Samuel Eto`o struck twice in a 4-3 win for Champions League holders Inter Milan as they survived a thrilling Tottenham Hotspur revival while Nani lifted the Rooney gloom at Manchester United.
|Last Updated: Oct 21, 2010, 09:24 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Milan: Samuel Eto`o struck twice in a 4-3 win for Champions League holders Inter Milan as they survived a thrilling Tottenham Hotspur revival while Nani lifted the Rooney gloom at Manchester United.
The extraordinary clash in the San Siro was the highlight of the third round of matches in Groups A-D as Tottenham conceded three times inside 15 minutes, had their goalkeeper sent off but almost snatched an unlikely point with a Gareth Bale hat-trick.
Nani scored a superb winner in United`s 1-0 win against Turkish side Bursaspor in Group C at Old Trafford while Lionel Messi`s double gave Barcelona a 2-0 win over Copenhagen in the Nou Camp as they replaced the Danes at the top of Group D.
In Group B Raul, the Champions League`s all-time record scorer, took his tally to 68 with a goal in each half for German side Schalke in a 3-1 defeat of Hapoel Tel Aviv.
"To score two goals in such a big game, my first for Schalke (in the Champions League) makes me feel good. I never thought I would score 68 goals. It is a day that I want to remember," the Spaniard told reporters.
Schalke trail Olympique Lyon who made it nine points out of nine with a 2-0 victory over Benfica. The French club are one of five sides with perfect records after three rounds of fixtures.
Rangers maintained Scottish hopes of a last-16 representative with a 1-1 home draw against Valencia to stay second behind Manchester United in Group C. Rangers midfielder Maurice Edu scored at both ends.
Panathinaikos drew 0-0 with Rubin Kazan in Group D, a result that did little to help either side`s chances of muscling in on Barcelona and Copenhagen`s tussle for top spot.
Twente Enschede drew 1-1 with Werder Bremen but it was the other match in Group A that provided the night`s fireworks.Tottenham`s top-four finish in the Premier League last season was a contributary factor in bringing down the curtain on Rafael Benitez`s reign at Liverpool.
The Spaniard, now in the hot seat at Inter and tasked with following in the footsteps of Jose Mourinho, looked set to exact painful and humiliating revenge on Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp during a one-sided opening 35 minutes in the San Siro.
Tottenham fans had barely had time to climb to the upper tier`s of the cavernous stadium when Javier Zanetti gave Inter a second-minute lead and worse quickly followed for the visitors.
Eto`o made it 2-0 from the penalty spot after keeper Heurelho Gomes was sent off for bringing down Jonathan Biabiany before Dejan Stankovic netted a third after 14 minutes.
When Eto`o struck again before halftime Tottenham were in tatters but Welsh winger Bale produced three exquisite left-foot strikes in the second period, the last two in the 90th and 91st minutes, as the visitors were left to rue their terrible start.
"It was like your worst nightmare," Redknapp told reporters. "I would have settled for 4-0 down at halftime.”"In the second half, we stayed with two wide men and one up front and Bale turned in an amazing second half performance."
England striker Wayne Rooney`s confirmation that he wants to quit Manchester United created a subdued atmosphere at Old Trafford where United laboured to finish off Bursaspor.
Rooney was out through injury but at least Nani provided some cheer for manager Alex Ferguson on his 2,000th match as a manager -- his seventh-minute solo goal worthy of former dazzler Cristiano Ronaldo before his switch to Real Madrid.
Such is the Rooney coud hanging over United that Nani`s goal failed to get a mention in Ferguson`s post-match news conference.
"What is really important is for us to put it to bed, we don`t want it to become a saga," Ferguson told reporters.
Messi continued to banish the memory of his disappointing World Cup by taking his Champions League tally this season to three. The Argentine lashed Barca in front after 19 minutes and struck again with a stoppage time tap-in.
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.