Jovetic stuns Liverpool, holders Barca win
0 Comments
Shaggy-haired Stevan Jovetic lit up a largely predictable Champions League night with both goals in Fiorentina's surprise 2-0 win over Liverpool yesterday.
The Montenegro striker, only playing in the Group E clash because Alberto Gilardino was suspended, beat the offside trap to net the 28th minute opener and then touched in a cross at the near post nine minutes later to stun the five-times winners.
"I am very happy, to score two goals against Liverpool is a big thing," he told Italian television after ending a tough period for Fiorentina, who lost their group opener. Club president Andrea Della Valle also resigned last week.
While Jovetic was bursting onto the scene in Florence, Lionel Messi was reaffirming his position at the very top of the world game with a typically stylish strike in Barcelona's 2-0 home win over Dynamo Kiev.
Dynamo had their chances, with Andriy Shevchenko blasting over on his 33rd birthday, but Pedro sealed Barca's win with some more nifty footwork on 76 minutes.
The holders top Group F with four points from two games after Champions League debutants Rubin Kazan were unlucky to only draw 1-1 with 10-man Inter Milan in Russia.
Argentine forward Alejandro Dominguez put the hosts ahead when he surged past Lucio to fire home and although Dejan Stankovic pegged them back, Mario Balotelli's second-half dismissal left the stuttering Italian champions clinging on.
"Given the circumstances of the game, It is a point gained. Our opponents started better, they pressed and had their fans urging them on as it was their home debut," coach Jose Mourinho said after Inter's seventh Champions League game without a win.
Arsenal had to wait until the last 12 minutes to seal a 2-0 home win over Olympiakos Piraeus in Group H with forwards Robin van Persie and Andrei Arshavin on the scoresheet while AZ Alkmaar drew 1-1 with Standard Liege in a Benelux battle.
Standard substitute Moussa Traore scrambled in the equaliser in stoppage time to leave both sides on one point.
Group E leaders Olympique Lyon plundered a 4-0 victory at Hungary's Debrecen after Kim Kallstrom had slammed in from the edge of the area on three minutes to start the rout.
Bosnian Miralem Pjanic, who had set up Kallstrom, then curled in a delightful free kick and later crossed for Sidney Govou to make it 3-0 with a header.
Bafetimbi Gomis scored the fourth with a superb lob six minutes after the break.
Sevilla were also in goals, notching up a 4-1 win at Rangers in Group G after Abdoulay Konko's finish early in the second half had set them on their way to six points from two games.
Adriano, Luis Fabiano and Frederic Kanoute boosted the Spanish side's goal difference with Nacho Novo's late strike offering little consolation to the Scottish champions.
Romania's Unirea Urziceni, making their home debut in the competition like Rubin, Debrecen and Alkmaar, had a Dacian Varga equaliser to thank from their 1-1 draw with VfB Stuttgart in the same group.
Comments