The Hindu : Sport : Madrid moves closer to qualification

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Madrid moves closer to qualification

Marseille holds Milan; Bayern keeps hopes alive

— PHOTO: AFP

IMPORTANT STRIKE: Gonzalo Higuain (right) nets Real Madrid’s winner against FC Zurich on Wednesday.

LONDON: Real Madrid, AC Milan and Marseille remain locked in a battle to advance from the same group after not a single team clinched qualification in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Madrid tops Group ‘C’ with 10 points after Gonzalo Higuain scored in a 1-0 win over FC Zurich that saw the return of Cristiano Ronaldo from nearly two months out with an ankle injury.

Milan drew 1-1 with Marseille to be next with eight points, one more than the French club. Marco Borriello’s 10th-minute goal for the Italians was cancelled out six minutes later by Lucho Gonzalez.

Even if Marseille beats Madrid by a two-goal margin on Dec. 8, the Spaniards will still qualify if Milan defeats last-place Zurich.

Still, Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini is concerned that his team is not playing well.

“Of course, I’m worried. The team somehow does not really end up playing properly on the field,” the Chilean said. “It’s not the football the team needs to be playing — but we’re winning.”

Madrid will hope to have Ronaldo back to full fitness to play Marseille. The Portugal winger replaced Raul Gonzalez in the 70th against Zurich in his first club appearance since scoring twice against Marseille on Sept. 30.

Juve in trouble

Juventus is in danger of elimination after losing 2-0 to Bordeaux, which secured top spot in Group ‘A’. Fernando Menegazzo’s header put Bordeaux ahead shortly after halftime, and Marouane Chamakh sealed the win with another header in stoppage time.

Bordeaux had already clinched qualification and tops the group with 13 points. Juventus remains second with eight points, one more than Bayern Munich, which beat Maccabi Haifa 1-0 courtesy of Ivica Olic’s second-half strike off a rebound.

Juventus will face Bayern in two weeks for a spot in the knockout stage.

“It was a very important game for us. I hope we can now do it in Turin,” Olic said.

Chelsea clinched top spot in Group ‘D’ by beating FC Porto 1-0 after Nicolas Anelka headed in from close range in the 69th minute in a largely uneventful match between two teams that had already qualified.

Atletico Madrid and Apoel Nicosia, who are battling for third place and a spot in the Europa League, drew 1-1 in Cyprus. Atletico has three points, one more than APOEL.

Besitkas stuns United

Besitkas upset Manchester United 1-0 to end the Red Devils’ home Champions League unbeaten streak at 23 matches. United, last season’s runner-up, had already qualified from Group ‘B’ and was beaten by Rodrigo Tello’s 30-meter deflected shot in the 20th.

United, which will secure top spot with a draw at Wolfsburg on Dec. 8, leads the group with 10 points. Wolfsburg and CSKA Moscow each have seven points after CSKA beat the German team 2-1 in Moscow. Besiktas has four points.

The results: Group ‘A’: Bordeaux 2 (Fernando 54, Chamakh 90+4) bt Juventus 0; Bayern Munich 1 (Olic 62) bt Maccabi Haifa 0.

Group ‘B’: CSKA Moscow 2 (Necid 58, Krasic 66) bt Wolfsburg 1 (Dzeko 19); Manchester United 0 lost to Besiktas 1 (Tello 20).

Group ‘C’: Real Madrid 1 (Higuain 21) bt FC Zurich 0; AC Milan 1 (Borriello 10) drew with Marseille 1 (Lucho 16).

Group ‘D’: FC Porto 0 lost to Chelsea 1 (Anelka 69); Nicosia 1 (Mirosavljevic 5) drew with Atletico Madrid 1 (Simao 62). — AP

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