British clubs enjoyed another big night in the Champions League as Matchday Two came to a close with eight games across Europe that saw Tottenham Hotspur, Glasgow Rangers and Manchester United collect big wins.
In Spain, Manchester United must consider itself lucky. Never real solid against Spanish opposition, United labored through a game that was almost entirely negative for the better part of an hour and yet came away with a 1-0 win. Valencia declined to attack for much of the first half, and United, lacking Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, did not have the invention to cut through.
It wasn’t until the late introduction of Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez that the game turned, and the young Mexican forward certainly crafted a fine finish. Taking service from Nani through to sub Federico Macheda, in the 85th, Hernandez displayed a superb first touch that allowed him to drive through two Valencia defenders and blast his shot past Cesar Sanchez.
The result was just what United needed and sees them tied atop the group with Rangers. They next face Bursaspor at home and have to consider themselves back in the driver’s seat after a disappointing 0-0 draw with Rangers in the opener. Rangers, on the other hand, now face a hungry Valencia side at Ibrox, then in Spain.
In the early Group D game, Rubin Kazan held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in Russia. Barcelona have yet to beat the Russian champs in three games. The match was not a classic, with Rubin content to defend for the majority of the match, and Barcelona’s passing was not particularly crisp or effective.
Both goals came off penalties. Dani Alves felled Vitali Kaleshin at the half hour, allowing captain Christian Noboa to sink from the spot. Thirty minutes later, a similar foul by Lasha Salukvadze on Andres Iniesta gave David Villa a look, which he barely squeaked past keeper Sergei Ryzhikov.
The result gives Rubin their first points in the Champions League this year and gives them a bit of a lifeline in a weak Group D. For Barcelona, the result may be another sign that fatigue is catching up with this undeniably talented team.
Panathinaikos had a lousy night at home, losing to 2-0 Copenhagen and staying dead last on zero points. Former Arsenal man Gilberto was sent off as the Danes went ahead thanks to goals from Dame N’Doye and Martin Vingaard. The match was colored in the buildup as two Danish fans were reported to have been stabbed pre-game.
Jamie Trecker is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com covering the UEFA Champions League.
