Date:09/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/12/09/stories/2004120908561800.htm

Sport - Football

Werder Bremen shows Valencia the door; Porto and Arsenal advance

LONDON, DEC. 8. Benni McCarthy's 85th minute goal sent defending champion Porto into the second round of the European Champions League with a 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Tuesday and ended the unbeaten streak of former coach Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho, who guided Porto to last year's title before moving to England, enjoyed an early lead with Damien Duff's 33rd minute goal, but watched as Ribas Diego equalised in the 60th and McCarthy won it with five minutes remaining.

The victory enabled Porto to overtake Paris Saint-Germain for second place in Group H and a spot in the final 16. Chelsea, which already was assured of advancing, finished atop the group with 13 points despite Mourinho's first loss in 16 Champions League games with Porto and Chelsea.

PSG lost 3-1 at home to last-placed CSKA Moscow, who had three goals from Sergei Semak. CSKA was on course to advance until McCarthy's late strike, while the French club dropped from second to last and missed out on the consolation of a UEFA Cup berth awarded to the third-place finisher.

Arsenal fires away

Arsenal jumped out to a 3-0 lead midway through the first half and crushed Rosenborg 5-1 at Highbury to finish atop of Group E, and German champion Werder Bremen won 2-0 at Valencia, thanks to two strikes by substitute Nelson Valdez, to also reach the second round from Group G.

After four consecutive draws, Jose Antonio Reyes put Arsenal ahead in the third minute and the Gunners raced to a 4-1 halftime lead.

Thierry Henry and Francesc Fabregas added goals five minutes apart to extend the lead to 3-0 by the 29th minute. Though Erik Hoftun scored one for the Norway side, Robert Pires converted a penalty to restore the lead four minutes before the break. Robin van Persie added the finale with seven minutes to go.

Nine clubs already had secured places in the last 16 — Italy's Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan, England's Chelsea and Manchester United, Germany's Bayern Munich, French champion Lyon, Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and Spanish league leader Barcelona.

``When it came back to 3-1 there was a little moment of worry,'' Wenger said. ``But we always controlled the game and looked dangerous when we won the ball back.''

Greek champion Panathinaikos scored a 4-1 victory over already qualified PSV Eindhoven but failed to make it because of Arsenal's triumph.

Team captain Markus Munch scored twice in Athens and, although United States international DaMarcus Beasley levelled for the Dutch team, Panathinaikos ran away a comfortable winner. The loss meant PSV slipped to second.

After Bremen's 2-0 victory meant the German champion joined Bayern Munich in the last 16, Valencia had forward Miguel Angel Angulo sent off as tempers flared just before the final whistle.

Coach Claudio Ranieri was unhappy with the performance of Swedish referee Anders Frisk.

``The referee favoured them (Bremen) and this makes you nervous. I understand how they cut the referee's head in Rome,'' Ranieri said in reference to a Roma fan hurling an object that hit Frisk on the head during an abandoned Champions League game against Dynamo Kiev in September.

Milan was held 0-0 by Glasgow Celtic but finished top of Group F, while Shakhtar Donetsk produced the surprise of the evening, a 2-0 victory over Spanish league leader Barcelona with two first-half strikes by Nigerian forward Julius Aghahowa.

Another Nigerian striker, Obafemi Martins, scored two as Inter Milan beat last-placed Anderlecht 3-0 to finish top of Group G ahead of Bremen.

The results: Arsenal bt Rosenborg 5-1; Celtic drew with AC Milan 0-0; FC Porto bt Chelsea 2-1; Inter Milan bt Anderlecht 3-0; PSG lost to CSKA Moscow 1-3; Panathinaikos bt PSV 4-1; Shakhtar Donetsk bt Barcelona 2-0; Valencia lost to Werder Bremen 0-2.