UEFA Cup - Holders Zenit stunned by late show

Eurosport - Fri, 13 Mar 10:27:00 2009

Two late goals gave Italian side Udinese a 2-0 last-16, first-leg win over UEFA Cup holders Zenit St Petersburg.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 UEFA Cup Udinese-Zenit Antonio Di Natale - 0

In a poor game in Italy, Udinese rarely managed to breach the Zenit defence as they settled for long-range efforts that had little chance of beating Viacheslav Malafeev.

But Fabio Quagliarella popped up in the 85th minute to grab a goal and Antonio Di Natale (pictured) doubled the Serie A side's lead from the penalty spot deep in injury-time.

That leaves the holders facing an uphill battle if they are to continue their bid for back-to-back successes.

In a slow start, Di Natale's 25-yarder was easily held by the goalkeeper in the 11th minute, while Quagliarella then sent another long-range effort wide to set the tone.

Zenit failed to muster an effort on goal until the half-hour mark when 30million euro man Danny unleashed a 30-yard shot that was comfortable enough for Samir Handanovic to deal with.

Quagliarella blazed another long-range effort off-target before Danny sent a left-footed shot over the bar.

Handanovic was called on to make another save in the 40th minute, keeping out Pavel Pogrebniak.

At the other end, Simone Pepe continued the pattern of the game by firing over the crossbar from 20 yards.

After so many efforts off target in the first half, Zenit's Anatoliy Tymoschuk got at least a little closer in the 48th minute when he saw his powerful effort from the edge of the area cannon back off the crossbar.

At the other end, Giovanni Pasquale forced Malafeev into a parried save with a left-footed shot from 25 yards before Di Natale sent a follow-up effort wide.

Quagliarella's aim had not improved as he shot over in the 54th minute.

Gaetano Agostino then did likewise before the hosts managed to get inside the area, only to see Malafeev tip Gokhan Inler's header over the crossbar.

Malafeev then made another good save from Di Natale's close-range effort before Pepe fired wide.

Udinese continued to push for a way through, but Malafeev parried Di Natale's low shot in the 81st minute.

Just when it seemed like their night would end in frustration, Quagliarella raced on to Pepe's ball and lashed a left-footed shot high into the net.

Then, three minutes into injury time, Roman Shirkov felled Christian Obodo and Di Natale fired home the penalty.

Sporting Life / Eurosport

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  1. to Half a brain dead

    Italy were very lucky! to win­ the world cup they were just less poor than the rest­ including England...

    From Stevo1, on Fri 13 Mar 9:09AM

  2. GioFANNY - Scholes is English

    From CHRIS, on Fri 13 Mar 8:34AM

  3. Giovanni T - Last time i checked Paul Scholes was­ English. Italian football has always been corrupt and­ full of cheats and now they are all over the hill, lazy­ (Stop the Press - Italians are lazy) primadonnas they­ will be left behind while Britannia rules the waves­ again

    From Gary, on Fri 13 Mar 8:31AM

  4. Funny, the greatest evidence that Italian football is­ down is that Inter got a football lesson by ManU. Now­ read the team line up: there were two Italians,­ Balotelli and Santon (ever heard?), each 19 years old.­ The trainer is a Portuguese Premier League trainer.­ There are more Italians starting for Bayern Munich...­ By the way, how many English (not British) players were­ lined up for ManU? Rooney, Carrick, Ferdinand?
    Juve and­ Roma were definitely not inferior to Chelsea and­ Arsenal; maybe on paper, but not for the display on the­ pitch. Arsenal, a very "English" team - is­ there a SINGLE English player?
    Stop calling it­ "English football". Not even the money is­ English. It is Russian, American, Arabic. Italian­ football is Juve, Milan, Roma. If my memory isn't­ down, Juve and Milan alone contested something like 12­ finals in the last 20 years.

    From Giovanni T, on Fri 13 Mar 8:14AM

  5. Italian football has been the best and set standards.­ Apart from a few teams, they are quite poor at­ present.
    Arsenal were dire the other night with no­ ideas, yet they contained and had most of the ball all­ evening against a very, very poor Roma.
    The only solace­ of the evening was that Roma were far worse.

    From El-Tony., on Fri 13 Mar 7:33AM

  6. Right name - Half a brain - only half a brain thinks­ Italian (fall over - dont touch me - diving­ specialists) Italian football is anything but rubbish.­ So They beat Zenit on their own turf - Zenit have sold­ two star players and are struggling to renew their­ confidence

    From Rob, on Fri 13 Mar 5:07AM

  7. Who says Italian football is dead is either stupid or­ ignorant. They are the current world champions, I­ repeat that.. The current world champions. Their teams­ do not have the money that Spain and England has but­ they are always there. the CL before the last was won­ by an Italian team. I don't really need to go­ through this. I would simply repeat, whoever thinks­ Italian football is dead is either ignorant or stupid..

    From Half A Brain, on Fri 13 Mar 3:03AM

  8. the Uefa Cup is not the UCL but it is impressive that a­ team thats been in the bottom half of Serie A for most­ of the season just basically knocked out the Holders­ and a team that has gone toe to toe with Madrid, Juve­ & Utd is impressive so I wouldnt be so quick to say­ italian football is dead ....

    From justin, on Fri 13 Mar 12:55AM
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