Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
By Joe Wright0
Sep 17, 2013 4:22:00 PM
The Italian insists his side must improve upon their display in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Torino, despite a string of injury problems which "read like a wartime news bulletin"
Massimiliano Allegri has urged his AC Milan side to improve their performance level against Celtic after a they played "very badly" against Torino at the weekend.
Mario Balotelli's 96th-minute penalty salvaged a 2-2 draw on Sunday after the hosts had led 2-0 until the 88th minute of the match, and Allegri has warned that the Scottish champions could pose an even sterner test in their Champions League Group H opener at San Siro.
"We played very badly against a Torino side that caused us a lot of problems [on Sunday]," Allegri told a press conference. "Tomorrow will be a different game as they always are in the Champions League. It’s a great atmosphere.
"It’s a big match as we’ll be up against a team that are very physically strong as well as being technically good players, especially in the attacking department. They’ll be a tough team to face.
"The Champions League is different to Serie A. We can’t give away as much as we did with Torino. If you defend better, you attack better. It won’t be easy against Celtic and Ajax as it’s never easy in Europe. I think that Celtic are a strong team and we’ll see what happens."
The Rossoneri have been blighted by injuries in the opening few weeks of the season, with Kaka the latest to join the likes of Giampaolo Pazzini, Daniele Bonera, M'Baye Niang, Riccardo Montolivo, Mattia De Sciglio, Ignazio Abate and Stephan El Shaarawy on the treatment table, but Allegri insists he is not unduly concerned.
"I’m not worried at all about the situation," the 46-year-old continued. "This period that we’re going through, we’ve actually been a bit unlucky. We actually only have four players with what you can call muscular injuries. Then there are the traumatic injuries and here you’d need a crystal ball to see these things coming.
"The number of injuries we have reads like a wartime news bulletin but nevertheless, the work done by the medical staff and the physiotherapists has been outstanding."
Kaka suffered an abductor problem against Torino but agreed to waive his salary for the month he spends sidelined with the problem - something which Allegri feels is in keeping with the kind of player the Brazilian is.
"Kaka’s injury was getting worse and worse as the game wore on and the gesture that he gave yesterday regarding his salary shows the kind of guy he is and the respect he has for the club and the fans," he added.
Alessandro Matri is set to make his first Champions League appearance since joining the club from Juventus last season, and he is relishing the prospect of facing a side against whom he scored for the Bianconeri in 2012-13.
"It’ll be an emotional night. My Champions League debut in the San Siro - I can’t wait to get on the pitch and play this game," he said. "I played well against them last season so maybe that’s a good sign and let’s hope it happens again.
"I settled in quickly here. I knew a lot of the people already. If you’re playing for a big team, you can never have a place on the starting line-up guaranteed. But of course knowing that the coach believes in you, that the team believes in you, that everyone at the club is behind you, that really helps a player, especially when things are not going so well."
Pique: La Liga takes priority over Champions League
By Joe Wright21
Sep 17, 2013 3:46:00 PM
The defender believes it is risky to focus too heavily on winning Europe's top prize and claims his side need to show a broader range of tactical approaches to games
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique believes the club's priority remains La Liga this season as they prepare to get their Champions League campaign underway.
The Spanish champions face Eredivsie title-holders Ajax on Wednesday at Camp Nou as they look to put last season's humbling defeat to Bayern Munich behind them, but Pique believes too much focus on lifting Europe's top prize can ultimately work against a team come the end of the season.
"I think Barcelona’s role is to win the league above all," he told a press conference. "The Champions League is an extra that means you have had a tremendously good season. If you base everything on winning the Champions League, things can look bad if you don’t end up doing so - that’s why the league is more important. Against Bayern [last season] we weren’t comfortable, they were better than us, and that’s it. We won the league last season in a tremendous fashion and that is valuable."
Pique recently claimed Barcelona have suffered from becoming overly-reliant on their tiki-taka brand of football in recent seasons, and the defender has clarified the importance of finding a suitable 'Plan B' in attack - something which he hopes they will find under Gerardo Martino this season.
"I recently said we became too predictable," he continued. "People thought I was criticising our style of play, but if we changed that style we wouldn't have won so many titles and we wouldn't be here now. Clubs know how we play and opponents can predict our moves and create danger with counter-attacks. We need alternatives when we attack to be able to score goals, be faster in getting to the box.
"We have spoken to Martino about changes and we have a team with very offensive players. When we're 3-0 up, we carry on attacking when other clubs would sit on that result - we don't know how to do that. This club can't consider that option."
Finally, Pique acknowledged the benefit of Barca's La Masia contingent breaking into the side over recent years, admitting that the emergence of the likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi has been the only way they have coped with the spending power of Real Madrid.
"We’re lucky we have had a unique generation that's come through the youth team at zero cost," the 26-year-old added. "If we didn't have those players, we wouldn't be able to compete with Real Madrid. But that's always been the case in the history of Spanish football. We play with what we have."
Champions League plays second fiddle as Manchester clubs lower great expectations
Sep 17, 2013 1:43:00 PM
Underwhelming bonus payments on offer to players for European glory reflect a new approach from both United and City as they prioritise the Premier League under new managers
SPECIAL REPORT
By Greg Stobart
The Champions League has been something of an obsession for the two Manchester clubs over the last couple of years. At Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson was desperate to win the competition one last time before his retirement, while Manchester City's Abu Dhabi owners wanted to pursue their stated ambition of European domination. This year however, expectations are significantly lower.
It ended in tears for Ferguson last season with a quarter-final defeat to Real Madrid, with the Scot too distraught to face the media after the game. On the east side of Manchester, Roberto Mancini fell at the first hurdle for the second campaign in a row as City crashed out in the group stage with just three points. It may well have cost the Italian his job.
MAN CITY'S BONUS PACKAGE
PAYMENTS PER PLAYER
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNERS €202K
PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS €178K
FA CUP WINNERS €95K
This year, though, as United and City prepare to open their European campaigns on Tuesday, expectations are low at both clubs - not just among the supporters but within the respective boardrooms, too.
Indeed, as United entertain Bayer Leverkusen in their Group A opener and City travel Viktoria Plzen in Group D, both managers could be forgiven for having half an eye on Sunday's Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium.
The low expectations are reflected in the somewhat underwhelming bonus packages - which are reviewed each summer - on offer to the two squads should they conquer Europe next May.
If United win the Champions League - worth up to €60 million to the club - the players will each be handed a €232,000 bonus, more than the €179,000 on offer if they retain the Premier League title.
City, meanwhile, will also reward their players with €179,000 each for a title triumph and will pay €202,000 a man if they become European champions.
While the figures dwarf the bonus payments for FA Cup victory - €95,000 for United players, €83,000 for City - there certainly is no longer a sense that Europe is a massive priority for either side this season. MAN UTD'S BONUS PACKAGE
PAYMENTS PER PLAYER
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNERS £195K
PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS £150K
FA CUP WINNERS £75K
David Moyes and Manuel Pellegrini will target qualification for the knockout stages in the Champions League and apply their main focus on challenging for the Premier League title.
Moyes, certainly, has been told to concentrate on the league and the considerable task of following in the footsteps of Ferguson after 26 years of unparalleled success.
A group of Leverkusen, Real Sociedad and Shakhtar Donetsk represents a stern challenge for Moyes as he attempts to answer questions over how he will cope the pressure of his first foray into Europe's elite competition.
But the fact that the 50-year-old was hand-picked by Ferguson and awarded a six-year contract indicates the long-term thinking behind Moyes's appointment and the club are well aware that this will be a transitional season.
Moyes picks up €4.8m-a-year at United, significantly less than the £6m-plus annual package earned by Ferguson, while the new boss is on a €892,000 bonus for winning the Champions League.
Pellegrini, on the other hand, would cash in on a €1.2m bonus for Champions League glory but has been told to prioritise the domestic campaign, where players are on a €4,200 per point - or €12,500 a win - bonus system.
After being drawn in the 'Group of Champions' a year ago, Pellegrini has an easier task than his predecessor as City look to finish in the top two in a group with Plzen, CSKA Moscow and holders Bayern Munich.
Malaga's march to the quarter-finals last term, where they were unfortunate to suffer last-gasp defeat to Borussia Dortmund, was a major factor in the decision to appoint Pellegrini to replace Mancini over the summer.
Nevertheless, with both Manchester clubs consolidating under new manager and the Premier League fading as European football's powerhouse, the Champions League will be put on the back-burner this season. New eras, new priorities.
Venue: Stade Velodrome Date: Wednesday, 18 September Kick-off: 1945 BST
Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud have been passed fit for Arsenal's opening Champions League Group F game against Marseille on Wednesday.
Midfielder Ozil, a club record £42.4m signing in the summer, has shaken off an illness while striker Giroud has recovered from a knee problem.
Defender Per Mertesacker is available after missing the win at Sunderland. Defensive player Isaac Hayden and and forward Chuba Akpom are both in Arsene Wenger's 18-man squad.
The Gunners have a long lost of injuries to key midfield and attacking players, with Lukas Podolski, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Abou Diaby, Santi Cazorla and Mikel Arteta all sidelined.
Giroud has recovered from the knock to his knee he picked up during the win at the Stadium of Light last weekend. The 26-year-old said he was looking forward to playing against a club he is familiar with.
"I know Marseille very well, it is a big atmosphere there and an amazing crowd," The France international, who signed from Montpellier in 2012, told the Arsenal website.
"I am sure we will fight as we need a first win in the Champions League to start well. We need to be strong. Even though we have a lot of injuries, we have a lot of quality and we need to win this game."
Marseille are set to include forward trio Mathieu Valbuena, Andre-Pierre Gignac and Dimitri Payet in their squad, while summer signing, attacking midfielder Florian Thauvin, could make his home debut.
"He has trained a lot and run a lot but he has hardly played any games," Marseille manager Elie Baup said.
"I know he is not yet ready but he needs to reacclimatise to playing competitive games."
Venue: Stamford Bridge Date: Wednesday, 18 September Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho says midfielders Frank Lampard and Oscar will start their Champions League opener against Basel on Wednesday.
The Blues manager has no injury concerns ahead of the visit of Murat Yakin's Swiss side to Stamford Bridge. And Mourinho says four players under the age of 22 will start for his side against a team they beat en route to winning the Europa League last season.
Chelsea have made their worst start to a Premier League season for a decade. But Mourinho, who reached two Champions League semi-finals in his first stint at Stamford Bridge, has no concerns ahead of Wednesday's game.
He said: "It's the Champions League - no matches, no points." Just before he left Chelsea in 2007, Mourinho complained about the quality of players available to him, likening them to eggs. But he is happy with the squad he has to select from for the game against Basel.
He said: "[They are] beautiful young eggs. Eggs that need a mum, in this case a dad, to take care of them, to keep them warm during the winter, to bring the blanket and to work and improve them.
"One day they will arrive in the moment where the weather changes, the sun rises, you break the eggs and the eggs are ready to go to the top level.
"If you think as we think in the club, in the evolution of the players and the team, it's very important for them to play on the big stage, and the big stage is the Champions League."
Chelsea's Europa League success last season came a year after they won the Champions League. Mourinho said: "Chelsea had a dream and the dream came true by winning the Champions League two years ago.
"It's normal if you win it once, you dream to win it twice. That happened to me and when I did it for the second time, I dreamed of winning it for the third time.
"I want to start the group phase by winning because last season Chelsea went outside its natural habitat of the Champions League and went out into a competition which isn't a Chelsea competition and we don't want to do that again."
UEFA Champions League: Bayern Munich 3 CSKA Moscow 0
18 September 2013
Bayern Munich got their European title defence off to a winning start as they recorded a straightforward 3-0 victory at home to CSKA Moscow.
A win for the hosts never looked in doubt and they found themselves ahead within the opening five minutes as the talented David Alaba fired a free-kick in from a central position, while Mario Mandzukic added a second with a header just before half-time.
Arjen Robben wrapped up the three points 22 minutes from time after a lovely assist by Alaba, thus securing a win in Pep Guardiola's first UEFA Champions League outing in charge of the German club.
Guardiola's men strolled to a similarly comfortable 2-0 win over Hannover at the weekend and the coach made only one change to that team as Dante replaced Daniel Van Buyten at centre-back.
The Russians also came into the game fresh from a domestic victory over Rostov, but the win came at a cost as Alan Dzagoev and Zoran Tosic both picked up injuries, meaning Aleksandrs Cauna and Steven Zuber took their respective places.
Bayern were in control from the start and they took the lead just four minutes in when Austrian Alaba steered a free-kick past Igor Akinfeev from the edge of the box.
The hosts' dominance was obvious as they monopolised possession, but they struggled to break down CSKA's resolute defence.
And when they did, 10 minutes from half-time, Mandzukic spurned a magnificent chance to double their lead.
Rafinha crossed from the right and the forward headed the ball onto the far post before it rolled into the arms of Akinfeev.
But Mandzukic made amends three minutes before the break when Robben whipped in a fearsome free-kick from the right and the Croatian forward diverted it past the helpless Akinfeev.
The visitors continued to struggle after the break and Robben could have scored a third, but his volley from inside the area was well saved.
Leonid Slutsky's men enjoyed a rare spell of possession in the hosts' half around the hour mark but they were almost punished soon after.
Mandzukic arrived in the box to meet Alaba's left-wing cross but again found Akinfeev in excellent form.
The Russian goalkeeper could do nothing to deny Bayern their third goal in the 68th minute, however.
Alaba produced a marvellous scooped pass over the CSKA defence and Robben smashed a low shot into the net.
Bayern continued to press for more in the dying stages as Robben's replacement Xherdan Shaqiri created danger on the right flank, but three goals were enough for Bayern who get their Group D campaign off to the perfect start.
UEFA Champions League: Manchester United 4 Bayer Leverkusen 2
18 September 2013
A Wayne Rooney brace saw Manchester United romp to a 4-2 win over Bayer Leverkusen in David Moyes' UEFA Champions League group stage debut.
The England international became only the fourth man in United's history to score 200 goals, after notching either side of half-time.
Rooney opened the scoring in the first half with a guided volley, but Simon Rolfes equalised against the run of play shortly after the break.
Robin van Persie put United back ahead shortly afterwards, before Rooney pounced on a lapse in the Leverkusen defence to make it 3-1 and Antonio Valencia scored a counter-attacking goal.
Omer Toprak pulled one back for Leverkusen with three minutes left, but it was scant consolation.
Marouane Fellaini made his first start for United since his deadline-day move from Everton, while Shinji Kagawa was included in the starting XI for the first time this season.
Leverkusen boss Sami Hyypia brought in Giulio Donati, Toprak and Emre Can to bolster the side that defeated Wolfsburg 3-1 on Saturday.
United controlled the tempo in the early exchanges and Chris Smalling almost broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute when he looped a header narrowly over the crossbar.
But just two minutes later the home fans were celebrating a goal their team's play deserved.
Patrice Evra gathered the ball on the left and played a pin-point cross to Rooney, who hit a first-time volley that hit the floor and bounced into the roof of the net – although television replays suggested that Valencia may have blocked goalkeeper Bernd Leno in an offside position.
Moyes' side nearly grabbed a second before half-time when Rooney's 25-yard free-kick from the left bounced narrowly wide of Leno's near post before Rooney pounced on a Toprak slip just after the restart but rounded the goalkeeper only to fire wide.
United were immediately punished when Leverkusen made it 1-1 in the 54th minute.
Heung-Min Son held the ball up well in the box before laying back to Rolfes, who hit a first-time bending effort from 20 yards that deflected off Michael Carrick beyond David De Gea.
They were not level for long and Van Persie restored United's lead in the 59th minute as Valencia surged down the right and centred for the Netherland's international to stretch and guide his volley into the back of the net.
And with 20 minutes remaining the result was put beyond doubt when De Gea's long punt down field caused confusion in the Leverkusen defence, and Rooney collected on the left before calmly slotting home at the near post.
Moyes' night got even better when with just 10 minutes left United broke from their own half before Rooney played an accurate ball into the path of Valencia who rifled home.
With three minutes left Toprak grabbed a consolation when he tapped home a rebounded effort after Stefan Reinartz headed against the crossbar from a corner.
UEFA Champions League: Galatasaray 1 Real Madrid 6
18 September 2013
Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Real Madrid to an opening-day UEFA Champions League triumph as they beat Galatasaray 6-1 in Istanbul.
The Portugal international scored a second-half hat-trick to seal an emphatic win, with Isco and a Karim Benzema double completing the three points.
Isco opened the scoring after controlling a perfect pass from Angel di Maria before netting his fourth goal in nine Champions League starts.
Benzema added a second early in the second half after more good work from Di Maria, the France international emphatically firing past Fernando Muslera to end the game as a contest.
Ronaldo’s quick double came just before Benzema added his second from close range, while Umut Bulut added a late consolation for the visitors before Ronaldo sealed the win following a mazy run.
Five players – including Wesley Sneijder and Muslera - returned to the Galatasaray starting line-up having been rested for the draw with Antalyaspor on Friday, with Fatih Terim partnering Burak Yilmaz and Didier Drogba in attack.
Carlo Ancelotti also made changes to his side from the 2-2 draw with Villarreal, recalling experienced goalkeeper Iker Casillas while Di Maria replaced Gareth Bale.
Unfortunately for Casillas, his game came to a premature end when he clashed with Sergio Ramos. The Spain goalkeeper tried to carry on but had to be replaced by Diego Lopez in the 14th minute with a back injury.
Lopez was called upon just before the half-hour mark as Melo got to a left-wing cross in front of his marker. His header looked destined for the bottom corner, only for Lopez to dive to his left to keep it out.
Having dealt with a sustained period of pressure from Galatasaray, the visitors took the lead with a piece of brilliant skill from Isco.
The youngster instantly controlled a long ball from Di Maria and one touch took him away from the defender before he calmly placed his shot into the back of the net off Muslera’s right-hand post.
Benzema doubled the visitors lead in the 54th minute when a poor defensive header from Melo dropped to Di Maria, he played Benzema in first time and the Frenchman calmly stroked the ball past Muslera.
Ronaldo got his first goal of the night just after the hour mark as Di Maria rounded Muslera and lifted a cross to the back post for Isco.
He nodded the ball back across goal to Ronaldo, who had the simple task of firing into the net from two yards.
His second was thanks to his quick reactions after more poor defending from the hosts.
They failed to mark Ramos from a Bale free-kick, and although the defender’s header was saved by Muslera, Ronaldo latched onto the rebound and fired home.
Benzema sealed an emphatic victory for Ancelotti’s side with a close-range finish from a low Ronaldo cross in the 82nd minute before Bulut got Galatasaray's late consolation.
Ronaldo then collected the matchball in the closing minutes as he beat three defenders before slotting his shot beyond Muslera.
Viktoria Plzen 0-3 Manchester City: Pellegrini's men off to flyer in Champions League
Goals from Edin Dzeko, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero gave the Premier League giants the perfect start to their European campaign in the Czech Republic on Tuesday night
Manchester City romped to a 3-0 win at Viktoria Plzen in their opening Champions League game of 2013-14 on Tuesday night.
Edin Dzeko opened the scoring and Yaya Toure's stunning strike doubled City's lead before Sergio Aguero stunned the Czech champions with a third soon after.
City have failed to progress from the group stage in the last two seasons but a convincing victory at the Doosan Arena will give them high hopes of an extended run this time around.
Plzen were unable to call on defensive duo Marian Cisovsky and Radim Reznik, however, as both were ruled out due to injury.
And to make matters worse for the home side, Pellegrini's men were rampant from the off. Plzen goalkeeper Matus Kozacik was called into action after just six minutes to tip Spain winger Navas’ right-foot strike from 20 yards out over the crossbar.
But City faced a scare when Aleksandar Kolarov was shown a yellow card for handball 16 minutes in and the defender then took a risk when he fouled Milan Petrzela three minutes later, although referee Paolo Tagliavento was happy just to give a free-kick.
Joe Hart fisted away the resulting set-piece from skipper Pavel Horvath - but City responded and Dzeko should have scored when he headed straight at Kozacik after being picked out by Kolarov.
The Premier League side continued to probe as Aguero rattled the post with a shot from outside the penalty area and Kolarov fired the rebound straight at the keeper. Indeed, the visitors were unable to break the deadlock before the break.
But City were in front just two minutes into the second half and Aguero was the architect, sliding a pass into the path of striker partner Dzeko, who found the bottom-right corner with a measured left-foot finish.
Dzeko fired over the bar a few minutes later but City doubled their lead after 52 minutes in spectacular fashion when Toure bent a stunning right-foot strike into the top-right corner of the net from 25 yards out.
City were rampant and they were out of sight when Aguero turned sharply just inside the penalty area and fired home with a clinical left-foot finish.
From then on, there was no looking back as Pellegrini's side completed a very comfortable European night to give them a much-needed three points. Based on tonight's performance, City fans will expect more of the same.
UEFA Champions League: Real Sociedad 0 Shakhtar Donetsk 2
18 September 2013
Real Sociedad were punished for failing to take their chances as they were beaten 2-0 by Shakhtar Donetsk thanks to Alex Teixeira's brace.
The home side had numerous chances to take the lead, but Shakhtar held firm and Teixeira showed his class in their opening game of Group A in the UEFA Champions League.
Jagoba Arrasate made three changes to his midfield for Sociedad's first European game since 2003, with Ruben Pardo replacing the injured David Zurutuza, Xabi Prieto and Markel Bergara all coming in to start.
Andriy Pyatov, Darijo Srna, Vyacheslav Shevchuk, Fernando, Tomas Hubschmann all came into the Shakhtar starting XI following their 3-2 defeat to Karpaty in the Ukrainian Premier League.
The opening exchanges were played at a frantic pace and Antoine Griezmann went close in the third minute with a low shot that had Pyatov stretching in the Shakhtar goal.
Carlos Vela had the best chance of the first half when he raced onto a throughball but his chip took a deflection and looped just wide of the goal with Pyatov stranded.
The home side were aggrieved to not get a penalty five minutes before the end of the first half when Srna brought down Prieto on the edge of the box.
Shakhtar came out with a new game plan in the second half and were proving hard to break down as they tried to counter when given the opportunity. Sociedad went close through Haris Seferovic but his effort was held well by Pyatov.
In the 65th minute, Shakhtar did counter to perfection and took the lead against the run of play through Teixeira. The midfielder got onto the end of Douglas Costa's teasing ball and drilled the ball into the bottom corner to silence the Sociedad crowd.
Sociedad tried to get level and they had a goal disallowed when Griezmann went through one-on-one. Vela then hit the crossbar from a free-kick but it was Teixeira who added further misery when he doubled the visitors' advantage.
The Brazilian cut in from the left-hand side before curling the ball into the bottom corner past the helpless Claudio Bravo, who was making his 200th appearance for the club.
Sociedad continued to push for a goal but in the end Shakhtar showed their European experience to pick up the three points.
UEFA Champions League: Copenhagen 1 Juventus 1
18 September 2013
Juventus had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Copenhagen after dominating much of their opening UEFA Champions League encounter in Denmark.
Nicolai Jorgensen gave the hosts the lead in the 15th minute in the Group B clash before Fabio Quagliarella levelled the scores 10 minutes into the second half.
It was scant reward for a Juventus side that enjoyed much more of the ball and created far better chances, only for wasteful finishing to deny Antonio Conte's side.
Stale Solbakken made one change from the side that drew 1-1 with Esbjerg at the weekend, Igor Vetokele making way for Daniel Braaten.
Conte made three changes from Saturday's 1-1 draw with Inter, with Angelo Ogbonna, Federico Peluso and Quagliarella coming in for Andrea Barzagli, Kwadwo Asamoah and Mirko Vucinic.
The Italian champions had the first effort of note in the fifth minute, Carlos Tevez meeting Andrea Pirlo's cleverly-taken corner but firing wide of the right-hand post from an angle.
Copenhagen took the lead after Juventus failed to deal with Pierre Bengtsson's deep free-kick from the right-hand side.
As a crowd of players jumped to challenge for the ball inside the six-yard box, it fell kindly for Jorgensen, who took a touch and slotted home beyond a helpless Buffon.
Juventus' response was immediate as Johan Wiland made two outstanding saves in a minute to keep his side in front midway through the half, keeping out efforts from Giorgio Chiellini and Paul Pogba when both players looked certain to score.
Tevez then curled his shot a yard over the crossbar in the 32nd minute as Juventus continued to pen their opponents back in search of an equaliser.
The second half began much as the first had ended, with the visitors in the ascendancy, and in the 52nd minute Tevez wasted a golden opportunity to level the scores.
Pirlo's first-time ball over the top caught the home defence square, but the Argentine forward, clean through on goal, saw his effort saved by the legs of Wiland.
Two minutes later, however, Juventus finally got the goal their dominance had warranted as Tevez stepped over Peluso's cross from the left and Quagliarella swept the ball high past Wiland from 10 yards.
Quagliarella was then inches away from a second in the 65th minute, his header from Lichsteiner's cross flicking the top of the bar and bouncing away to safety.
With 20 minutes to go, Jorgensen went close in a rare Copenhagen attack, driving forward before unleashing a shot from 20 yards that flew narrowly over Buffon's crossbar.
Arturo Vidal could have put Juventus in front with 15 minutes remaining after collecting Tevez's headed flick, but his weak effort rebounded away off Wiland's chest.
Moments later, Tevez was again denied by Wiland before Pogba's header bounced just wide of the post with the goalkeeper stranded.
With 10 minutes to go, substitute Sebastian Giovinco was the next man to be denied by the inspired Wiland as Juventus were left searching in vain for a winner.
UEFA Champions League: Olympiacos 1 Paris St Germain 4
18 September 2013
Thiago Motta's second-half brace helped Paris Saint-Germain to an impressive 4-1 win away to Olympiacos at the Karaiskakis Stadium.
Vladimir Weiss cancelled out Edinson Cavani's opener with a fine individual effort in the first half, before Motta headed home from two Ezequiel Lavezzi corners to put the visitors in control.
Young debutant Marquinhos added a fourth in the remaining few minutes, in what was eventually a convincing win for Laurent Blanc's side in their UEFA Champions League opener.
Olympiacos made three changes from the side that beat Xanthi at the weekend, with Javier Saviola, Kostas Manolas and Leandro Salino making way for Giannis Maniatis, Alejandro Dominguez and Dimitrios Siovas.
The Ligue 1 outfit handed a debut to 19-year-old Marquinhos, who was drafted in for the injured Alex.
Javier Pastore was ruled out with a foot injury, while Cavani was welcomed back to the starting line-up having been named on the bench for the weekend win over Bordeaux.
Like PSG, Olympiacos recruited a number of players during the transfer window, including former Rangers playmaker Weiss, who very nearly gave his team the perfect start after he sent a stinging long-range effort crashing off the bar within the first minute.
It was a sign of things to come from the Slovakian, who was given another chance 10 minutes later, rifling a low shot just past Salvatore Sirigu's near post.
The Turkish goalkeeper's woodwork was struck again a few minutes later thanks to David Fuster's looping volley as the home side continued to search for an opener.
They were made to pay for their wastefulness three minutes later, however, when Zlatan Ibrahimovic threaded a perfectly weighted ball into the path of Maxwell, who squared for Cavani to tap into an empty net.
But the goal failed to discourage Michel's side and they were duly rewarded for their persistence just six minutes later thanks to a fine individual effort from Weiss.
The winger picked up the ball on the right before cutting inside to shake off first Marquinhos and then Thiago Silva, before sending a flicked shot into the bottom corner of the net.
It was no less than they deserved as PSG struggled to maintain possession for large periods of the first half.
The visitors looked more settled after the break, but struggled to carve out an opportunity until the hour mark when Cavani forced a smart save from Roberto.
PSG gradually began to press, and took the lead for the second time after 68 minutes when Motta beat his marker to power home a header from Lavezzi's corner.
Olympiacos did not appear to learn their lesson and that move was recreated three minutes later, with Motta beating the challenge of Andreas Samaris to once again head home.
Michel threw on Javier Saviola in an attempt to regain a grip on the game, but the experienced striker could not stop his conceding again five minutes from time.
The home side once again failed to deal with a teasing cross into the box, leaving Marquinhos to direct a header past Roberto.
UEFA Champions League: Benfica 2 Anderlecht 0
18 September 2013
Jorge Jesus’ UEFA Champions League dream got off to a solid start as Benfica beat Anderlecht 2-0 in Group C on Tuesday.
First-half goals from Filip Djuricic and Luisao gave the home side an early advantage that they were not prepared to relinquish, and they now find themselves comfortably off the mark in a tough group.
With Paris-Saint Germain and Olympiacos still to come, Anderlecht now face a tough task to bounce back after struggling against their hosts.
For Jesus, who watched his men fall to Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the competition in 2012, the result represented an ideal home start.
Despite a number of injuries, the 59-year-old named a strong line-up, with 19-year-old Lazar Markovic, who was heavily linked with Chelsea in the close-season, leading their attack.
Meanwhile, Anderlecht manager John van den Brom also opted to showcase youth in his side, with 16-year-old Youri Tielemans named on the bench.
There was a return for goalkeeper Silvio Proto, who was a doubt for the clash with a stomach injury but shook off that problem to be involved.
However, within five minutes he was picking the ball out of the net as Benfica went ahead through Djuricic.
The Serbia international responded quickest when Proto parried an earlier effort back into his path, and he had no problem in converting.
Things did not get any easier for the visitors, and Oscar Cardozo looked set to tee up a team-mate in the 17th minute after easing past two defenders, but his cross was lacking.
And despite the determined resilience of the Belgian side, Luisao doubled Benfica’s advantage after half an hour.
The 32-year-old showed plenty of skill to chest down a header from Andre Almeida and then volley neatly past Proto, leaving the Belgium international with no chance.
Anderlecht did have a chance to get back in the game just before half-time, but Luka Milivojevic wasted his effort following a corner.
Whatever was said by Van den Brom at the interval appeared to work as they came out with a renewed fight and immediately began to press their hosts.
They almost had goalkeeper Artur Moraes beaten soon after the restart, but the Brazilian just managed to get outstretched fingers onto a header from 19-year-old Aleksandar Mitrovic after 57 minutes.
However, it was Cardozo who perhaps had the best chance of the half after receiving a ball into the box only to react slowly and prod wide.
Anderlecht had no intention of giving up without a fight and it looked like they had gained a consolation in stoppage time when Matias Suarez connected with a free-kick from Dennis Praet, but his effort was well saved.
Anderlecht will now face Olympiacos on October 2, while Benfica will look for more of the same when they face Paris Saint-Germain.
Guardiola: This is Bayern's style of play, not mine
By Keeghann Sinanan20
Sep 17, 2013 11:45:00 PM
After watching the Bavarians make an impressive start to the defence of their European crown, the Catalan coach insisted that he deserved no credit for the performance
Pep Guardiola was quick to deflect all of the praise onto his players after Bayern Munich’s 3-0 win over CSKA Moscow in their Champions League clash on Tuesday.
Goals from David Alaba, Mario Mandzukic and Arjen Robben did the damage at the Allianz Arena, and their Catalan trainer felt that it was the team, and not the coach, that deserved the credit for an impressive performance.
“The style we play is Bayern’s style, not mine. I’m here to support my new players and I’m very proud of them today,” Guardiola told reporters after the one-sided Group D encounter.
Bayern are aiming to be the first team in Champions League history to win the competition in two consecutive seasons, but Guardiola stressed that retaining the title is an onerous task right from the off.
“The first game after winning the Champions League is never easy. Everyone always thinks it’s easy, but it’s not,” he insisted.
“But I’m very satisfied with the performance, especially our first-half display, which was very pleasing.”
Bayern’s performances this season have come in for criticism from some quarters, as club director Matthias Sammer hit out at the players’ lack of effort, though his comments were not taken to heart by Guardiola and president Uli Hoeness.
The Borussia Dortmund CEO has praised the Italians following a summer of heavy spending, and insists his own side have not been affected by last season's run to the final
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has warned his side they face a stern test against Napoli in their Champions League opener on Wednesday.
Last season's beaten finalists visit the Stadio San Paolo for their Group F opener, and Watzke has identified the Italians as serious challengers for the top spots in the group following a summer spending spree which saw the likes of Jose Callejon, Gonzalo Higuain and Pepe Reina join the club.
"Napoli have strengthened their squad superbly. We know that it's going to be a very tough task," he told reporters prior to Dortmund's flight to Naples.
"The Champions League is not like a normal season; it's more like a cup competition. You must be ready from the start."
Watzke went on to stress that the team have not been affected by the increased publicity and attention following their remarkable run to the final in 2012-13, where they were beaten by domestic rivals Bayern Munich.
"A lot of things have changed," he said. "If you reach the final of the world's biggest club competition, you receive a different level of attention. But that doesn't affect us; we are the same as before."
Wednesday's clash at the San Paolo kicks off at 20:45CET.
Following PSG's 4-1 win over the Greek team, the French coach felt that his side's opponents were victims of their own aggressive approach
Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc believes that his side's 4-1 Champions League triumph over Olympiakos is down to the opposition tiring out.
The Parisiens were taken by surprise during a lively first half that saw Vladimir Weiss cancel out Edinson Cavani's opener, but took control in the second half thanks to a headed double from Thiago Motta and a first goal for 19-year-old summer signing Marquinhos.
Blanc admitted that his side were too slow in finding their feet at the Karaiskakis Stadium, but was thankful that Olympiakos' aggression looked to have cost them on Tuesday.
The ex-France boss, 47, told beIN Sport: "The first half we were a little sluggish, because we had problems with positioning on the left side.
"Olympiakos also had a lot of energy to press us and caused us problems by creating opportunities and corners. Nevertheless, we opened the scoring, but we did not hold it long enough to settle in the game.
"The second half was much better, positioning was better. I also sincerely believe that the pace of Olympiakos fell by the wayside because, in the first half, they were very aggressive."
PSG now sit top of Group C on goal difference and face Benfica, who also won their game over Belgian side Anderlecht, in the next round of fixtures.
Copenhagen lucky to get a draw against Juventus, admits Solbakken
By Keegan Sinanan5
Sep 18, 2013 12:30:00 AM
The former Norway international was disappointed that his team was unable to maintain their strong first-half display, but celebrated the performance of keeper Johan Wiland
Copenhagen coach Stale Solbakken admitted his side tired during the second half of their 1-1 draw with Juventus and were ultimately fortunate to get a point out of their Champions League opener.
The Danes took the lead after 15 minutes through Nicolai Jorgensen, but were thereafter indebted to an outstanding display from goalkeeper Johan Wiland for a share of the spoils.
Wiland was beaten 10 minutes into the second half by Fabio Quagliarella but, as the game went on, he pulled off a number of fine saves to ensure the opening Group B encounter ended level.
After the match, Solbakken was frank in his assessment of his side's performance.
"Our first half was next to perfect," the Copenhagen boss said to reporters.
"As the second half progressed we got tired, the distance between the players got bigger and we started to make the kind of mistakes you make as the result of being tired and missing control.
"However, we had a great goalkeeper and our heart was in it all the way."
Captain Lars Jacobsen also weighed in, admitting that Copenhagen had enjoyed their fair share of luck during the game.
"I think everyone could see that we were not exactly unlucky," the right-back said.
"Our first half was okay, while we got under heavy pressure in the second. However, we had a fantastic goalkeeper, and that is what you need in a match like this.
"We realise that the three away matches will be tougher than this one was, but this draw gives our confidence a tremendous boost."
Former Juventus defender Olof Mellberg, now of Copenhagen, was delighted to claim a point against his old club.
"We have got a point against one of the best teams in the world, and we should be content with our performance and with the result," he said.
Copenhagen next face a daunting trip to the Santiago Bernabeu on October 2 to take on Real Madrid, who opened with a 6-1 demolition of Galatasaray.
The Sweden international believes the scoreline flattered the Ligue 1 champions in an intimidating atmosphere in Greece
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has admitted that Paris Saint-Germain did not have an easy game against Olympiakos, despite recording a 4-1 away victory in Tuesday's Champions League Group C opener.
Vladimir Weiss cancelled out Edinson Cavani's goal when he restored parity for the hosts midway through the first half, but a Thiago Motta double and a late header from Marquinhos saw the Ligue 1 champions emerge victorious in the end.
Yet despite the convincing nature of the scoreline, Ibrahimovic insists his side were made to work for their win.
"It may have seemed easy to get the win but it wasn't. The Olympiakos fans created an amazing atmosphere and this was a great advantage for them in the first half," the Sweden international told Uefa.com.
"Our goal is to advance to the next stage and we got three very important points that set us on our way to qualification. Whether we finish top of the group or not is not really important.
"All the games are difficult in this competition and we cannot afford to underestimate any opponent."
PSG resume Ligue 1 action at home against title-rivals Monaco on Sunday.
By Keeghann Sinanan4
Sep 18, 2013 12:50:00 AM
The Zenit St Petersburg coach was full of praise for his Vicente Calderon counterpart, Diego Simeone, and expects a stern test on Wednesday
Zenit St Petersburg coach Luciano Spalletti has praised Diego Simeone's stylistic influence on Atletico Madrid, with the two sides set to lock horns on Wednesday.
The Liga side have won the Uefa Super Cup, Europa League and Copa del Rey since Simeone took the reins in the 2011-12 season and Spalletti feels that his opponents will provide a more stern test than Zenit are used to facing domestically.
"In Atletico, you can really see the character and style of their coach in the team, that winning spirit," he told reporters on Tuesday ahead of the Group G clash.
"They are characterised by their good control of the ball and the tempo at which they play, which is superior to that of the Russian league.
"Atletico are a very Spanish team in that they control the ball and use quick passes. They are a very strong side who represent Spanish football well. They are also characterised by great changes from attack to defence as you saw in the Supercopa against Barcelona."
Spalletti, however, feels that the relatively low profile of the Russian top flight could work to his team’s advantage and explained how he has set up Zenit to challenge the Colchoneros.
The Italian coach added: "It's true that in many parts of Europe there is still a lack of knowledge about Russian teams and that's because of the general ignorance about the potential within the Russian game.
"I try to teach the players an attacking style of play, but I don't want to say that we should play far up the pitch while leaving open spaces behind us. A modern side needs to play very well as much in attack as in defence."
