Defending champs Barcelona go down against Russia's Rubin while Liverpool lose to France's Lyon
Defending champs Barcelona go down against Russia's Rubin while Liverpool lose to France's Lyon
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Barcelona's Lionel Messi expresses his dejection after their 1-2 defeat at home against Russia's Rubin Kazan at the Nou Camp yesterday. pics/AFP |
Holders Barcelona suffered their first European defeat in 10 months falling to a shock 2-1 home loss at the hands of Rubin Kazan in the Champions League group F match last night.
Meanwhile, Liverpool went down to French Club Lyon at Anfield 1-2 as well.
Russian champions Rubin produced the biggest win in their history to defeat the reigning European champions with Turkish midfielder Gokdeniz Karadeniz netting a 73rd minute winner.
It was Barcelona's first Champions League defeat since December 9 when Pep Guardiola's side lost 2-3 at home to Shakhtar Donetsk at the group stage although they had already qualified and the result blows the group wide open with all four teams capable of reaching the last 16.
Barca, Rubin and Dynamo Kiev all have four points with Inter Milan on three points after a 2-2 draw with Kiev yesterday. "Any team can beat another one in football," said Guardiola. "It is a strong group with four league champions and we have to fight until the end to progress."
Aleksandr Ryazantsev shot Russian champions Rubin into a shock lead after just 70 seconds with a fine long-range strike.
Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic equalised for Barca three minutes after the break.
It was expected to be the platform for Barca to win the game but Kazan were clinical using one of their rare goal scoring chances to win the game. "If we want to progress we have to win the next game in Russia (against Rubin Kazan)," said Ibrahimovic.
But Rafael Benitez now faces what could prove to be the defining moment of his Liverpool managerial reign against Manchester United on Sunday, possibly without an injured international trio of Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson in the wake of yesterday night's 2-1 home defeat by Lyon.
The former European champions must win their final three group games to have a hope of advancing to the Champions League knockout stage following an injury-time winner from Cesar Delgado at Anfield.
Maxime Gonalons had earlier equalised a first half goal from Yossi Benayoun and the dramatic winner inflicted a fourth successive defeat on Liverpool for the first time since 1987.
