D Thursday, September 17, 2009 METROSPORT 23 champions league group e Liverpool .....1 Debrecen.....0 Kuyt 45 Lyon ............1 Fiorentina ...0 Pjanic 76 group f Dynamo Kiev 3 Rubin Kazan..1 Yussef 71 Dominguez 25 Gerson 78 Gusev 85 Inter Milan ..0 Barcelona ...0 group g Stuttgart .....1 Rangers ......1 Pogrebniak 18 Bougherra 77 Sevilla ..........2 Unirea U ......0 Fabiano 45 Renato 70 group h Standard L...2 Arsenal .......3 Mangala 2 Bendtner 45 Jovanovic 5 (pen) Vermaelen 78 Eduardo 81 Olympiakos .1 AZ Alkmaar .0 Torosidis 79 coca-cola championship Blackpool ...2 Newcastle ..1 Ormerod 45 Carroll 40 Euell 65 Reading ......0 Cardiff .........1 Burke 58 SOCCER UEFA Europa League Group C Hapoel Tel-Aviv v Celtic............. 6.00 Group E CSKA Sofia v Fulham................ 6.00 Group I Everton v AEK Athens ............... 8.05 CRICKET The NatWest Series: England v Australia (Trent Bridge) GOLF (Until Sunday) European Tour: Austrian Golf Open (Fontana GC, Vienna, Austria) HORSE RACING Ayr, Pontefract, Yarmouth, Wolverhampton, Listowel Dirk kuyt ensured Liverpool ended an un- comfortable night at Anfield with victory in their opening Champions League Group E game of the season. the Holland international striker pounced on the stroke of half-time to score what proved to be the winner. yet this performance by rafael Benitezs was hardly a statement of intent to Europes elite as they laboured for large parts of this match against a team who were making their debut in the group stages of the competition. After last weekends 4-0 win against Burnley, Benitez named an unchanged team for his 300th match in charge. the Hungarian champions made it a largely frustrating night for the hosts. But kuyt made sure they left Anfield with nothing when he struck in first-half stoppage time, stabbing home a rebound after a Fernando torres shot was saved by Vukasin Poleksic. it came after a flurry of chances for the home side as the opening period drew to a close with Albert riera and Steven Gerrard both go- ing close. However, Debrecen had a chances of their own, Peter Czvitkovics letting rip from distance and produced a fine save from Jose reina. Gerrard had a penalty shout rejected at the start of the second half after his shirt was tugged by Norbert Meszaros. And despite dominating, Liverpool just could not find a second goal. indeed, it was Debrecen who could have snatched an equaliser had striker Adamo Coulibaly not lost his nerve when clean through on goal. Picture perfect: Gutman LIVERPOOL 1 DEBRECEN 0 Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua, Benayoun (Mascherano 87), Lucas, Gerrard, Riera (Babel 80), Kuyt (Aurelio 90), Torres. Debrecen: Poleksic, Bodnar, Komlosi, Meszaros, Fodor, Kiss, Ramos (Laczko 67), Czvitkovics, Leandro, Szakaly (Feczesin 79), Coulibaly. Att: 41,591 Ref: Pedro Proenca (Portugal). MATCH FACTS Fergie denies Rooney row Sir ALEx Ferguson has shrugged off Wayne rooneys bad-tempered reaction to being substituted in istanbul on tuesday. the Manchester united striker was replaced after an hour of his sides 1-0 victory over Besiktas. rooney (pictured) trudged all the way to the touchline before shaking his head and throwing his boots to the ground in disgust. He was also reportedly involved in a verbal spat with home fans but Ferguson insisted: it was always in our thoughts to bring Wayne off. Hed been our lone striker for an hour. Hes never pleased to come off, he wants to play all the time. Meanwhile, Patrice Evra insists he will boo his good friend Carlos tevez if the Manchester City forward turns out in Sundays derby. the former united player is a major doubt for the match at Old trafford, the first derby since his move to Eastlands in the summer. But united left-back Evra is in no doubt the Argentina striker will be in for an unfriendly welcome. i have been joking with him about the reception he will get, said the 28-year-old. i dont know if the fans will boo him or clap him. He did a great job at Manchester united. He respected the shirt and the fans understand that. But if they boo him i will join in. PETER KENYON has insisted he has one major challenge in football left, after announcing he is leaving his role as Chelseas chief executive. The former Manchester United director, 55, revealed yesterday he is leaving the post next month, but will remain as a non-executive director at Stamford Bridge. Kenyon will be one of the representatives in the Gael Kakuta poaching appeal, regardless of whether it is heard after his October 31 departure date. He said: Im extremely proud of my time at Chelsea. I intend to take a little time off before considering what I do next but Im certain I have at least one major challenge left in me. HAPOEL Tel-Aviv coach Eli Gutman insists there is no disrespect meant behind his idea to plaster photographs of Celtic players over the dressing room walls ahead of tonights Europa League game at the Bloomfield stadium. The Hapoel players have been able to study pictures of the Hoops squad but Gutman insists his unusual coaching aid is one that he regularly uses in order to give his players maximum advantage. For Celtic you are giving them the respect of a big club, you want to do your homework seriously and not to take any chances, he said. I am a perfectionist and want to give my players all the details. Kenyon to quit Chelsea post Celtic are Elis poster Bhoys EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR will miss this weekends Manchester derby after City decided not to appeal the violent conduct charge lodged against the striker by the Football Association. He is now expected to be handed a three-match ban for his challenge on Arsenals Robin van Persie last weekend when the FAs disciplinary meet today. Manchester City have a few more days to decide whether to contest the improper conduct charge brought against Adebayor for his inflammatory goal celebration in front of the visiting Arsenal fans at Eastlands. Adebayor to sit out derby fIxtuREs REsuLts P W D L F A Pts West Brom 7 5 2 0 15 7 17 Middlesbrough 7 5 1 1 14 4 16 Newcastle 7 5 1 1 10 3 16 Cardiff 7 4 1 2 12 5 13 Preston 7 3 3 1 12 7 12 Sheff Utd 7 3 3 1 11 7 12 Watford 7 3 3 1 10 8 12 Leicester 7 3 3 1 7 5 12 Bristol City 7 3 3 1 7 7 12 Coventry 7 3 2 2 8 8 11 Blackpool 7 2 4 1 10 7 10 Sheff Wed 7 2 3 2 12 9 9 Scunthorpe 7 3 0 4 10 14 9 QPR 6 1 4 1 5 5 7 Doncaster 7 1 4 2 5 7 7 Derby 7 2 1 4 10 12 7 Nottm Forest 7 1 4 2 8 10 7 Reading 7 1 3 3 4 8 6 Swansea 7 1 3 3 3 8 6 Crystal Palace 6 1 2 3 5 10 5 Peterborough 7 0 4 3 7 11 4 Barnsley 7 1 1 5 6 14 4 Ipswich 7 0 3 4 5 12 3 Plymouth 7 0 2 5 6 14 2 sOCCER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE By CHRIS STOCKS Late drama as Eduardo seals victory EDUARDO spared sloppy Arsenals blushes with a late winner last night in their Group H opener at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne. The Gunners striker was only playing against Standard Liege after a U-turn by Uefa, who had originally banned him for two games for diving against Celtic in a qualifier at the Emirates. But the Croatian was on hand to turn in an 81st-minute centre from Cesc Fabregas and complete a controversial comeback. Arsenal fell behind to two goals in the first five minutes. Eduardo tried to be clever in clearing a corner in the second minute and was punished as Eliaquim Mangala smashed a low drive into the bottom corner. Then William Gallas tripped Milan Jovanovic and the Serbian, with five goals already this season, stepped up to send Vito Mannone, in for the injured Manuel Almunia, the wrong way. But just before the interval Nicklas Bendtner ran on to a pass from Abou Diaby to whip in his first goal of the season to reduce the arrears. Thomas Vermaelen bundled Arsene Wengers side level on 78 minutes despite looking offside then Eduardo popped in the winner. S Liege: Bolat, Camozzato, Sarr, Mangala, Rocha, Witsel (Traore 84), De Camargo, Gonzalez, Dalmat (Goreux 82), Mbokani, Jovanovic (Nicaise 58). Arsenal: Mannone, Eboue (Sagna 80), Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Diaby, Fabregas, Song Billong, Rosicky (Ramsey 70), Eduardo (Wilshere 86), Bendtner. Att: 58,100 Ref: Eduardo I Gonzalez (Spain). s LIEgE 2 aRsENaL 3 liverpool labour but Dirk delivers winner at anfield Breakthrough: Dirk Kuyt stretches to fire Liverpool into the lead at Anfield last night Picture: Getty index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html