Champions League: four hosts in wins as three others fall

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On Tuesday 18 September 2012, eight round one games kicked off in the 2012/13 UEFA Champions’ League in Groups ‘A’ through to ‘D’.

Of the eight, there were seven wins, four by home teams as another three hosts lost. Only one game ended scoreless and in a draw.

Group A

From the Maksimir Stadium, Croatian side Dynamo Zagreb fell 0-2 to Portuguese side Porto as host Paris Saint Germaine (PSG) blanked Dynamo Kyiv from Ukraine 4-1

Goals from Lucho Gonzalez on 41 minutes and Steven Defour at the death handed Porto a great start while in Parc des Princes, goals by new boys Zlatan Ibrahimovic on 19 minutes and Thiago Silva at the half hour mark and another from Alex on 31 minutes sent PSG to a 3-0 half time lead.

Kiev got one, a consolation on 87 minutes through Miguel Veloso but a  Javier Pastore strike deep in the game handed PSG the impressive 4-1 win.

Group B

In Group ‘B’, French Ligue 1 side Montpellier took a ninth minute lead but ended up losing 1-2 to Arsenal in their game played at de la Mosson Stadium. Younes Belhanda slotted in a penalty on nine minutes but Arsenal drew level on 16 minutes with a goal from Lukas Podolski before going 1-2 up on 18 minutes with a second goal by Gervinho.

Greek side Olympiakos Piraeus was seen off 1-2 by German Bundesliga side Schalke 04. Benedikt Höwedes sent Schalke 0-1 up on 41 minutes but the hosts drew level with a Djamel Abdoun goal on 58 minutes. But Schalke got their win at the hour mark with a goal by Klaas Jan Huntelaar who also squandered a penalty a minute later.

Group C

From the Guiseppe Meazza Stadium, AC Milan failed to get any goals and ended up in a 0-0 draw with Belgian Champions Anderlecht.

Spanish side Malaga who made their Champions league debut, dispatched Russian outfit Zenit Saint Petersburg 3-0in a game played at La Rosaleda Stadium.  A brace from Isco in the third and 76^th minutes and a second goal from Javier Saviola sealed the deal for Malaga.

Group D

In perhaps the biggest game of the night, host Real Madrid needed the magic of Cristiano Ronaldo to get past a tough Mancheseter City 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in a Group ‘D’ game.

Edin Dzeko got to the end of a Yaya Toure cross to send Man City 0-1 up on 69 minutes.

Seven minutes on, Marcelo levelled for Real Madrid but with five minutes to time, substitute Aleksandar Kolarov sent Man City 1-2 up, a goal that seemed to hand his team a win.

But not quite. Just two minutes on, action swung to the other end and Karim Benzema levelled and when it seemed headed for a 2-2 draw, Cristiano Ronaldo scored Real Madrid’s winner with virtually the last action of the game.

Other games

Out in Germany, from the Signal-Iduna-Park, reigning Bundesliga Champions Borussia Dortmund had a narrow 1-0 win over Dutch side Ajax.

Dortmund missed a 57^th minute penalty taken by Mats Hummels but got the winner through dependable striker Robert Lewandoski three minutes to time. 

Eight other games in round one will be played in Groups ‘E’ through to ‘H’ on Wednesday 19 September 2012.