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Udinese compounds Spurs’ misery

LONDON: Udinese inflicted more misery on hapless Tottenham Hotspur with a 2-0 UEFA group stage victory on Thursday over the London side which contributed to its own downfall through poor goalkeeping and ill-discipline.

Competition favourite AC Milan brushed aside Heerenveen 3-1 to make a confident start in Group E while Sevilla, winner in 2006 and 2007, eased to a 2-0 home win over VfB Stuttgart in Group C.

In-form Udinese’s victory over Spurs increased the pressure on under-fire Spanish coach Juande Ramos, whose side props up the Premier League and failed to finish with 11 men for the second successive match.

Udinese, second in Serie A, were gifted the chance to take the lead midway through the first half when Tottenham keeper Heurelho Gomes failed to clear a backpass and then fouled Fabio Quagliarella to stop the Italian striker gaining possession.

Fellow Italian international Antonio Di Natale swept home the penalty.

Spurs, which had two players sent off in its defeat by Stoke City at the weekend, was reduced to 10 men just before the hour when Jamie O’Hara was booked twice in a minute.

A swift break secured the Group D points for Udinese four minutes from time with Simone Pepe firing home.

Class counts

Milan took a full-strength squad to Heerenveen and Carlo Ancelotti’s side made class count, stamping its authority on the game with two goals in the first 23 minutes.

An own goal from defender Calvin Jong-A-Pin, who diverted in Kaka’s cross, and a rare appearance on the scoresheet by midfielder Gennaro Gattuso put Milan in control.

Filippo Inzaghi made it 3-0 after 69 minutes, prompting Ancelotti to bring off Inzaghi, Kaka and Shevchenko and replace them with Ronaldinho, Marek Jankulovski and Alexandre Pato.

Sampdoria completed a fine night for Serie A sides, winning 2-1 at Partizan Belgrade in Group C.

Dzagoyev’s double

CSKA Moscow’s talented teenage playmaker Alan Dzagoyev scored twice as the 2005 winner opened its Group H campaign with a 3-0 win at home to Deportivo Coruna.

Dzagoyev, who made his debut for Russia in a World Cup qualifier against Germany this month, struck twice in three first half minutes for CSKA, unbeaten in the Russian league since July 20. Brazilian Vagner Love added a third on the hour.

This is the last season at the helm for coach Valery Gazzaev, who led CSKA to its European trophy when it beat Sporting in the 2005 final. He said in July that he would step down when the Russian season finishes in November.

Aston Villa got the better of Ajax Amsterdam in a pulsating clash between two former European champions as it edged the Group F rival 2-1 at Villa Park.

Bundesliga leader Hamburg and German rival Schalke 04 recorded opening group stage victories.

Hamburg won 2-1 in Slovakia against Zilina in Group F with Croatian internationals Mladen Petric and Ivica Olic getting their goals, while the 1997 winner Schalke 04 brushed aside Paris St. Germain 3-1 in a Group A tie in Gelsenkirchen.

Australian Harry Kewell headed the only goal in the first half to earn 2000 winner Galatasaray a 1-0 Group B win over Greece’s Olympiakos Piraeus in Istanbul.

The top three teams from each of the eight groups progress to the first knockout round where they will be joined by the eight sides finishing third in their Champions League groups.

The results: Group A: Schalke 04 3 (Mabiala 12-og, Kuranyi 39, Hal. Altintop 69) bt Paris SG 1 (Chantome 90+2); FC Twente 1 (Denneboom 6) bt Racing Santander (ESP) 0.

Group B: Galatasaray 1 (Kewell 25) bt Olympiakos 0; Hertha Berlin 1 (Pantelic 73) drew with Benfica 1 (Angel Di Maria 51).

Group C: Sevilla 2 (Ndiri 15, Renato 16) bt VfB Stuttgart 0; Partizan Belgrade 1 (Diarra 34) lost to Sampdoria 2 (Bonazzoli 20, Dessena 55).

Group D: Udinese 2 (Di Natale 24-pen, Pepe 86) bt Tottenham 0; Dinamo Zagreb 3 (Mandukic 4, Balaban 81, Vrdoljak 84) bt NEC Nijmegen 2 (Carlos 23-og, Ti. Janssen 79).

Group E: Heerenveen 1 (Pranjic 85-pen) lost to AC Milan (ITA) 3 (Jong-a-Pin (19-og), Gattuso 25, F. Inzaghi 69); Braga 3 (Aguiar 8, Renteria 47, Alan 88) bt Portsmouth 0.

Group F: MSK Zilina 1 (Rilke 68) lost to SV Hamburg 2 (Petric 16, Olic 45+1); Aston Villa 2 (Laursen 8, Barry (45) bt Ajax 1 (Vermaelen 22).

Group G: FC Copenhagen 1 (Santin 58-pen) lost to Saint Etienne 3 (Gomis 2, Perrin 37, Payet 65); Rosenborg 0 drew with Club Brugge 0.

Group H: CSKA Moscow 3 (Dzagoev 9, 12, Vagner Love 61) bt Deportivo La Coruna 0; Nancy 3 (Zerka 48, Feret 54, Helder 85) bt Feyenoord 0. — Agencies

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