Real Madrid beat spirited Zenit 2-1
Reuters - Tuesday 30 September 2008, 18:58
ST PETERSBURG - Real Madrid scored twice
in the first half to defeat a spirited Zenit St Petersburg 2-1
on their home Champions League debut on Tuesday.
An own goal by Zenit defender Tomas Hubocan and an
opportunistic strike by Ruud van Nistlerooy gave nine-times
European champions Real their second consecutive victory in
Group H.
Portugal international Danny, Zenit's record 30 million euro
signing last month, was on target for the Russian champions
midway through the first half but the home side wasted numerous
chances after the break.
The UEFA Cup holders, making their Champions League debut
this season, are still looking for their first points in the
competition after going down 1-0 at Juventus in their opener two
weeks ago.
The Spanish champions wasted little time to make their
intentions clear, Gonzalo Higuain testing Vyacheslav Malafeyev
with a powerful header which the keeper tipped over in the third
minute.
Less than a minute later the visitors broke through when
Hubocan inadvertently redirected a Rafael van der Vaart low
cross from the right into his own goal.
After settling their initial nerves, Zenit began forays into
Real territory with the inspirational Andrei Arshavin leading
the fightback.
The Russia playmaker had a good chance for an equaliser
midway through the first half but fired straight at Real keeper
Iker Casillas.
Arshavin then set up the equaliser by crossing for Danny,
getting in front of his marker, to volley home in the 25th
minute.
The home side pressed for more but another defensive
breakdown by Zenit allowed van Nistlerooy to pounce on a loose
ball and beat Malafeyev with a low shot into the far corner on
31 minutes.
Hubocan could have made amends for his earlier blunder late
in the first half but his point-blank header was cleared off the
line by the Real defence.
Zenit threw everything forward in the second half but once
again poor finishing cost the Russians at least a point.
Arshavin wasted their best chance with less than 10 minutes
remaining when his low drive hit the far post.
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