Brazilian forward Matheus struck two late goals to give Braga a 2-O win over Arsenal in the Champions League and deny the London team the satisfaction of sealing their progress into the second round.
|Last Updated: Nov 24, 2010, 09:34 AM IST|Source: Bureau
London: Brazilian forward Matheus struck two late goals to give Braga a 2-O win over Arsenal in the Champions League and deny the London team the satisfaction of sealing their progress into the second round.
Arsenal, who had needed only a draw to qualify with a game to spare, lost the Group H lead to Shakhtar Donetsk, 3-0 winners over bottom team Partizan Belgrade.
Braga drew level with Arsenal on nine points, but need to beat Shakhtar by a margin of four goals away on Dec. 8, or draw and hope that Partizan take points off Arsenal at the Emirates.
"We have to believe. We could reach the end of the group with three teams on 12 points. But we know perfectly well that it will not be easy," Braga coach Domingos Paciencia said.
Braga had conceded six goals in their group-stage debut at Arsenal in September but were much improved at home, giving the English side little room to deploy their smooth passing game.
"We have to win the next match. With these results, Shakhtar becomes favourite to win the group," Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger told Portuguese television.
Substitute Elton created Matheus`s first goal moments after coming on by supplying a delightful pass from his own half. Matheus ran into the box and put the ball over Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski on 83 minutes.
Matheus`s second came deep into injury time, also from a counter-attack, with the forward surrounded by three Arsenal defenders but still managing to fire in a shot that went in after hitting the bar.Few Chances
"It won`t be easy against Shakhtar, but in football anything can happen. We scored four goals in Sevilla and, who knows, maybe we can do it again," the striker said, referring to Braga`s 4-3 win in Spain in the playoff stage.
In a largely uneventful and low-tempo first half, clear chances were rare for either side.
The Londoners` best opportunity came when Cesc Fabregas led a counter-attack and sent Theo Walcott racing through into the box on 35 minutes, but keeper Filipe rushed out to block the forward`s shot.
Braga`s finest effort came moments later, with Brazilian striker Lima sending a powerful drive from 25 metres just wide of Fabianski`s right post.Walcott posed a danger again five minutes after halftime with a free kick that went just over the Portuguese bar.
Failing to penetrate the Arsenal box, Braga opted for long-distance efforts, but Lima`s diagonal shot on 58 minutes and a powerful drive by Luis Aguiar two minutes later both went just wide.
Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger then substituted his three forwards and Carlos Vela was unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when he was fouled by Alberto Rodriguez in the 78th minute.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.