Dutch side make Champion's league debut in style with 2-2 draw against defending champs Inter
Dutch side make Champion's league debut in style with 2-2 draw against defending champs InterTheo Janssen starred for FC Twente on their Champions League debut as they held holders Inter Milan to a 2-2 draw yesterday.
| FC Twente Wout Brama (left) fights for the ball with Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijderu00a0 during their 2-2 Champions League game in Enschede, Holland yesterday. PIC/AFP |
Wesley Sneijder gave the visitors the lead on his return to his homeland but Janssen smacked in a stunning free-kick before Diego Milito's own goal gave the hosts the lead, only for Samuel Eto'o to earn the Italians a point.
All four goals came in a pulsating first half. Inter coach Rafael Benitez was a satisfied man and defended his striker Milito, who has yet to find the net at the right end this season.
The champions got off to a great start after Milito faked to shoot and dragged the ball past Roberto Rosales.
Although Nikolai Mihajlov pushed out his left-footed 14th-minute shot, Sneijder arrived to drill home the rebound.
However, the hosts were level six minutes later as Janssen curled home a peach of a free-kick into the top corner from 22 yards that gave Julio Cesar no chance.
Twente were buoyed and Dwight Tiendalli had a crack from distance that Cesar had to push behind for a corner.
On 29 minutes Janssen had another free-kick opportunity and went for the other side this time, but Cesar bounded across his line to tip it away for a corner.
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However, Janssen curled his sumptuous left foot around the ball from the flag to dump it into the danger zone, where Milito inadvertently headed it past a helpless Cesar.
Inter went close to levelling on 36 minutes following a flowing move that saw Esteban Cambiasso feed Milito, who spread the ball wide to Eto'o to cross for Cambiasso, who had continued his run, but he hooked the ball onto the bar.
The Italians were level on 41 minutes, though, as Eto'o played a one-two with Goran Pandev and hit a crisp shot from distance that skimmed off the drenched surface and crept inside the right-hand post.
Back came Twente in first-half injury time and Austrian Marc Janko headed narrowly over from Venezuelan Rosales's pin-point cross. The second half was low-key by comparison.
Results
Group A: FC Twente (NED) 2
Inter Milan (ITA) 2, Werder Bremen (GER) 2 Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) 2
Group B: Lyon (FRA) 1 Schalke 04 (GER) 0, Benfica (POR) 2 Hapoel Tel-Aviv (ISR) 0
Group C: Man Utd (ENG) 0 Rangers (SCO) 0, Bursaspor (TUR) 0 Valencia (ESP) 4
Group D: Barcelona (ESP) 5 Panathinaikos (GRE) 1,
FC Copenhagen (DEN) 1
Rubin Kazan (RUS) 0
