Bayern set record with CSKA win
Robben, Goetze, Muller score one apiece
MOSCOW, Nov 28, (Agencies): Holders Bayern Munich set a new Champions League record of 10 consecutive victories with a 3-1 win over CSKA Moscow in their Group D tie on Wednesday.
Bayern’s Dutch attacker Arjen Robben, Mario Goetze and Thomas Muller scored one apiece under the snow of the Khimki Arena, while Japanese playmaker Keisuke Honda was on target for CSKA.
The German giants, who are already qualified for the knockout stages, maintained their perfect record collecting 15 points from five matches to stay six clear of Manchester City, who play Czech champions Viktoria Plzen later on Wednesday.
It was Bayern’s 10th win in a row in the competition to beat Barcelona’s previous record from 2002.
The German champions, who came to the Russian capital without a several key players including Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Mandzukic, nevertheless took control early.
CSKA were hit with a partial UEFA stadium ban, due to the racist abuse of Manchester City’s Yaya Toure in the Moscow club’s previous Champions League match.
But the support of their fans, who filled the open sectors despite the frosty Moscow weather, inspired Russian champions CSKA to create a series of early chances mainly after four corners, which remained fruitless.
In the 17th minute Robben lifted the guests with a precise shot from 10 metres past helpless CSKA goalie Igor Akinfeyev from Muller’s pinpoint pass into the area.
Bayern continued testing the hosts defence, which resulted in blunders by the hosts on a regular basis, but to no immediate avail.
After the break CSKA, who needed a point to secure their Europa League berth, moved up a gear and created several clear scoring oppor- tunities for Honda, who squandered them all.
Goetze meanwhile increased Bayern’s lead in the 56th minute when he received the ball 10 metres in front of the hosts’ box and dribbled in despite the physical presence of five CSKA defenders to send the ball home from 10 metres.
In the 62nd minute Honda reduced arrears from the spot after Bayern Brazilian back Dante played handball in his area but three minutes later Muller restored the two-goal lead also with a penalty after Georgy Shchennikov fouled Robben in the box.
CSKASerbian midfielder Zoran Tosic missed a chance to sweeten the pill for the hosts as his unopposed shot from the edge of the penalty box could only hit the woodwork and bounced back with 10 minutes to go. Sao Paulo’s international airport, are being built around the clock seven days a week to try to finish them before the Cup.
The Sao Paulo stadium, formally called Arena Corinthians but known locally as “Itaquer„o,” is being built by Brazilian industrial conglomerate Odebrecht SA, which recently said the arena was 94 percent complete.
Photos taken by local media appeared to show significant damage caused by the fallen crane to the outside of the stadium. It was not immediately clear if the damage could pose a major delay to opening the stadium.
A spokeswoman for Odebrecht declined immediate comment. Corinthians, the Sao Paulo soccer club that will play in the stadium after the Cup tournament, lamented the accident in a short statement but declined further comment.