CSKA leave it late to join Inter in last 16
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Xinhua, December 8, 2011
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CSKA Moscow's Vasili Berezutski heads the ball to score a 2-1 lead during a UEFA Champions League Match at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan, Italy, December 7, 2011. |
CSKA Moscow secured a berth of the Champions League knockout stage after they beat Inter 2-1 at San Siro on Wednesday.
Vassili Berezoutski headed in a dramatic 87th-minute winner for the Russians, who started the night not only needing a win to have any hope of progressing beyond the group stage, but also banking on group rivals Lille and Trabzonspor playing out a draw in France.
Inter head coach Claudio Ranieri said luck played against his side following the loss.
"We achieved qualification a round early and this makes me happy," he was quoted as saying by football-italia.net.
"This evening we tried with all our strength, creating four or five scoring opportunities, but at this moment we are unlucky. I could not have asked for more from my players in terms of their desire to fight back, but luck is against us at the moment.
"When it's like that and the ball doesn't want to go in, we just have to wait. Sooner or later, it will turn our way," he said.
Against a side whose qualification as winners was already assured, the visitors had pressed from the start with Vagner Love having a third minute shot blocked in the box by the busy Andrea Ranocchia.
The visitors finally made their breakthrough five minutes into the second half when Love crossed from the right and Doumbia pounced to send a right-foot shot into the bottom corner of the net.
But the Russians' hopes were swiftly dampened by a lightning Inter response, Esteban Cambiasso equalising less than a minute later after Ranocchia headed into his path in the penalty area.
Then with three minutes to go, came the winner from Berezoutski who headed home a corner by Aleksandrs Cauna to confirm his side's remarkable escape.
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