Atletico, Madrid win, Liverpool pipped by Basel

Atletico, Madrid win, Liverpool pipped by Basel

Wednesday, October 1, 2014 10:34 pm


Atletico Madrid got their Champions League campaign back on track as Arda Turan’s goal 15 minutes form time was enough for a 1-0 win over Juventus on Wednesday.

Chances had been hard to come by in a physical contest between the Spanish and Italian champions, but Turan’s cool finish to end Juventus’ run of over 500 minutes without conceding this season sealed a vital three points for Diego Simeone’s men.

In the group’s other match, Malmo’s 2-0 victory over Olympiakos means all four sides in Group A are tied on three points with four matches to play.

South Korean Son Heung-Min scored a goal and was involved in another to help Bayer Leverkusen breathe life into their Champions League campaign with a 3-1 win at home to Portuguese side Benfica on Wednesday.

It was the perfect antidote to their opening 1-0 defeat by French side Monaco a fortnight ago.

Zenit St Petersburg and Monaco’s goalless draw earlier on Wednesday means Leverkusen remain third in the Group C table, a point adrift of them.

Benfica are bottom after a second straight defeat following their 2-0 loss to Zenit in Lisbon.

Liverpool became the latest English club to fall victim to FC Basel as the Swiss side triumphed 1-0 in their Champions League Group B clash at the St Jakob-Park on Wednesday.

In the last three years, Basel have beaten Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in European competition and won home and away against Chelsea, and on this occasion a solitary, scrappy goal in the 52nd minute from captain Marco Streller inflicted a damaging defeat on Brendan Rodgers’s side.

A tenacious Basel team were worthy winners, even if they were left hanging on at times as they tired in the closing stages, and the Swiss champions indicated that they must still be taken seriously in the group as they bounced back from a 5-1 thumping at the hands of Real Madrid two weeks ago.

In the second match of the group, Cristiano Ronaldo helped Champions League holders Real Madrid survive an early scare in Bulgaria and come away with all three points from a 2-1 win over Ludogorets Razgrad in Sofia on Wednesday.

Ludogorets, a modest provincial club who have only been in existence for 13 years, stunned the 10-time European champions with a sixth-minute strike and threatened throughout despite Ronaldo taking a hand.

The Portuguese star missed one penalty and had a goal disallowed before scoring from a second spot-kick to spare Real’s blushes — all in the first 25 minutes.

French striker Karim Benzema made sure Real’s reputation remained intact with the winning goal 13 minutes from time.

Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said: “For us the result is good. We started by trailing 1-0 but then pressured Ludogorets and managed to score for 1-1 and then take the lead.

“We could have scored more goals but in general I am content. I am glad that we won.”

Ludogorets coach Georgi Dermendzhiev said: “It was a good game, but the result could have been better for us.

“Ludogorets played a good match against the best team in the world. I am pleased, we almost got a point.”


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