Lille beat CSKA Moscow 2-0 in Champions League

© RIA Novosti . Aleksey Philippov / Go to the mediabankCSKA-Lille
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A bizarre own goal from Vasily Berezutsky and a spectacular second from Moussa Sow gave French side Lille a convincing 2-0 win over CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Tuesday.

A bizarre own goal from Vasily Berezutsky and a spectacular second from Moussa Sow gave French side Lille a convincing 2-0 win over CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The result lifts Lille above CSKA into second in Group G, with both teams on five points. It means group leaders Inter Milan, top on nine points, are uncatchable with one game remaining, and leaves CSKA, Lille and Trabzonspor fighting for the other knockout berth.

Trabzonspor, also on five points, host Inter later Tuesday.

"In the second half we played really well and were able to put away the chances we had," Lille coach Rudi Garcia said.

CSKA coach Leonid Slutsky said his side "deserved to lose."

"We had players out injured but we can have no complaints about the result," he said.

The visitors' opener came on 49 minutes as Berezutsky, under pressure from Lille striker Moussa Sow, lifted the ball over his own goalkeeper from the edge of the area.

Sow had miscontrolled a through pass from Florent Balmont, and Berezutsky pounced on the loose ball but underhit his clearance.

An inspired Lille move brought Sow the visitors' second goal just after the hour. The Senegalese forward slammed home a Joe Cole shot that had cannoned off the post.

Lille's Belgian midfielder Eden Hazard had neutralized the entire CSKA defense with a disguised diagonal through ball to put Cole clear.

CSKA were comprehensively outplayed for most of the match by a lively Lille side who had Florent Balmont and Hazard pulling the strings in attack.

It was only luck that kept the hosts from falling behind in the first half, as Mathieu Debuchy crashed a close-range volley against the CSKA crossbar and Franck Beria skewed wide from four yards with the goal gaping.

Joe Cole, returning to the scene of his 2008 Champions League final defeat to Manchester United with Chelsea, threatened early on for the visitors, turning Sergei Ignashevich in the box but not getting enough power to trouble CSKA goalkeeper Vladimir Gabulov.

Alan Dzagoev inadvertently came close for CSKA on the half hour, swinging in a corner that nearly went straight in. Lille goalkeeper Mickael Landreau misjudged the swerve on the ball but got a palm to it and the danger was cleared.

The Russian forward found space in the Lille box moments later but had the sting taken out of his shot by a lunging defender.

CSKA came out with renewed vigor in the second half but the quick own goal prevented them from gathering any momentum. They committed numbers forward and invited the counterattack, exploited ruthlessly by Hazard and Cole.

Sow tested Gabulov with a stinging volley on the hour, before Aleksandrs Cauna grazed the side netting for the hosts with a long shot.

Cole forced a reaction low save from Gabulov moments later, before David Rozenhal headed over and Idrissa Gueye struck high and wide all on counterattacks.

Vagner Love was in the clear on 75 minutes but couldn't control a cross from the right, and the ball bounced harmlessly into Landreau's arms.

CSKA had the better of the possession late on but were unable to carve out any clear openings, with Dzagoev signalling their desparation by firing a speculative effort from long range at the death.

The deciding matches are December 7, when CSKA head to Milan to play Inter and Lille host Trabzonspor.

 

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