Champions League round-up:Chelsea blew a two-goal lead as their defence of the Champions League got off to a breathless start with a 2-2 draw against Juventus tonight. Oscar looked set to enjoy a dream European debut with a stunning first-half double but the Italian champions ruthlessly exposed the holders' defensive deficiencies to snatch a draw at Stamford Bridge.
Arturo Vidal pulled a goal back before the break and, after Eden Hazard was denied what appeared a penalty, Fabio Quagliarella came off the bench to equalise and was a lick of paint from completing a sensational turnaround. That would have been cruel on Chelsea but — as in their UEFA Super Cup thrashing by Atletico Madrid — they left themselves exposed enough to make such an outcome possible.
It was all looking so good after 33 minutes of what Roberto Di Matteo yesterday dubbed Mission: “Impossible”. Oscar, who had almost looked like he had been picked to shadow Pirlo, found himself in space 25 yards out in the 20th minute and unleashed a drive that Gianluigi Buffon would surely have saved but for a telling nick off Leonardo Bonucci.
If the first was lucky, the second was sublime, Oscar expertly controlling Ashley Cole’s pass with his back to goal before spinning and unleashing an unstoppable dipping curler into the top corner.
But Juve are not 42 games unbeaten in Serie A for nothing. Marchisio almost broke through again and Vidal fired over before taking full advantage of slack defending to drive a low left-foot shot into the bottom corner.
After Hazard and Mata almost combined to finish the contest — the latter blasting into the side-netting —Juve equalised. It was another defensive horror show from Chelsea, Luiz hopelessly out of position as Quagliarella burst into an acre of space between John Terry and Ivanovic to steer Pirlo’s through-ball between Cech’s legs.
It was a nerve-jangling finish and Quagliarella was desperately unlucky not to complete an incredible turnaround when his left-foot curler clipped the crossbar.
Darren Fletcher returned from his career-threatening bowel condition as Manchester Unitedscrambled to an unconvincing 1-0 win over Galatasaray at Old Trafford. It was the Scot's first appearance since November 22nd, although he had been battling against the problem for eight months before that.
Fletcher’s arrival for Paul Scholes 11 minutes from time brought a deserved standing ovation, and was one of the few high points of a difficult evening for the hosts, who collected the victory but little else of note. Michael Carrick’s first Champions League goal in three years after just seven minutes proved enough, with United missing yet another penalty, their third of the season, through Nani.
Galatasaray were desperately unlucky, failing to get a clear penalty before United struck, hitting the woodwork twice before being denied by David de Gea’s excellent double save and then having another spot-kick claim waved away in stoppage time.
Celticdrew a blank against Benfica in their Champions League Group G opener at Parkhead. It was a spirited and determined performance from the Scottish champions but over the course of 90 hard-fought minutes they failed to really trouble the visitors' goal.
Indeed, in terms of chances created, the Portuguese side could perhaps claim to have edged it, with Hoops keeper Fraser Forster forced into a good blocking save from Rodrigo in the first half and another at his near post from Ezequiel Garay after the break.
Next up for Celtic in Europe is an away trip to Spartak Moscow next month where boss Neil Lennon will look for the same commitment from his players added to a cutting edge that was missing tonight.
Elsewhere in Group G, Lionel Messi started his and Barcelona'sChampions League campaign with a bang when he struck twice to secure a 3-2 comeback win for the favourites at home to Spartak Moscow in their Group G opener. Barca were flirting with a first home defeat in 17 European outings when Spartak took a shock 2-1 lead in the 59th minute before Messi, top scorer in the competition the past four seasons, levelled 19 minutes from time.
The Argentine World Player of the Year was set up by Cristian Tello, scorer of the home side's 14th-minute opener, and then nodded in the winner in the 80th minute from a centre by substitute Alexis Sanchez. It was an impressive comeback from the La Liga side, bidding for a third European crown in five years, and ensured a winning debut in the competition for new coach Tito Vilanova.
Bastian Schweinsteiger and Bayern Munichcast aside the bitter memories of their final defeat in May to begin the new campaign with a 2-1 Group F victory over Valencia. Schweinsteiger, whose spot-kick miss in the final shootout allowed Chelsea to score and be crowned European champions, fired Bayern into the lead with a deflected shot in the 38th minute, much to the delight of the 68,000 sold-out crowd in Munich.
Midfielder Toni Kroos added a second when he scored with a 20-metre drive in the 76th minute. Defensive-minded Valencia, in their first encounter with Bayern since losing to the Germans in the 2001 Champions League final, cut the deficit with a header from Nelson Valdez in stoppage time. Bayern should then have made it 3-1 but substitute Mario Mandzukic saw his penalty saved by keeper Diego Alves after Adil Rami was sent off.
