Champions League - Scholes off as United fall

Eurosport - Sat, 30 Aug 14:46:00 2008

Zenit St Petersburg won the Eurpean Super Cup for the first time in their history after beating Manchester United 2-1 in Monaco.

FOOTBALL 2008 Supercoppa Pogrebniak Zenit St Petersburg-Manchester - 0

Goals from Pavel Pogrebnyak and Danny Alves proved enough to claim the trophy but the Russian Champions had to hold on for the last twenty minutes as United laid siege to their goal.

Nemanja Vidic gave United hope and Paul Scholes looked to have drawn level only to be booked, and sent off, for handball.

Zenit's first came on the stroke of half-time. A near post Igor Denisov flick looked to be going in, but Pogrebnyak made sure - charging in late to head home.

Danny added a second on 58 minutes. Picking the ball up a full forty yards out, Zenit's record signing weaved his way past Vidic and Rio Ferdinand before sending Edwin Van der Sar the wrong way.

With 73 minutes gone, Vidic set up a tense finale after tucking away from close range. Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney combining well to tee him up following a near post Nani corner.

In a cagey start to the game the first real sight of goal fell to Zenit and Pavel Pogrebynak, a quick free-kick and intricate passing down United's left found Aleksandr Anyukov in time and space to measure a cross. It deserved more than the miss that befell it.

Zenit's support thought they had taken the lead on 24 minutes, Dominguez Alejandro's free-kick hitting the stanchion before trickling along the back of the goal.

United's approach play was on a par with Zenit's but their final ball often left a lot to be desired. Nani, Gary Neville and Patrice Evra all culpable.

And even when Tevez broke well and played in Rooney, the England man got his feet all wrong and lost the ball for a second before firing straight at Viacheslav Malafeev.

Zenit were far more threatening and the only surprise was the goal took so long to come, Danny putting a header just over before seeing Van der Sar save well from Ivica Krizanac after another Dominguez free-kick.

United started the second half with designs on a come back, but soon found themselves 2-0 down after Danny's superb solo goal.

Sir Alex Ferguson sent on Park Ji-Sung and John O'Shea and both had efforts blocked before Vidic's strike set up a dramatic finish.

Zenit were fading badly, but did have one last chance to put the tie beyond United. Second half substitute Andrei Arshavin setting up Dannny who, with more time than he thought, lifted it over the bar.

United poured forward but it wasn't to be. Tevez, Park and O'Shea all going close.

After adding the European Super Cup to their domestic Super Cup and Uefa Cup haul Zenit will now turn their attentions to retaining the Russian League title, while United will have the two week international break to reflect on what was a flat performance

Marcus Foley / Eurosport

Comment 245 - 264 of 264

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  1. man u LOSE?? THAT IS A GOOD NEWS!! HURRAY!!!

    From alistorhiteolaenf, on Fri 5 Sep 5:29PM

  2. MAN U i justt love you iam a big fun from namibia when­ u win you make me sttrong

    From Limbo, on Fri 5 Sep 4:03PM

  3. too bad man u u call urself.zenit deservd it after all­ so nw u can focus on ur local league where u could­ still b beaten again i say again
    solomon kenny

    From solomon k, on Thu 4 Sep 10:11AM

  4. Zenit rules UEFA!

    From deniskostyan, on Thu 4 Sep 7:34AM

  5. M.U SUCK!!!!!!!

    From zelina_cute, on Tue 2 Sep 7:45AM

  6. wel done united dere is always time 4 every tin u av­ putin ur best.banky 4 life i hail all my man 4­ united.kip it up n go 4 d real charge dis time.all d­ trophies are urs dis time.

    From Bankole, on Mon 1 Sep 1:53PM

  7. This is just the beginning of the league I don't­ know why people are wooried. A patience dog eats the­ fattest bone. For Man United they knows what they are­ doing, they don't need to rush. Up Man­ UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

    From ebyebyilechie, on Mon 1 Sep 10:55AM

  8. Watch out there's a possible dark horse in Zenit­ they are going to cause problems in their group.So­ watch out Brit team

    From John Hamer, on Sun 31 Aug 10:06PM

  9. Ifedayo stephen adeoya ....what a big shame for­ MANU.how come they got the CL..Its not really meant for­ them..how i wish my club could have it and see what­ damage they will do zenit a very small club that has no­ name in europe football..big ups to barcelona

    From mum_sherrybuzz, on Sun 31 Aug 4:30PM

  10. manchester united is jz famous with its name and­ reputation... they do not deserve the cl trophy as­ barca should win!! they dominate both legs!!

    From Fazreen A, on Sun 31 Aug 11:46AM

  11. MAN U --- what a shame? the Champ of the Champion­ League defeated by UEFA Champ. One of the reason is due­ to their egoness and overconfident they can beat this­ Excellent Russion club! Forget about Ronny---the dig­ head! who can't even score on penalty kicks...

    From blmbo2, on Sun 31 Aug 11:33AM

  12. Icerberguk i heard the term before, one fool makes­ many. you are as dumb as dante.... there is no way you­ can use a NOUN to describe yourself and­ "SOPHISTICATE" is a noun­ "SOPHISTICATED" is an adjective meaning­ describing words. so how can you refer to yourself or­ should i say describing yourself and say sophisticate­ its grammatically incorrect its sophisticated you­ baboon

    From dercute, on Sat 30 Aug 9:09PM

  13. you bunch of @#$%, MAN UTD forever. !!!! JEALOUS ALL OF­ YOU COZ YOU AINT WON @#$%.

    From dawn749mcgregor, on Sat 30 Aug 4:56PM

  14. Well done Zenit and @#$% you all mam u haters

    From arthur, on Sat 30 Aug 4:24PM

  15. MANY OF YOU JUST COME TO THIS SIGHT AND SAY COMPLETE­ RUBISH, MAN U LOST WE KNOW. IT IS NOT A GOOD DAY FOR­ US, BUT WE DO KNOW THINGS WILL IMPROVE. EARLY LAST­ SEASON WE DID NOT PLAY SUPER CUP BECAUSE WE DID NOT WIN­ CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, WE HAD VERY BAD START DRAWING TWO­ GAMES AND WINNING ONE, THEREFOR GETTING 2 POINT FROM­ THREE GAME, BUT STILL MANAGED TO WIN THE LEAGUE AND­ CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. NOTHING EXTRA ORDINARY HAPPENED­ YESTERDAY. YOUR COMPLAINANTS THOUGHT WE WOULD WIN THAT­ IS WHY YOU WATCHED BUT DIDN'T GO LIKE THAT. ONE­ MUST WIN AND ZENITH WON. CONGRAT TO THEM, WE WILL MOVE­ ON FROM THERE. MAN SUPPORTERS I KNOW IT IS PAINFUL BUT­ LET US MOVE ON FROM THERE.

    From peace s, on Sat 30 Aug 2:35PM

  16. can you get this guy (peace s)? he calls them SIR! what­ a loser!

    From maximusLAC C, on Sat 30 Aug 2:31PM

  17. ha ha ha wait till you play the real manchester team­ another 6 points for us.

    From Christopher, on Sat 30 Aug 2:30PM

  18. 666 why don't you accept the fact that ur an­ @$$h000 and that the 1 person who scored hates it­ there! he only took back his word bços fergie­ threatened to extend his contract and let him stay at­ manc for life! what a joke! scholes, hah; you should be­ ashamed of urself!!!

    From maximusLAC C, on Sat 30 Aug 2:29PM

  19. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT MAN U LOST YESTERNIGHT. IT IS PAINFUL­ NOT BECAUSE MAN U PLAYED BETTER, THEY DID NOT IT IS­ PAINFUL BECAUSE NO ONE LIKES TO LOOSE. BUT THE PLUS IS­ THEY PLAYED FOR SUPER CUP BECAUSE THEY WON CHAMPIONS­ LEAGUE. THE GAME IS MEANT FOR SPECIAL CHAMPIONS, AND­ THEY HAVE THE CUP(CHAMPIONS LEAGUE) UNTILL NEXT MAY.­ THE PROBLEM WILL BE ADDRESSED BUT HOW SOON. SIR I THINK­ YOU ARE STICKING TOO MUCH TO DIMITAR, I KNOW HE IS­ GOOD, BUT WHAT ABOUT HUNTELAR, HE IS YUNGER AND­ HUNGRIER. THE ATTACK PROBLEM SHOULD BE ADDRESSED ELSE­ MAN U COULD BE STRUGGLING.

    From peace s, on Sat 30 Aug 2:21PM

  20. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT MAN U LOST YESTERNIGHT. IT IS PAINFUL­ NOT BECAUSE MAN U PLAYED BETTER, THEY DID NOT IT IS­ PAINFUL BECAUSE NO ONE LIKES TO LOOSE. BUT THE PLUS IS­ THEY PLAYED FOR SUPER CUP BECAUSE THEY WON CHAMPIONS­ LEAGUE. THE GAME IS MEANT FOR SPECIAL CHAMPIONS, AND­ THEY HAVE THE CUP(CHAMPIONS LEAGUE) UNTILL NEXT MAY.­ THE PROBLEM WILL BE ADDRESSED BUT HOW SOON. SIR I THINK­ YOU ARE STICKING TOO MUCH TO DIMITAR, I KNOW HE IS­ GOOD, BUT WHAT ABOUT HUNTELAR, HE IS YUNGER AND­ HUNGRIER. THE ATTACK PROBLEM SHOULD BE ADDRESSED ELSE­ MAN U COULD BE STRUGGLING.

    From peace s, on Sat 30 Aug 2:21PM
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