All four of England's UEFA Champions League representatives will be striving to rediscover their goalscoring touch on Matchday 5 after failing to score in the Premier League on Saturday. Villarreal CF also failed to register and slipped to their first Liga reverse of the season, although there is cause to be optimistic for FC Zenit St. Petersburg and Aalborg BK.
Goal shy
Manchester United FC, Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC all drew 0-0, though Arsenal FC will perhaps have most to prove following a second successive league defeat, 3-0 at Manchester City FC. Elsewhere, AaB stretched their unbeaten run to eight matches in all competitions since Allan Kuhn was installed as coach, a run Zenit can better by one after ending the Russian Premier-Liga campaign with a flourish of nine games undefeated to secure fifth spot and a return to UEFA club competition in 2009/10.
| Group A | Chelsea FC 0-0 Newcastle United FC
Luiz Felipe Scolari: "We played for the win and we had chances to get that but didn't have the quality we needed in the penalty area. We had three or four chances but couldn't score and it's two points lost. Newcastle were better than us in that they came for a draw and they achieved that, so that's fantastic for them." | FC Girondins de Bordeaux 1-1 Stade Rennais FC
(Gourcuff 60; Thomert 20)
Laurent Blanc: "The two teams played to win and either might have done that. I said to my players I was satisfied with their display and the game overall, even if we're disappointed with the scoreline. Rennes are the team who have improved the most since the beginning of the season, the team who created us problems the most physically. They are impressive. We lose points but I'm one of those people who think we're on the right path. We won't change anything." | US Lecce 0-3 AS Roma
(Vučinić 10, Juan 38, Totti 48)
Luciano Spalletti: "I noticed the team were in good form during the week and I was very confident ahead of this game. The players are back in form. We played well for the whole 90 minutes giving no chance to Lecce. I think the new formation with two forwards is good for us at this moment of the season. We have to keep working hard because we can surely bounce back after a difficult start."
| CS Pandurii Lignitul Târgu Jiu 2-1 CFR 1907 Cluj
(Stanga 15, 45; Trică 58)
Maurizio Trombetta: "The result is fair, taking into consideration how the match was played. Pandurii deserved the victory. I am not at all satisfied with myself or the team. We missed the opportunity to move closer to the top-ranked teams. It's difficult to play at the same time in the championship and in the UEFA Champions League." |
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| Group B | Panathinaikos FC 3-0 Thrasivoulos Fylis
(Ivanschitz 7, Petropoulos 54 57)
Henk ten Cate: "It's a good result but I would have liked for my team to score more goals. I am very satisfied with Petropoulos, who took his chance given that Vangelis Mantzios was injured. He was very good in the training sessions so I decided to field him in the starting lineup, and he proved me right. He showed his talent in the box and made use of his power. Now we have to shift our thoughts to the match against Inter. It's tough to do that after such a comfortable encounter." | FC Internazionale Milano 1-0 Juvenuts
(Muntari 72)
José Mourinho: "It's never easy to face Juventus. I think we played very well and clearly deserved the victory. We were perfect tactically. The result was only 1-0 but I think there are no doubts that the best team won today. Before the game I told the players that we could win with the right approach. I have a lot of respect for Juve and tonight we won a very important game." | Hamburger SV 2-1 Werder Bremen
(Guerrero 6, Olić 74; Diego 24)
Thomas Schaaf: "There is only one thing I can blame my team for – we worked a lot but did not get a return, we did not score enough. We have seen a very good derby; we were very active and played well. We have improved considerably compared to recent weeks but unfortunately we did not capitalise." | Apollon Limassol FC 1-2 Anorthosis Famagusta FC
(Yovov 64; Frousos 74, Sávio 85)
Temuri Ketsbaia: "Congratulations to my players for claiming a big win in a tough away match. It was an important win over a great team like Apollon, who have always proved to be very hard to play at their own ground. We knew it wouldn't be easy because we were also thinking of Wednesday's big game which is not only important for Anorthosis but for all of Cypriot football. It was hard to remain focused in the game but the players came through in the end. Now, a really tough game against Werder Bremen awaits us. We need to prepare as soon as possible but we also need to rest so we can be physically ready for this very big game. We are hopeful." |
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| Group C | FC Thun 0-4 FC Basel 1893
(Derdiyok 22 29 60, Gjasula 90)
| FC Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 FC Lviv
(Gai 53, Luiz Adriano 61)
Mircea Lucescu: "There was a big difference between the previous match against Dynamo Kyiv and this one. In the first game both teams tried to win whereas in the second, only one team wanted to win and the other tried not to concede. Nevertheless, we are glad to have the three points. Now the most important thing is to prepare properly for the game against Basel." | FC Barcelona 1-1 Getafe CF
(Keita 72; Manu 19)
Josep Guardiola: "I'd like to thank everyone who came to support us today and who applauded us at the end. You can't fool the fans and the days when we don't play well they don't applaud us. That they did today was because they saw their team making a big effort and always looking for openings. We were missing that final touch in the last third of the field but my team dominated the game, above all in the second half." | A. Naval 1° Maio 0-1 Sporting Clube de Portugal
(Liedson 14)
Paolo Bento: "This game will be remembered for the rest of the season. It was a very important win. Despite the penalty against us, we managed to score from a good attacking move. In the second half we were not so good but we never lost control of the match. Even when we were reduced to ten and then nine players, my team were brave and very strong at back. Naval did not have any goals attempt in that period and we very nearly made it 2-0 in the dying minutes. I want to congratulate the players for their outstanding performance." |
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| Group D | PSV Eindhoven 4-0 Heracles Almelo
(Rodríguez 15, Afellay 29, Lazović 32, Dzsudzsák 38)
Huub Stevens: "One knows that every match with PSV is an exam. Every match has pressure on it and everyone wants to beat PSV. Until we went 1-0 up we had our problems but, after that goal, we started to combine the way I like it. That is why I was in the position to start substituting players with the 4-0 score at half-time because I had an eye on the upcoming weeks. We played at a higher tempo then Heracles but then you also have to force them to make mistakes. I would have loved to see more goals in second half but unfortunately we did not manage to do so." | CD Numancia 1-1 Club Atlético de Madrid
(Barkero 90pen; Forlán 34)
Javier Aguirre: "The problem we had was not being able to kill the game off in the first half. We were in control until the last ten minutes. We have to learn how to control the closing stages of these types of games. In the end the result was a fair one but we're going back to Madrid angry and with a bitter taste in our mouths." | Olympique de Marseille 2-2 LOSC Lille Métropole
(Samassa 47, Zenden 90; Rami 11, Michel Bastos 37)
Erik Gerets: "After a first half where everything went wrong, we reacted well. We could have beaten Lille had we got the ball forward faster but their team do not leave much space. We improved in the second half and we deserved the point. We took risks and our opponents found space as a consequence. But I'm happy my players were able to come from behind in the second half." | Liverpool FC 0-0 Fulham FC
Rafael Benítez: "We didn't play well in the first half, the second was much better. We had chances in both halves and could have scored but we have lost two points. It's a home game where you have to win – you have to win almost every game here and there's frustration because of other results. We're really disappointed. We didn't have enough energy and so didn't control the game but Fulham played well." |
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| Group E | Aston Villa FC 0-0 Manchester United FC
Sir Alex Ferguson: "We were the better team, Villa had a couple of crosses into the box that caused us a lot of bother and they had some corners and free-kicks but apart from that we didn't have too many problems. It was an opportunity for us to edge closer to the top two but in the context of the competitive nature of the game, I don't think you can say it's a bad day for us. The possession we had in the first half was good, but for 15 or 20 minutes at the start of the second half they got on top of us and that changed the game." | Villarreal CF 0-3 Real Valladolid CF
(Sesma 22 42, Prieto 45)
Manuel Pellegrini: "We had to lose at some stage. This was a black night for us – we hardly had a shot on goal or strung two passes together. These type of defeats always affect you but we have to lift ourselves. We have to accept this loss, learn from it and move on. The important thing is to get our rhythm back and concentrate on qualifying for the next phase of the UEFA Champions League." | Saint Mirren FC 1-3 Celtic FC
(Hamilton 89; Samaras 64, Nakamura 66, Sheridan 80)
Gordon Strachan: "I felt we played well in periods and we're fortunate that we've got people that can do something different. We're fortunate that we've got good players that can change games and that's what happened. It's that wee bit of magic that can make the difference in tight games. The first goal was a fantastic move and the second goal from Nakamura was just a genius at work." | Vejle BK 0-3 Aalborg BK
(Risgård 12, Kristensen 28, Johansson 90)
Kasper Risgård, AaB midfielder: "It is absolutely no coincidence that this was our eighth match in succession without defeat [in all competitions] since Allan Kuhn took over as head coach. He has made us find our old virtues again, and under him we have managed to become more organised on the pitch again. Now we really stand together as a team − just like we did in our golden season last term." |
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| Group F | FC Universitatea Craiova 0-0 FC Steaua Bucureşti
Dorinel Munteanu: "There is not too much to say about this match. As in our last matches, the team who played and dominated, Steaua, did not win. We missed so many opportunities. I think my team is suffering a mental block." | FC Bayern München 4-1 FC Energie Cottbus
(Ribéry 29, Demichelis 38, Klose 54, Toni 59; Skela 25)
Jürgen Klinsmann: "We are pleased with the three points, even though I would have wished for a couple more goals. We had enough chances to score them. Slowly, we are getting where we want to be. We want to be on top of the league when the first half of the season is over. The team is finding its rhythm more and more, having an extraordinary player like Franck Ribéry who is giving the game special notes. We now play Leverkusen and Hoffenheim and now I am really looking forward to how things look in December." | Paris Saint-Germain FC 1-0 Olympique Lyonnais
(Giuly 25)
Claude Puel: "We started well and had some good opportunities but PSG managed to break the deadlock during their own good spell. They kept it tight after that and it became difficult for us, but we didn't give up even when down to ten men. We weren't rewarded, though, for the spririt we showed." | ACF Fiorentina 4-2 Udinese Calcio
(Mutu 51pen, Montolivo 63 77, Gilardino 79; Floro Flores 29, Di Natale 83pen)
Cesare Prandelli: "I asked my players to react during the break and they did it brilliantly. The first 25 minutes of the second half were the best since I began coaching Fiorentina. Every player knew perfectly what to do on the pitch. I'm very satisfied with the character of the team; it was a great display. Mutu is very important to us because of his quality and his leadership. Now I want my team to continue playing as we did in the second half today." |
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| Group G | FC Porto (no match)
| MKE Ankaragücü 0-0 Fenerbahçe SK
Luis Aragonés: "It is a fair result. I placed three good attacking players behind Güiza; Alex, Deivid and Emre. The opposition defence played very well though, and we had few chances to score. On the other hand, Ankaragücü also did not have any chances. We'll try to improve. We dropped two points but won a point as well. The Porto match is very important for us. We'll take risks to win that game." | FC Dynamo Kyiv (no match)
| Manchester City FC 3-0 Arsenal FC
(Ireland 45, Robinho 56, Sturridge 90)
Arsène Wenger: "It was a very very tight game. At 0-0 we were in control but we made a mistake for the first goal. After that they defended very well and it was us trying to come back. We tried very hard and gave everything and if we'd kept it at 0-0 we could have won this game. I believe in this team and this squad – let's not talk too much, keep our belief and stay united." |
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| Group H | FC Internazionale Milano 1-0 Juventus
(Muntari 72)
Claudio Ranieri: "We conceded the goal in a strange way even if Inter had three or four other chances to score. We congratulate Inter but we don't want to give up. We did not play well but I think Inter deserved credit because they played very well. Ibrahimović was very good and was able to hold up the ball and create spaces for his team-mates." | FC Spartak Moskva 1-3 FC Zenit St. Petersburg
(Pavlenko 47; Pogrebnyak 5, Danny 19 41)
Dick Advocaat: "I'm happy with the win. This is my first success against Spartak. At half-time when the score was 3-0, I asked the team to play in the same style as in the first half. I think in general we have had a good season; winning a lot of trophies and many of our players were involved in the semi-final of the [UEFA] European Championship." | Real Madrid CF 1-0 RC Recreativo de Huelva
(Sneijder 39)
Bernd Schuster: "The result was important. I thought the winning margin was narrow considering the chances we had. It was vital to win this game for a lot of reasons one of which was that it was against a team that we should be beating at home. Higuaín went off with an ankle injury and I hope he's back with us soon because things can't continue like this for us. We're getting new injuries everyday." | FC Minsk 1-4 FC BATE Borisov
(Khachaturyan 87; Rodionov 45, Ktyvets 72 75, Bliznyik 90)
Viktor Goncharenko: "Of course, I am happy with the outcome. I think the confidence we got from this game will help us against Real Madrid." |
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