WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 SPORTS Chelsea beaten on Mourinho’s return PORTO: Jose Mourinho endured a miser- Casillas rushed out to save from another able return to face his old club FC Porto compatriot, Pedro Rodriguez, who had yesterday as Chelsea slumped to a 2-1 been played in by Willian. defeat at the hands of the Portuguese side Meanwhile, Porto’s formidable attack, in a rousing Champions League encounter. featuring the brawn of Vincent Aboubakar Andre Andre’s opener for Porto late in and the mesmerising skill of Yacine the first half was quickly cancelled out by a Brahimi, were only showing flashes of their superb Willian free-kick, but Maicon’s 52nd- potential. minute header proved to be the difference in this Group G clash played at a rip-roaring INSTANT REWARD pace. Porto were worthy winners, and But when the Algerian winger Brahimi Mourinho has now failed to win in three finally took on Chelsea right-back Branislav trips back to the Estadio do Dragao as Ivanovic, who has endured a troubled start Chelsea manager, following another 2-1 to the season, it brought instant reward in loss in 2004 and a 1-1 draw in 2007. the 39th minute. More importantly, Chelsea slip to third He jinked into the box and tried a shot in Group G, a point behind Porto and which Asmir Begovic saved. Begovic could Dynamo Kiev, who beat Maccabi Tel-Aviv 2- not, however, keep out the follow-up from 0 in Israel in the night’s other game. Andre Andre. It was always going to be an emotional The Dragao roared, but it was silenced occasion for Mourinho as he went back to right on the stroke of half-time. Ramires face the club he coached so successfully won a free-kick just outside the box and over a decade ago and led to Champions Willian stepped up to curl a beauty past a League glory in 2004. motionless Casillas for his third goal in as However, the reality for Mourinho was many games. Porto were stunned, but that he needed a positive result from his Chelsea were unable to build on that side to divert attention away from their moment of brilliance by the Brazilian as the stalling Premier League form, and he acted home side regained the lead just seven decisively when it came to his team selec- minutes after the restart, their captain tion. Eden Hazard and Nemanja Matic Maicon stooping to head a Ruben Neves might have been considered undroppable corner low past Begovic at his near post. in the past but they were both on the Costa was desperately unlucky not to bench at kick-off in Portugal, while Oscar, equalise virtually from the restart with a LONDON: Arsenal’s Francis Coquelin (right) challenges Olympiakos’ Kostas Fortounis during the Champions League Group F soccer match at Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao-the former superb strike from wide on the left that the Emirates stadium. — AP Porto striker-were missing from the squad looked to be arrowing into the far corner of entirely. the net but crashed back off the underside Instead, John Obi Mikel, Ramires and of the bar. Arsenal facing Euro crisis Willian all started, as did Diego Costa, who Nevertheless, the second goal gal- is currently suspended in domestic compe- vanised a youthful and energetic Porto tition. Iker Casillas, who became a sworn front six and they threatened to run riot as LONDON: Arsenal’s Champions League cam- Yet he still made five changes from Saturday’s been any cause for alarm when a Fortounis cor- enemy of Mourinho as the two fell out Giannelli Imbula stung the palms of paign was plunged into crisis as a horrendous win over Leicester, including the gamble on ner drifted harmlessly towards Ospina but, when working together at Real Madrid, Begovic and Aboubakar was denied by a mistake from goalkeeper David Ospina helped Ospina that would prove so costly. under no pressure, the keeper let it drop started in goal for the hosts and made a crucial last-ditch block just six yards out. Olympiakos claim a stunning 3-2 win at the Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain almost made an through his hands as though he was handling a record 152nd Champions League appear- Mourinho sent on Hazard and Matic, as Emirates Stadium yesterday. immediate impact as he fired into the side-net- grenade and the extra official behind the goal ance. And the Spaniard thwarted Mourinho well as Kenedy, but still Porto looked the Arsene Wenger’s side paid the price for an ting, while Walcott wasted a good opportunity ruled it had gone over the line before he could and Chelsea twice in the opening stronger team. Indeed, they deserved to error-strewn display that condemned them to a when he shot tamely at Olympiakos goalkeeper recover. There was more urgency about Arsenal exchanges, first turning behind a powerful win by a greater margin, but Danilo’s head- second successive Group F defeat and could ruin Roberto. After that spritely start, Wenger’s side in the second half and Per Mertesacker saw his shot from his international colleague Cesc er from a Miguel Layun corner agonisingly their hopes of qualifying for the last 16. lost their rhythm and it wasn’t long before their powerful shot saved by Roberto, with Santi Fabregas after good work by Costa. Then, came back off the far post. —AFP After falling behind to Felipe Pardo’s deflect- always-fragile defence began to creak. Centre- Cazorla’s goalbound strike from the rebound ed opener, Arsenal equalised through Theo backs Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel made a bravely headed off the line by Omar Walcott. hash of dealing with a routine cross, leading to a Elabdellaoui. But Wenger’s surprise decision to select Fortounis shot that deflected over. Cazorla was denied once more, this time by a Ospina instead of regular first choice Petr Cech And from the resulting corner, Olympiakos good stop from Roberto, and Arsenal’s pressure backfired in spectacular fashion late in the first took a 32nd minute lead as Arsenal’s lack of con- paid off in the 65th minute when Walcott half when the Colombian allowed a Kostas centration was punished. chipped a cross towards Sanchez in the six-yard Fortounis corner to slip through his grasp for an When the set-piece was pulled back to Pardo box and the Chilean buried his header into the embarrassing own goal. on the edge of the area, the winger was left with corner of the net. Alexis Sanchez dragged Arsenal back into it enough time and space to unload a powerful Astonishingly, Wenger’s team contrived to with a second half equaliser, but incredibly the effort that hit Oxlade-Chamberlain’s heel and shoot themselves in the foot yet again just 59 north Londoners imploded again with more deflected past Ospina. seconds later. slack defending gifting Iceland striker Alfred Esteban Cambiasso clipped an astute pass Finnbogason the winner. Beaten on all 12 visits COMICAL FASHION over the Arsenal defence to the unmarked Pardo of their previous visits to England, Olympiakos Arsenal’s response was instant and emphatic and he drilled a low cross to substitute had caused one of the great European upsets and they drew level three minutes later. Sanchez Finnbogason, who eased in front of the flat-foot- and Arsenal, who face group leaders Bayern slalomed away from two defenders and slipped ed Mertesacker to flick his shot past Ospina from Munich in their next two Champions League fix- a clever pass towards Walcott, who kept his com- close-range. tures, are in severe danger of being eliminated posure from a tight angle to guide home a first- Roberto produced a fine save to keep out from the tournament by early November. After time finish that Roberto should have done bet- Mesut Ozil’s free-kick and Sanchez headed nar- losing their opening group game at Dinamo ter with. Yet Arsenal’s relief was short-lived, with rowly wide, but it wasn’t long before Arsenal’s Zagreb, Wenger acknowledged there was no Olympiakos regaining the lead in comical fash- shell-shocked players were trudged off with the more margin for error. ion in the 40th minute. There shouldn’t have sound of jeers ringing in their ears. — AFP Valencia grab victory over lackluster Lyon PARIS: Valencia eased some of the pressure on under-fire coach Nuno Espirito Santo with a clin- ical defensive display to win 1-0 away to misfir- PORTUGAL: Chelsea’s Willian (left) celebrates with his teammate Cesar Azpilicueta after ing Lyon in Champions League Group H yester- scoring during the Champions League Group G soccer match against Porto. — AP day. The victory took Valencia, beaten by Zenit St Petersburg in their first outing, into second place in the group behind the Russians who won Zenit edge Gent again 2-1 at home over Belgian side Gent. Lyon carved out a number of chances in an open first half, but with some poor finishing still MOSCOW: Russian champions Zenit St cross from the right, sending the ball wide found themselves a goal down at the break. Petersburg maintained their perfect start in from seven metres. Their best attempt came on 27 minutes when Champions League Group H with a 2-1 win But in the 35th minute, Zenit broke the Mathieu Valbuena saw his blistering 25-yard free over Belgian side Gent yesterday. deadlock when Hulk set up Dzyuba and the kick turned on to the bar by Valencia’s French Goals by striker Artem Dzyuba and mid- Russian international headed home from goalkeeper Jaume Domenech.