Skip to main content

Football: Chelsea held by Juventus

By James Masters, for CNN
September 20, 2012 -- Updated 0927 GMT (1727 HKT)
Fabio Quagliarella equalizes for Juventus in their 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge as the Italian side claimed a point.
Fabio Quagliarella equalizes for Juventus in their 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge as the Italian side claimed a point.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Defending champions Chelsea held at home
  • Barcelona come from behind to defeat Spartak Moscow 3-2
  • BATE Borisov and CFR Cluj both claim surprise victories
  • Manchester United survive scare to beat Galatasaray

The script for Chelsea's European Champions League triumph last season was out of the realms of Hollywood , but Juventus refused to roll out the red carpet for the holders as the Serie A title winners came from behind to secure a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea almost had an Oscar winning performance from one of their Brazilian stars, with the former Internacional midfielder scoring twice on his debut to confirm his reputation as one of the game's most exciting talents.

Oscar's two first-half strikes looked to have given Chelsea the perfect start to their title defense until a twist in the script saw Juventus fight back to claim a deserved draw.

It was the perfect ending to a thrilling game between two of Europe's heavyweight contenders with Oscar the star of the show.

While his first goal arrived courtesy of a deflection, his second could only be described as a blockbuster.

Edin Dzeko came off the bench to give Manchester City the lead against Real Madrid in their European Champions League encounter in the Spanish capital. Edin Dzeko came off the bench to give Manchester City the lead against Real Madrid in their European Champions League encounter in the Spanish capital.
Deadly Dzeko
HIDE CAPTION
<<
<
1
2
3
4
5
6
>
>>
Real Madrid stun Man City Real Madrid stun Man City
From Inter Milan to Manchester City: The reigning English Premier League champions have snapped up right-back Maicon for an undisclosed fee to help boost their bid for domestic and European honors in 2013. The Brazilian international has been at the San Siro for the past six seasons and made 235 appearances for the club. From Inter Milan to Manchester City: The reigning English Premier League champions have snapped up right-back Maicon for an undisclosed fee to help boost their bid for domestic and European honors in 2013. The Brazilian international has been at the San Siro for the past six seasons and made 235 appearances for the club.
Maicon -- undisclosed fee
HIDE CAPTION
<<
<
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
>
>>
Top European football transfers Top European football transfers

The 21-year-old received the ball with his back to goal before pirouetting and curling an unstoppable effort into the top corner.

But there was still drama to come for Chelsea, who failed to show the kind of defense which allowed them to triumph in Munich last season.

Arturo Vidal pulled a goal back for the Italians seven minutes before the break as Juventus began to find a way back into the contest.

Fabio Quagliarella then grabbed an equalizer with 10 minutes remaining and nearly won the tie when his curling effort rebounded to safety off the crossbar.

The Stamford Bridge draw allowed Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk to lead Group E following their convincing 2-0 win over Danish side Nordsjælland.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored both goals for Shakhtar, who face Juventus in Turin in their next game.

In Group F, Valencia failed to gain revenge over Bayern Munich for their 2001 Champions League final defeat.

The Germans, who finished runners-up to Chelsea last season, triumphed 2-1 at the Allianz Arena.

Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos put the home side into the ascendancy with Nelson Valdez pulling a late goal back for Valencia.

Bayern are second in Group F after Belorussian champions BATE Borisov produced a surprise 3-1 win at French side Lille.

BATE had failed to win any of their previous 12 games in the Champions League group stages but eased to victory on this occasion.

Aleksandr Volodko gave the visitors a sixth minute lead before Vitali Rodionov and Edgar Olekhnovich added further goals to make it 3-0 at the interval.

Financial fair play too late for some?
Del Piero's Juventus love affair

Aurélien Chedjou pulled a goal back for Lille, but it was not enough to deprive BATE of their first Champions League success.

Not for the first time Lionel Messi rescued Barcelona from a potential shock defeat against Spartak Moscow in Group G.

The Argentine international scored his 52nd and 53rd Champions League goals in the space of nine minutes as Barcelona came from 2-1 down to win 3-2.

Winger Cristian Tello had given the home side a 14th minute lead before Spartak silenced the Catalan faithful.

Emmanuel Emenike's cross was turned into his own net by Dani Alves and then Romulo rounded off a quick counterattack to put Spartak ahead.

Barcelona has not suffered a home defeat in the Champions League Group Stage since losing to Russian side Rubin Kazan back in 2009.

Celtic and Benfica shared a goalless draw with neither side managing to find a way past two stubborn defences.

It is the first time Benfica has managed to secure a point in Scotland having lost on their previous three visits.

Manchester United gained a fortunate 1-0 victory over Galatasaray in Group H thanks to Michael Carrick's early goal as manager Sir Alex Ferguson recorded his 100th win in the competition.

The visitors will feel frustrated though as they created several clear opportunities and hit the woodwork twice.

United should have sealed the win in the second half but Nani failed to convert from the penalty spot.

In the group's other game, Romanian champions CFR Cluj claimed a shock 2-0 win over Braga in Portugal, with Rafael Bastos returning to haunt his former club by scoring both goals.

ADVERTISEMENT
Part of complete coverage on
CNN Football Club
Be part of CNN's coverage of European Champions League matches and join the social debate.
April 24, 2013 -- Updated 1434 GMT (2234 HKT)
Luis Suarez's biting of Branislav Ivanovic is the latest episode of moments of madness when soccer stars behave badly.
March 29, 2013 -- Updated 0938 GMT (1738 HKT)
Former South African president and Nobel peace prize laureate Nelson Mandela joins guests at his home in Cape Town, on August 20, 2008 to celebrate his 90th birthday year, at an event organised by the Mandela Rhodes Foundation (RODGER BOSCH
Sunderland's partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation is part of its bid to woo the African market.
March 28, 2013 -- Updated 1558 GMT (2358 HKT)
South African children play football in a township in Bloemfontein on June 21, 2010. South Africa will face France in their final Group A, 2010 World Cup, first round football match on June 22.
Each year as many as 700 Cameroonian young footballers leave Africa in search of a professional career abroad.
May 6, 2013 -- Updated 1201 GMT (2001 HKT)
Referees across Europe are feeling the heat. Insulted, threatened, chased off the field, attacked, hospitalized and, tragically, killed.
March 6, 2013 -- Updated 1345 GMT (2145 HKT)
A red card for Manchester United's Nani during Tuesday's loss to Real Madrid sparks huge social media reaction.
February 26, 2013 -- Updated 1225 GMT (2025 HKT)
A real human brain being displayed as part of new exhibition at the @Bristol attraction is seen on March 8, 2011 in Bristol, England. The Real Brain exhibit - which comes with full consent from a anonymous donor and needed full consent from the Human Tissue Authority - is suspended in large tank engraved with a full scale skeleton on one side and a diagram of the central nervous system on the other and is a key feature of the All About Us exhibition opening this week.
Footballers have a battery of physios, fitness trainers and doctors all striving to fine-tune their physique -- but are they missing a trick?
February 26, 2013 -- Updated 1424 GMT (2224 HKT)
No Englishman has won the EPL title in over 20 years, while a leading manager reveals that English coaches are now "not respected abroad."
May 13, 2013 -- Updated 0933 GMT (1733 HKT)
Football supporters demonstrate in front of Italian TV RAI after the match between A.C.Milan and Lazio Roma was cancelled 11 November 2007. The spectre of football violence resurged in Italy on Sunday as the shooting dead of a fan sparked nationwide disturbances which forced the suspension of several Serie A matches. Banner reads 'Racism can stop League but death of tifosi has no signification.
Hardcore Italian football "ultra" Federico is a Lazio supporter who happily admits directing monkey chants at black players.
March 5, 2013 -- Updated 1123 GMT (1923 HKT)
When Jupp Heynckes made his Bundesliga debut as a player in 1965, the name of Bayern Munich was a new one for the nascent German league.
February 19, 2013 -- Updated 1902 GMT (0302 HKT)
Football's world governing body FIFA has confirmed it will use goal-line technology at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
February 19, 2013 -- Updated 1403 GMT (2203 HKT)
Match-fixing has become a worldwide issue, with hundreds of matches under investigation -- but how do you actually fix a football game?
February 18, 2013 -- Updated 1700 GMT (0100 HKT)
U.S soccer star Robbie Rogers has "come out" as gay on the day he retired from the game, making the announcement on his blog.
February 11, 2013 -- Updated 2231 GMT (0631 HKT)
The wealth of owners like Chelsea's Roman Abramovich often fuels success, but for other clubs such backers prove a mixed blessing.
January 31, 2013 -- Updated 1740 GMT (0140 HKT)
Brand Beckham is moving from the "City of Angels" to the "City of Light" as the football icon signs a short-term deal and offers to give away his pay.
January 31, 2013 -- Updated 1247 GMT (2047 HKT)
Fireworks inside his own house, a car crash in his first week at Manchester City, that iconic t-shirt -- the EPL will miss Mario Balotelli.
January 30, 2013 -- Updated 1342 GMT (2142 HKT)
The Secret Footballer reveals the complex issues surrounding racism in the English Premier League.
January 30, 2013 -- Updated 1543 GMT (2343 HKT)
The death of 73 football fans in Port Said tragedy continues to haunt Egypt.
ADVERTISEMENT