On November 1 as many as 8 Champions League matches were held in Groups E, F, G and H. As the First Round of the Champions League is moving on the fight for places to the next round are getting more intense. Many hitherto unknown clubs have entered into the main draw this time and they are staging quite a few surprises. So let us find out what went on in Match-day 4 matches on November 1 in Group E and F.
GROUP-E
VALENCIA 3 [Jonas 1’, Roberto Soldado 65’, Adil Rami 75’] vs. BAYER LEVERKUSEN 1 [Stephan Kiessling 31’]
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| Roberto Soldado and his Team celebrates |
The Brazilian Jonas scored the second fastest goal in the Champions League history to get Valencia off to a great start. After the initial set-back Leverkusen regrouped and got the scores levelled with a strike by Stefan Kiessling. In the second half the hosts went on to score two goals with Roberto Soldado and Adil Rami. The opening goal by Jonas was a result of terrible mistake by Leverkusen goalkeeper who kicked the ball straight at Jonas and he obliged by slotting the ball in. It took nearly quarter of an hour for Leverkusen to start attacking. But at stoke of 31 minutes Kiessling scored after a shot from Sidney Sam was parried by Valencia goalkeeper towards him. In the closing stages of the first half Andre Schurrle’s shot was tipped over by the Valencia custodian Alves. Then in the second half the Valencia skipper scored the second goal for his side with an able assist from Jeremy Matthieu. Just a few minutes later Schurrle scored but the goal was ruled out by the offside law. To rub salt to the wounds Rami headed home the third for his team after a neatly taken corner from Costa.
GENK 1 [Jelle Vossen 61’] vs. CHELSEA 1 [Ramires 26’]
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| Ramires Scoring the Only Goal for Chelsea |
This game will be remembered for its lost chances. Chelsea was poor on the pitch again and the chants about Terry’s racism inquiry did not help the cause. Chelsea got ahead with a 26th minute goal by Ramires who played a lovely one-two before drilling the ball past the legs of Laszlo Koteles. This goal followed a succession of missed chances. Fernando Torres’s 25 yard short narrowly missed the goal. In the 35th minute Ramires squandered a chance to double his tally when he headed wide a cross from Ashley Cole. Six minutes into the second half it looked definite that Chelsea would double their lead when a penalty was awarded to them. But David Luiz failed to convert the penalty as Koteles, the Genk custodian guessed the shot and saved it. Genk too started their quest for the equaliser, in the 54th minute Vanden Borre came close to scoring but it was blocked by Cech. Then just past the hour mark Kevin De Bruyne played a ball to Fabien Carmus and it found its way to Vossen who scored the goal with ease. In the 74th minute Chelsea squandered another chance when Meireles headed to a cross from Malouda straight in the lap of Koteles.
GROUP-F
ARSENAL 0 vs. MERSEILLE 0
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| Arsenal Found Merseille's Defence Hard to Breach |
It seemed that both these sides cancelled out each other. Though Arsenal had more shots on target but they failed to score and get past the stubborn Merseille defence. The decision to rest their star Robin Van Persie seems to have back fired. This draw will hold Merseille in good stead.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND 1 [Kevin Grosskreutz 7’] vs. OLYMPIACOS 0
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| Dortmund Got Much Deserved Points |
Dortmund knew that they needed a win to have any chances of qualification into the next round. So they started aggressively and they had a chance to take a lead within the first three minutes but Ivan Perisic fired the ball over the bar. Into the 7th minute Mario Gotze cut into the centre from the left corner and laid a perfect ball back from Grosskreutz who fired in the 25 yards shot at the back of the net. Soon after the goal Olympiacos through Kevin Mirallas counter attacked but the Borusssia goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeeler averted the danger. Though both the teams had many chances but they could not convert any of these. Thus Borussia Dortmund got their much deserved points that would keep them alive in the league.
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