Champions League: Leonardo Sees Off Arsenal

Posted by Alex Homer on Dec 9th, 2009 in Football, Sport | 0 comments

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Leonardo’s 47th minute strike put an end to Group H winners Arsenal’s unbeaten run in the Champions League group stages and saw Olympiakos qualify for the last 16.

After a foul on the halfway line referee Cortez Batista let play go on as Leonardo strode powerfully through holes in the Gunners’ defence and slotted home with his left boot.

The 30,000 spectators in Athens made their feelings known to the hosts at half-time, booing their team’s efforts against a second string selection from Arsene Wenger.

Theo Walcott (pictured) looked the most likely to open the visitors’ account in a slow first half as he found space behind centre backs Olof Mellberg and Georgios Galitsios.

While Walcott’s pace was never in question, months without regular football left his first touch less sharp as he failed to pull down long balls with control.

Arsenal’s narrow formation – natural left-footer Jack Wilshere started on the right and regularly drifted inside – made the midfield congested and passing unnecessarily difficult.

As Fran Merida and Alex Song chose to stand off midfield sweeper Enzo Maresca – the slow pace of play and space allowed the former West Bromwich Albion man to spread play without challenge, letting the Greeks back into a game they did not deserve to win on their first-half display.

Wilshere switched wings after the first goal but Arsene Wenger’s men were unable to muster an equaliser. Aaron Ramsey came closest after 89 minutes with a left foot volley, cleared off the line by goal-scorer Leonardo.

Liverpool 1 – Fiorentina 2

Alberto Gilardino’s injury-time strike saw Liverpool’s dismal Champions League campaign end in defeat at Anfield, in Alberto Aquilani’s first start for the club.

Unable to qualify from Group E on tonight’s result, the Reds’ morale, if not their progression, took a further hit when Gilardino met Juan Vargos’s cross, after Vargos had robbed young defender Stephen Darby of possession.

Yossi Benayoun had opened the scoring two minutes before half-time when he met Steven Gerrard’s free kick but Martin Jorgensen leveled on 63 minutes.

Sevilla 1 – Rangers 0

Walter Smith’s Rangers side crashed out of Group G with just two points to show from their six games after Fredi Kanoute’s penalty saw Sevilla to victory.

Champions League group winners: Bordeaux, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Fiorentina, Barcelona, Sevilla, Arsenal.

Second-placed finishers:Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, AC Milan, FC Porto, Lyon, Inter Milan, Stuttgart, Olympiakos.

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