RSS
ATOM
advertisement
Dynamo Kiev 1-2 Inter: Late Goals See Inter Earn Priceless Victory
Inter jumped to the top spot in Champions League Group F with a hard-fought 2-1 win away to Dynamo Kiev.
Nov 4, 2009 4:39:06 PM
Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kiev hosted Italian champions Inter on the fourth matchday of Champions League Group F, which is emerging as a true group of death. The Nerazzurri needed a victory at all costs to keep their hopes of qualifying alive, after obtaining just three draws in their first three games.
They started the match well, and in the second minute they already had their first chance as Diego Milito found Wesley Sneijder inside the area and the Dutchman fired a shot toward the far post that went just wide.
After a good start by the visitors the match became more balanced, and there were no more chances for a while. However, in the 21st minute Dynamo scored almost out of nothing, as Inter bogeyman Andriy Shevchenko fired a shot from the edge of the area that was deflected past Julio Cesar by Esteban Cambiasso.
For a while Inter clearly suffered from this setback, but around the half hour mark they started winning a series of corners. On one of these, in the 34th minute, Walter Samuel protested for an alleged tug on his shirt that prevented him from heading the ball. On the counter move, Dynamo wasted a good chance with three men against two, as Shevchenko’s pass for Milos Ninkovic caught the midfielder offside.
A minute later, there was a very good chance for the visitors as Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito played a one-two that was finalized by the Argentinean striker with a poor shot which was easily grabbed by goalkeeper Stanislav Bogush.
Dynamo continued to hit back blow for blow, and in the 40th minute Shevchenko threatened again with a shot from the edge of the area after a good move, but it went well wide.
The first half ended with the Ukrainian side 1-0 up after an evenly matched 45 minutes.
(Andriy Shevchenko came back to haunt Inter by opening the score for Dynamo Kiev in the first half)
Jose Mourinho opted to make two changes during the break, bringing in Thiago Motta for Esteban Cambiasso and Mario Balotelli for Christian Chivu, as the Nerazzurri switched to a 4-2-3-1 system with Dejan Stankovic, Balotelli, and Eto'o behind Milito up front.
Inter started the second half with much more determination and made themselves dangerous repeatedly in the first ten minutes. A huge chance came in the 51st minute, when Samuel headed headed the ball just wide of the post on a free kick by Sneijder.
Initially Dynamo seemed to struggle against the visitors' new system, but after a while they had things under control again, and in the 61st minute Ninkovic fired a shot from the edge of the area that went just wide of the post.
The Nerazzurri responded and three minutes later Eto'o wasted a huge chance, heading the ball on the woodwork from close range at the far post. Luck continued to go against the visitors as just a few minutes later Samuel also headed the ball on the post on a free kick by Sneijder.
It was all Inter halfway through the second half, and in the 70th minute another huge chance was wasted when Balotelli controlled a long pass by Eto'o and fired the ball wide one on one with Bogush.
Two minutes later, Balotelli played in a perfect cross for Eto'o, who tried a diving header which went wide of the target, as Inter continued to attack.
The African striker missed a massive chance in the 78th minute, when he dribbled past two defenders in the area but incredibly fired the ball over the bar.
Inter found a deserved equalizer seven minutes later, as Sneijder found Milito in the area and the striker beat Bogush with a shot that deflected off a defender.
With a minute to go before full time, they even found a winner through the Dutch playmaker, who poked the ball into the net after Bogush kept out shots by substitute Sulley Muntari and and Milito.
Nothing more happened in injury time, as Inter earned a priceless victory that takes them from the bottom spot to the top spot in the group standings with 6 points, while Rubin Kazan and Barcelona have 5, and Dynamo Kiev have 4.
Danilo Pochini, Goal.com
Thank you for your comment!
Please enter your name
Please enter your location
Please share your comment!
27 Comments
Advertisement
Inside Goal.Com
-
RIGG: Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is certainly no Mr. February
The Swedish striker traditionally struggles in February. Facing a three-match ban this month, the jinx looks set to continue.
-
DEMPSEY'S DIARY: Playing in the World Cup was the ultimate dream
In his latest diary entry for Goal.com, the U.S. international and Fulham midfielder talks about playing in his first World Cup despite a back injury and what it meant to score.
-
ROGERS: Capello resigns as coach, but the villain is FA chairman Bernstein
Capello and John Terry are far from blameless in the England saga, but the real culprit is the FA chairman.
-
LABIDOU: Is MLS falling behind? The league's new younger direction
With high-profile players like Nicolas Anelka and Luca Toni rejecting MLS for other developing leagues, is the league falling behind its competition?
-
POLL: Should Copa America 'Vanishing Spray' be introduced globally?
The spray, which has been designed to stop defensive walls from encroaching closer than 10 yards to the ball at free kicks, is set to be discussed at next month's IFAB meeting.
Advertisement
Advertisement
