spot only for Owen, who started the game in place of Rooney, to level things up on 13 minutes with a classic strike.But inevitably it was Rooney who grabbed the headlines, the England striker continuing his recent electric form with a 12t

Fa Cup Results

Published on 2010-01-23 15:35:00

Holders Chelsea booked their place in the FA Cup fifth round with a 2-0 victory at Preston North End on Saturday while Jermaine Beckford's last-gasp penalty earned Leeds United a 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur.Burnley were the day's Premier League fall guys, losing 1-0 to Championship (second division) Reading while Wigan Athletic escaped humiliation by the skin of their teeth, drawing 2-2 at League Two (fourth tier) Notts County after trailing 2-0.Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers needed a

Beckford keeps Leeds Cup dreams alive

Published on 2010-01-23 15:31:00

Beckford added the spot-kick to the equaliser he had got early in the second half to cancel out Peter Crouch's opener. Roman Pavlyuchenko came off the bench to fire Spurs back in front but Beckford drew a foul from Michael Dawson in the sixth minute of stoppage time to win a dramatic late penalty.Beckford, who scored the winner against Manchester United in the last round, held his nerve in front of the travelling Leeds supporters to fire the spot-kick into the top corner and book a replay at Ell

Rooney hits super four goals

Published on 2010-01-23 15:29:00

Rooney made his league tally 19 for the season - a career-best total only mid-way through the campaign - with an early opener and three late strikes to put down a brave effort from the Tigers, who stay in the drop zone after the loss.It was not all sweetness and light for United though as captain Rio Ferdinand, returning to the team after a worrying back injury, could be in trouble with the FA after his elbow on Craig Fagan was missed by the match officials.United were utterly dominant in the fi

FA cup Manchester United is out

Published on 2010-01-04 09:44:00

Manchester United suffered their most embarrassing FA Cup defeat for 26 years when Leeds United pulled off a stunning 1-0 third-round victory at Old Trafford on Sunday.A 19th-minute goal from in-form striker Jermaine Beckford gave the League One (third division) leaders victory as United lost at this stage of the competition for the first time since third division Bournemouth beat them in 1984.Beckford struck his fifth goal in three games and 20th of the season when a 50-metre ball from Johnny H

Barcelona wins the World Club Cup

Published on 2009-12-19 21:03:00

Barcelona left it late before capping a superb year by clinching the Club World Cup here on Saturday.The Spanish giants needed extra time to beat Argentina's Estudiantes 2-1 and secure their sixth title of 2009.Mauro Boselli had put Estudiantes ahead after 37 minutes only for Barca striker Pedro to grab the equaliser in the dying minutes of the game, with Argentina striker Lionel Messi nailing victory after 110 minutes.The Spanish giants end the year on a high after following up last season's le

UEFA Champions League first knockout round draw 2009/10

Published on 2009-12-18 16:48:00

UEFA Champions League holders FC Barcelona will take on VfB Stuttgart in the first knockout round after the draw was made on Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.Madrid meet LyonLike all the group winners, Barça will be at home in the second leg of their tie as they continue their bid to become the first team in the UEFA Champions League era to lift the trophy two years running. Real Madrid CF, aiming to play in the 22 May final at their own Santiago Bernabéu home, have been drawn with Karim Benzema's

Dynamo Kiev 1-2 FC Barcelona

Published on 2009-12-09 21:42:00

FC Barcelona emerged unscathed from a difficult examination by FC Dynamo Kyiv to claim a comeback victory that took them through to the UEFA Champions League first knockout round as Group F winners.Messi winnerThe holders were on the ropes at a chilly Valeriy Lobanovskiy Stadium when Artem Milevskiy headed Dynamo in front inside two minutes, but they fought back to level through Xavi Hernández just past the half-hour before Lionel Messi's imperious late winner removed all doubt. Victory confirm

Internazionale 2-0 Rubin Kazan

Published on 2009-12-09 21:40:00

Goals in either half by Samuel Eto'o and Mario Balotelli fired FC Internazionale Milano into the UEFA Champions League first knockout round at the expense of FC Rubin Kazan.Balotelli masterclassThe Nerazzurri had posed little threat before Eto'o broke the deadlock just after the half-hour, capitalising on excellent wing-play by Javier Zanetti and the awareness of Balotelli. The first goal was all-important in this must-win match for both sides and Balotelli all but ended the contest with a strik

Standard Liege 1-1 AZ Alkmaar

Published on 2009-12-09 21:28:00

In an extraordinary finish, goalkeeper Sinan Bolat headed an unlikely equaliser deep into added time to take R. Standard de Liège into the UEFA Europa League at the expense of AZ Alkmaar.Dramatic endingWith the visitors leading from the 42nd minute thanks to Jeremain Lens' close-range finish, it seemed Standard – who started the match dreaming of a place in the UEFA Champions League knockout phase – would be heading out of European competition altogether. However, in what was virtually the

Olympiacos 1-0 Arsenal

Published on 2009-12-09 21:27:00

Olympiacos FC secured their place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League after claiming a narrow victory against a youthful Arsenal FC side.Leonardo strikes Leonardo struck the only goal of the game two minutes after half-time as the Greek champions ensured a first knockout round place as Group H runners-up behind Arsène Wenger's side. Having already clinched top spot, the Arsenal manager fielded a starting lineup with an average age of just 21, but they were unlucky not to snatch at least

Sevilla 1-0 Rangers

Published on 2009-12-09 21:23:00

Sevilla FC eased their way to victory and completed a miserable UEFA Champions League campaign for Rangers FC thanks to a first-half Frédéric Kanouté penalty which sealed the Spanish side's place in the first knockout round as Group G winners.Passionate fansKanouté coolly slotted in after just eight minutes, and the hosts were largely on top for the full 90 in a match played before passionate home fans and loyal travelling support. In fact, had it not been for a marvellous finger-tip save by

VfB Stuttgart 3-1 Unirea Urziceni

Published on 2009-12-09 21:19:00

VfB Stuttgart reached the UEFA Champions League first knockout round for the first time in five years, overwhelming FC Unirea Urziceni with three goals in the first eleven minutes to claim second place in Group G at their opponents' expense.Advantage overturnedThe Romanian titleholders travelled to Germany holding a two-point lead over Stuttgart yet were powerless to deny Christian Gross a dream start to his new job. The 55-year-old replaced Markus Babbel on Sunday and watched in jubilation as h

Lyon 4-0 Debreceni

Published on 2009-12-09 21:15:00

Olympique Lyonnais went into the UEFA Champions League knockout stages on the back of an emphatic victory against Group E's bottom team Debreceni VSC, whose debut campaign ended without a point, yet Claude Puel's side still missed out on top spot.Fiorentina frustrationFrom the moment Bafétimbi Gomis opened the scoring in the 25th minute, there only looked like being one winner. Michel Bastos added a second before the break as Lyon seized total control, with further strikes in the second period

Liverpool 1-2 Fiorentina

Published on 2009-12-09 21:13:00

Alberto Gilardino struck in injury time to ensure ACF Fiorentina advanced to the UEFA Champions League first knockout round as Group E winners with a 2-1 comeback victory at eliminated Liverpool FC.Unwanted recordTrailing to Yossi Benayoun's first-half header, the Viola drew level through Martin Jørgensen before Gilardino snatched victory in dramatic fashion when he turned in Juan Vargas's low cross in the final seconds at a rain-sodden Anfield. If a second successive home defeat – an unwante

Chelsea 2-2 Apoel FC

Published on 2009-12-08 17:51:00

APOEL FC ended Chelsea FC's run of ten matches without conceding at Stamford Bridge and then repeated the trick with three minutes remaining to earn a surprise draw.Mirosavljević equaliserIt was not enough to propel the Cypriot side into the UEFA Europa League but the memory of how they stood up to one of the continent's dominant forces – albeit a side missing several first-choice players – will live with them for a long time. Marcin Żewłakow's early strike was overturned before half-time

Atlético de Madrid 0-3 FC Porto

Published on 2009-12-08 17:49:00

FC Porto rounded off their Group D campaign with an impressive 3-0 victory at Club Atlético de Madrid, even the prospect of a UEFA Europa League place failing to rouse the disappointing hosts.Overwhelmed With APOEL FC only managing a 2-2 draw with Chelsea FC the Spanish side were handed a European reprieve as they finished third by virtue of an away goal in their head-to-head record against the Cypriot side. Yet on this evidence Quique Sánchez Flores plenty of work to do as already-qualified P

Beşiktaş 1-2 CSKA

Published on 2009-12-08 17:46:00

PFC CSKA Moskva progressed from the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time in their fifth attempt after a dramatic victory at Beşiktaş JK took them into the first knockout round at VfL Wolfsburg's expense.Wolfsburg pippedThe Miloš Krasić-inspired 2-1 win against Wolfsburg a fortnight ago had meant that CSKA knew they would be through if they picked up more points here than the German side did at home to Manchester United FC. Krasić's strike late in the first half edged the vis

FC Zürich 1-1 AC Milan

Published on 2009-12-08 17:42:00

A fright night for AC Milan ended with a 1-1 draw and a place in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round after FC Zürich paid a high price for a single unfortunate challenge.Ronaldinho penaltyMilan Gajić's superb 29th-minute free-kick for Zürich, who earned a shock 1-0 victory in Milan on Matchday 2, looked set to steer the eliminated Swiss champions to a repeat success. But on 63 minutes Alain Rochat felled Marco Borriello, meaning a red card and a penalty which Ronaldinho gratefully

Maccabi Haifa 0-1 Bordeaux

Published on 2009-12-08 17:38:00

FC Girondins de Bordeaux claimed a fifth successive UEFA Champions League victory thanks to Jussiê's early strike at Maccabi Haifa FC, who finished bottom of Group A without a point or a goal to their name.Worthy winnerThe French titleholders had already secured first in the section with their Matchday 5 defeat of Juventus and were in control from the outset at the Ramat Gan Stadium, although a composed 13th-minute finish from Jussiê – the striker's first goal in the competition – was thei

OM 1-3 Real Madrid

Published on 2009-12-08 17:36:00

Olympique de Marseille spurned a major helping hand from FC Zürich as their UEFA Champions League adventure ended with a swift return to earth, Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice as Group C winners Real Madrid CF left the Stade Vélodrome with a 3-1 victory.Daunting taskBeating the nine-time winners is a daunting task at the best of times, but OM faced the prospect of needing to prevail 3-0 or by four clear goals if AC Milan took maximum plunder in Switzerland. As it happened, the Rossoneri could