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News Archive

Champions League, round of 16, first leg

Real Madrid 1 - Manchester United 1

The first leg tie between Real Madrid and Manchester United lived up to its billing, with the Premier League side having the edge for next month's second leg after coming away from the Bernabeu stadium with a 1-1 draw. It was an open match though with many chances for both teams, the first early on when De Gea just got a hand to Coentrao's shot to push it on to the post. With twenty minutes on the clock the visitors took the lead, Welbeck losing his markers to head Rooney's corner wide of Diego López. But Di María and Cristiano Ronaldo both went close before Ronaldo rose above Evra to head Di María's cross wide of the Spanish under 21 keeper. After that it was end-to-end stuff, De Gea blocking a shot from Özil before the break, and reacting quickly to keep out Coentrao after the restart. The best chances in the second half though fell to Van Persie, Diego pushing his shot on to the crossbar, and Xabi Alonso clearing his lob off the line a minute later with the keeper beaten. With the game coming to a close De Gea was there again to keep out Khedira, and Ronaldo fired a dipping free kick just over the bar. And in the last attack of the match Diego turned another shot from Van Persie round the post, the referee calling it a day before Manchester had time to take the resulting corner. A brilliant match, and we are still only halfway through! (13.02.13)

Valencia 1 - Paris Saint Germain 2

It looks like the end of the road for Valencia in this year's Champions League after they fell to a 1-2 defeat against big-spending Paris Saint Germain on Tuesday evening. The French side got off to the best possible start, Lucas Moura shrugging off an early injury to hit the post in the ninth minute, and Lavezzi firing a shot through the hands of Guaita a minute later after picking up a return pass from Pastore. The Ches hardly caused any problems for Sirigu in the visiting goal throughout the first half, and with two minutes to go to the break Pastore made it two after connecting with a Lucas cross to fire a shot under the legs of the keeper. Valverde brought on Canales and Valdez at the break, but Lavezzi wasted a couple of chances to increase the lead, and Verratti had a goal disallowed for a questionable offside a few minutes later. The Spaniards finally rallied in the closing minutes, Valdez and Tino Costa going close before Rami got on the end of a Tino Costa free kick to peg one back in the ninetieth minute. After that Ibrahimovic got himself sent off in injury time after a hard tackle on Guardado, but even so Valencia's chances of overturning the result in Paris in three weeks' time appear to be very slim. (12.02.13)