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Tinkering, blunders put Benitez under pressure Page 18

MANCHESTER: Donetsk’s goalkeeper (centre) punches the ball clear as Manchester United’s Phil Jones (second right) attempts to head the ball during their Champions League group A soccer match between Manchester United and Shakhtar Donetsk at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester yesterday. — AP United find home comforts, secure top spot

vived several near-misses against the could have put the visitors dangerous positions, but gradually United swinging Young free-kick and repelling a vol- Ukrainian champions before prevailing ahead in the 12th minute after running onto roused themselves. Wayne Rooney, back in ley from Shinji Kagawa before Rooney feath- Man Utd 1 through a second-half goal from Phil Jones. a pass from fellow Brazilian Taison, but he the team after a domestic suspension, ered a chip onto the roof of the net. As well as eliminating Shakhtar, the result sent the ball inches wide of United goal- brushed the side-netting with a free-kick, Moyes’s decision to introduce Robin van gave United three home victories in the keeper David de Gea’s left-hand post. Andriy while Ashley Young spurned two excellent Persie and Tom Cleverley energized the group phase for the first time since they last Pyatov had already saved from Jones by that opportunities prior to half-time. The first saw crowd further and in the 67th minute, United Shakhtar 0 won the competition in 2007-08.Manager stage and the Shakhtar goalkeeper also had him collect a lofted pass from Giggs before scored. Van Persie’s right-wing corner took a David Moyes can now look forward to a to box away a half-volley from tournament lobbing narrowly wide with only Pyatov to glancing blow off a defender at the near favorable tie in the last 16 when the draw is debutant Adnan Januzaj, but United contin- beat and he then sliced badly off-target with post and sat up invitingly for Jones, who made next Monday, while Shakhtar slip into ued to look vulnerable. One-time United tar- his left foot after being teed up by Rooney. smartly readjusted his body position and MANCHESTER: Manchester United drew a the Europa League due to Bayer Leverkusen’s get slashed a shot wide after The visitors threatened again early in the lashed home a low volley. Cleverley volleyed line beneath recent back-to-back home 1-0 win over Real Sociedad in the other Alexander Buttner committed himself too second period, Yaroslav Rakitskiy seeing a over as United looked to extend their lead defeats by overcoming Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 group game. Having already seen their team early, while Alex Teixeira could only fire shot deflected wide by Jones after a corner and Van Persie dinked a shot wide in stop- at Old Trafford yesterday to secure top spot beaten twice in the space of a week, there straight at De Gea after ghosting past Ryan ran right across the United box, and news page time, but Jones’s strike proved enough in Champions League Group A. Beaten 1-0 was an understandable nervousness about Giggs, Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans. that Leverkusen had taken the lead in Spain to settle the game and begin the process of by first Everton and then Newcastle United the Old Trafford crowd that Shakhtar seemed Giggs and Ferdinand looked particularly did not aid the hosts’ cause. They improved, repairing Old Trafford’s once formidable rep- in their last two home games, United sur- eager to exploit. ponderous, both conceding possession in however, with Pyatov palming away an in- utation. — AFP Real blank Copenhagen COPENHAGEN: Cristiano Ronaldo corner in the 25th minute. Ronaldo, became the first player to score who seemed absent during the first nine goals in the group stage of the 45 minutes, scored three minutes Copenhagen 0 Champions League yesterday as he into the second half - pouncing on helped the Spanish giants to a 2-0 a ball headed on by Pepe. Though victory at Copenhagen. Madrid, Madrid had more possession, which already secured top spot in Copenhagen caused its opponents Real 2 Group B, took the lead when problems on the counter-attack. Croatia playmaker Luka Modric The Danish club finished bottom of curled the ball into the top-right the group. — AP Benfica beat PSG, bow out

before this game, and their coach played the initial pass, but the hosts were Laurent Blanc was therefore able to leave afforded the chance to draw level just Benfica 2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic and before the break. behind in Paris along with suspended Debutant Traore was penalised by duo Marco Verratti and Gregory Van der English referee Mark Clattenburg for a Wiel. In their absence, Blanc gave starts to clumsy challenge on Silvio right on the PSG 1 the likes of Zoumana Camara, Javier edge of the area, and Lima confidently Pastore, Adrien Rabiot and Jeremy beat Sirigu from 12 yards from the result- Menez, while there was a debut at right- ing penalty. Buoyed by that, Benfica con- back for the Malian Kalifa Traore. tinued to push forward after the restart, LISBON: Benfica were eliminated from Benfica’s fate was out of their hands and Sirigu was again called into action to this season’s Champions League yes- but they showed the greater urgency save a powerful shot by Lima. They went terday despite coming from behind to right from kick-off against a PSG side on to take the lead for the first time in the beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in Lisbon playing without pressure. Enzo Perez sig- 58th minute, though, Argentine winger in their final game in Group C. Edinson naled their intent with a curling effort Gaitan tucking away the loose ball for his MUNICH: Bayern’s Jerome Boateng (right) and Manchester City’s Edin Dzeko challenge for the ball during the Cavani gave the visitors the lead at the inside the opening five minutes that was first goal of the campaign after Camara Champions League group D soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Manchester City yesterday. — AP Estadio da Luz only for Brazilian for- heading for the top corner until Salvatore had blocked a Maxi Pereira cross. ward Lima to level from the penalty Sirigu intervened with a fine flying save. Blanc responded by sending on the spot before half-time. Sirigu then boxed away a Silvio shot, fresh legs of energetic duo Blaise Matuidi Nicolas Gaitan then scored what while Gaitan and Nemanja Matic both and Ezequiel Lavezzi for the final half City surprise Bayern proved to be the winning goal for the narrowly missed the target in the open- hour and the latter nearly leveled mid- Portuguese giants in the 58th minute, ing half hour. way through the second half, lifting the MUNICH: Manchester City, seemingly al regulars, composed themselves and but the final outcome was academic as The Ligue 1 leaders had offered little ball just past the far post from a Menez down and out as they trailed Bayern David Silva began the fightback with Olympiakos got the victory they required at the other end with the exception of a assist. Benfica held on, but there were no Bayern 2 Munich 2-0 after 12 minutes, hit back a goal just before the half-hour. in the night’s other Group C game. The first-time Menez strike that was stopped favors from Anderlecht in Greece, and for a stunning 3-2 away win to end Aleksandar Kolarov leveled with a Greek side beat Anderlecht 3-1 in Greece by Artur in the home goal. However, PSG last season’s Europa League runners-up the Germans team’s run of 10 consec- penalty in the 59th minute and James and advance to the last 16 due to their got their noses in front in the 37th will have to settle for another crack at utive Champions League wins yester- Milner side-footed the winner three superior head-to-head record against minute as Cavani converted his 15th goal that competition in the New Year. PSG, Man City 3 day. Bayern appeared to be strolling minutes later. Both teams had already Benfica, twice winners of the European in all competitions this season, rolling in a meanwhile, can still dream of returning to another win as Thomas Mueller and qualified before kickoff and finished Cup in the 1960s. Menez cutback from on the goalline. to the Estadio da Luz for the final in May Mario Goetze, helped by poor defend- Group D with 15 points each, Bayern PSG, meanwhile, had already sealed Benfica could feel hard done by as Menez as their thoughts turn to next week’s ing, put the defending champions keeping top spot on their head-to- their progress as winners of the section may have been offside when Pastore draw for the last 16. — AFP quickly in control. City, missing sever- head record. — Reuters