LONDON: Shakhtar Donetsk led the way for the Champions League underdogs as they beat holders Chelsea 2-1 while former European champions Barcelona and Manchester United came from behind to maintain perfect starts on Tuesday.
Danish debutants FC Nordsjaelland were within nine minutes of a memorable win over Juventus before having to settle for a 1-1 draw while last season’s beaten finalists Bayern Munich bounced back from a shock defeat by BATE Borisov on Matchday Two to beat Lille 1-0 in France.
A year to the day since Chelsea captain John Terry racially insulted Anton Ferdinand of Queens Park Rangers, for which he is now serving a four-match domestic ban, he is eligible to play in Europe but could not stop Shakhtar scoring after three minutes.
He failed to clear a pass to Alex Teizera who took advantage of poor defending to angle a shot past Chelsea’s Petr Cech who then made a succession of good saves to keep the score down. Fernandinho doubled the home side’s lead after halftime before Oscar became the third Brazilian to score in the match with a late consolation for the well-beaten visitors.
“We are not afraid of playing against teams like Chelsea,” said Shakhtar’s Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu. “I think we deserved this victory — we created many more opportunities and the score could have been 4-1.
“Cech had an extraordinary game tonight. Maybe Chelsea started a bit too relaxed.”
Roberto Di Matteo, whose Chelsea side lost their first Champions League game since he became manager in March, said: “Shakhtar have a good track record at home, particularly against the English teams.
“It’s very difficult when you concede a fast goal. It’s a shame we got back into the game a bit late. I believed we could score a goal at least but they punished us after we lost the ball in midfield. We have to do better as a team in those situations.”
The result left the Ukrainian side at the top of Group E with seven points, three more than Chelsea. Juventus have three and Nordsjaelland one.
Juve have now drawn their last nine European matches, and salvaged a point when Mirko Vucinic equalized nine minutes from time. Nordsjaelland, ahead through a 50th minute Mikkel Beckmann goal, at least hung on for their first point in the competition.
“That was a fantastic achievement but I think we can get even better,” Nordsjaelland coach Kasper Hjulmand told TV 3Plus.
Unlike Chelsea, who failed to come back after falling behind, Barcelona, European champions three times in the last seven seasons, did just that.
But they needed a goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time from Jordi Alba to beat Celtic 2-1 after the 1967 European champions had taken the lead at the Nou Camp through Javier Mascherano’s own goal after 18 minutes before Andres Iniesta’s brilliantly-worked equalizer just before halftime.
Alba told Spanish TV he was lucky to be in the right place at the right time.
“It was a move involving the whole team and I just had the good fortune to be in the right place,” he said. “I don’t know what the Celtic players eat, but they are very powerful in the air, in defense as well as attack,” he added.
Barca lead Group G with nine points from three wins, ahead of Celtic on four while Spartak Moscow have moved on to three points after their first win of the campaign, 2-1 at home to Benfica thanks to Jardel’s own goal.
Manchester United avoided an upset at Old Trafford, coming from behind to beat Braga 3-2 after being 2-0 down inside the first 20 minutes as Alan found the key to unlocking United’s defense with two crisp finishes.
United fought back with two headers from Javier Hernandez either side of a Jonny Evans goal which he scrambled in with his left foot after missing his kick with his right one.
United manager Alex Ferguson told ITV that conceding early goals was a fault they needed to correct.
“It has been the story of our season at home, starting badly and losing goals,” he said. “We have had to rescue games and it is the front players doing that. We played some terrific football tonight, but it is a concern losing the goals.”
It was United’s third successive win and they top Group H with nine points, followed by CFR Cluj on four after they drew 1-1 at Galatasaray. Braga have three and the Turkish side one.
In a lively match in Istanbul, Cluj had Matias Aguirregaray sent off after 28 minutes and Felipe Melo missed a penalty for Galatasaray seven minutes later.
Dany Nounkeu put through his own net to give Cluj the lead after 19 minutes before Burak Yilmaz equalized for the home side 13 minutes from time.
Valencia ended BATE Borisov’s perfect start in Group F with Roberto Soldado’s hat-trick securing a 3-0 win in Belarus. With Bayern winning 1-0 at Lille with a Thomas Mueller penalty, Valencia, BATE and Bayern all have six points with Lille on none.
Shakhtar downs Chelsea; Barca and United recover
Shakhtar downs Chelsea; Barca and United recover
Australia’s Khawaja to retire after Ashes finale, slams ‘racial stereotyping’
SYDNEY: Usman Khawaja said Friday he will retire from international cricket after the fifth and Ashes clash against England, leaving a legacy as Australia’s first Muslim Test cricketer while lashing out at perceived “racial stereotyping” during his 15-year career.
The 39-year-old will pad up for the last time, should he be selected, when the Test gets under way in Sydney on Sunday, ending months of speculation about his future.
It would be an 88th Test for the classy left-hander, culminating a career where it began after making his debut at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2011, also against England.
“The number one emotion is contentment. I’m very lucky to have played so many games for Australia the way I have,” Khawaja said. “I hope I have inspired people along the way.
“I’m a proud Muslim colored boy from Pakistan who was told that he would never play for the Australian cricket team. Look at me now, and you can do the same,” he added.
Khawaja immigrated to Australia from Islamabad as a child, battling the odds to become the country’s first Pakistan-born, and first Muslim, national player.
At one point, he was the only Asian first-class player in Australia and is credited as a role model who opened doors for others.
“Usman has made a huge contribution to Australian cricket both through his outstanding achievements as one of our most stylish and resilient batters since his Test debut 15 years ago, and off field, particularly through the Usman Khawaja Foundation,” said Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg.
“On behalf of Australian cricket I would like to thank and congratulate Usman for all he has achieved.”
Khawaja’s foundation helps youths from refugee, immigrant, Indigenous, and poor socioeconomic backgrounds through introductory cricket programs and educational support.
‘Attacked me’
Khawaja, a qualified pilot, has plundered 6,206 runs in Test cricket with 16 centuries, averaging 43.39.
He smashed a career-high 232 against Sri Lanka a year ago, but has not made three figures since.
The current Ashes series has been a rollercoaster ride, with the veteran batsman coming under scrutiny.
He injured his back in the first Test in Perth and was replaced as opener in the second innings by Travis Head who blasted a match-winning century.
Khawaja did not feature in the next match at Brisbane and was omitted from the team for the third Test in Adelaide, only to get a lifeline when Steve Smith dropped out ill just before the toss.
He came in at number four and hit 82 and 40 before making 29 and 0 in the fourth Test at Melbourne.
“I’m glad I get to leave on amy own terms, with a little bit of dignity, and go out at the SCG where I love,” he said, while expressing frustration at how he was treated.
“When I did my back , I hurt my back and had back spasms and it was something I couldn’t control.
“The way the media and past players came out and attacked me. I could have copped it for a couple of days but it went on for five days.
“The way everyone came out at me about my preparation, ‘he’s not committed to the team. Only worried about himself. Playing a golf competition. He’s selfish, he didn’t train hard enough. He’s lazy’.
“These are the same racial stereotypes .
“But obviously we haven’t fully moved past that. I haven’t seen anyone treated like that in the Australian cricket team before.”
He nevertheless admitted the writing was on the wall during the current Ashes series.
“Going into Adelaide and then not being picked initially for that game was probably a sign for me to say ‘all right, it’s time to move on’,” he said.
Khawaja also played 40 one-dayers and nine Twenty20 internationals.
