Ajax dealt Barcelona its first Champion’s League loss for the year

Thulani Serero scored the opening goal
for the giant killing Ajax

Dutch side Ajax humbled Barcelona before a boisterous home crowd.  Ajax opened the scoring in the 19^th minute when South African international Thulani Serero meet Ricardo Van Rihjn’s cross with a little back heel from Danny Hoesen.

Ajax extended the lead in the 41^st minute when Pinto failed to hold on to his save from a Viktor Fischer shot.  The rebound fell to Danny Hoesen who flicked the ball past Carles Puyol and into slotting the ball into Pinto’s goal.

Barcelona countered early in the second half when Neymar was fouled by Joel Veltman who was red carded for the violation. Xavi Hernandez then coolly scored the penalty after Ajax goalkeeper Jasper Cilessen went the other way.

However, that was all Barcelona could do despite an already undermanned Ajax. Andres Iniesta and Xavi tried to weave play after play but Ajax defence was just too good to allow Barcelona to pull a fast one on Ajax.  Ajax preserved the lead to keep their hopes alive to qualify for the next round of the Champion’s League knockout stage next year.    

Mario Gotze returns, lead Bayern Munich versus Borussia Dortmund 3-0

Last year, Mario Gotze was one of those instrumental in Dortmund's successes.  Last Saturday, Mario Gotze leads the charge to defeat his former team in front of a silenced hometown crowd in the game between Bundesliga's top tier teams.

Mario Gotze tried to muffle his celebration
after scoring a goal against his former team

Things were even for both teams in the early goings as neither of them was able to penetrate the tenacious defending of both teams backlines imposed against the other.  Manuel Neuer's confident block against a one on one situation with Marco Reus highlighted the excellent defenses displayed by both Dortmund and Bayern.

Then the most anticipated moment came in the 55^th minute when former Dortmund player Mario Gotze entered the game substituting striker Mario Manzukic.  He is welcomed like a long lost son by the crowd. Ironically, however, it was this son who stunned them later.  In the 66^th minute, Gotze received a pass from Thomas Muller who squared and poked a right foot shot that was too far for Wiedenfeller to even touch.  Gotze raised his two arms, as if to mute his celebration, in front of a silenced and stunned crowd of his former team.

Less than 5 minutes before stoppage time, Dutch international Arjen Robben broke away from a lob by Thiago Alcantara and chipped the ball into the net as Munich scored its second goal of the evening.  Adding insult to injury, two minutes later in the 87^th minute, when Thomas Muller added another goal from a Philip Lahm cross to complete a victorious night for the visitors and great disappointment to the home town crowd.

Rivals Everton and Liverpool scores a 3-3 draw after a pulsating match

Teammates celebrate as Philippe Coutinho
scored the opening goal 

The Merseyside Derby ends in a draw after a pulsating match at the Goodison Park. 

The scoring began as early as the 5th minute after Philippe Coutinho caught Steven Gerrard's corner, and flicked it before side footing it past Tim Howard and James McCarthy who was inside the goal and give Liverpool the early lead.  Four minutes later, Everton equalised after Kevin Mirallas collected the rebound from Ross Barkley in side foot shot in front of Simon Mignolet. 

Ten minutes later, Luis Suarez brought Liverpool back in the lead after curling his free kick which slip past between Steven Pienaar and Gareth Barry and escape the outstretched hands of Tim Howard. 

Everton suffered a blow when striker Leighton Baines was substituted by Gerrard Deulofeu after limping through an injury.  The substitute never disappoints as he was sent clear by Mirallas before his attempt was quickly blocked by Mignolet. 

Everton clawed back  when Romel Lukaku side footed in the 72nd minute after a flurry of touches that found the ball to him.  Ten minutes later in the 82nd minute, Romel Lukaku again soared past Jon Flanagan to score a header and give Everton a close chance at victory.  However, that was not meant to be Liverpool striker, Daniel Sturridge, who entered as substitute headed the goal from a free kick by Steven Gerrard. 

Then, Gerrard Deulofeu's missed chances and that of Romel Lukaku's anemic pass to his team mate haunts Everton as it could have rendered a different result.  

Robert Lewandowski scores a hat trick as Borussia Dortmund pummels VFB Stuttgart 6-1

Marco Reus scored the second goal
 of the six scored by Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund blasted VFB Stuttgart with a 6 goal performance at home ground against a miserable VFB Stuttgart. 

Stuttgart drew first blood as Karim Haggui scored a header from a corner by Alexander Maxim in the 13th minute.  But five minutes later, Dortmund the first goal which would set up a 6 goal fest for the host. 

Dortmund answered in the 19th minute when Sokratis heads a corner by Nuri Sahin.  In the 22nd minute, Marco Reus scored in a fierce counter attack with Robert Lewandowski to smash the goal.  

In the second half, striker Robert Lewandowski took over and scored a hat trick including two goals which came only a minute apart.  In the 55th minute, Marco Reus back heeled a pass Lewandowski in a congested box with the latter made a flick before smashing the ball into the net.  A minute later, Henrick Mkhitaryan lob went to Lewandowski who slip past defenders Gotoku Sakai and Karim Haggui to score a rare back to back with a minute apart.  

Lewandowski scored his third in the 72nd minute when he collected a Jacob Blaszczykowski shot that hit the near post with a tap in.  Lewandowski could have scored a fourth goal by Pierre Emerick Aubamayeng's ball has crossed the goal line already when Lewandowski follow it up with a header. 

Villareal trounce Valencia 4-1

Giovanni dos Santos scores
 double for Villareal 

Villareal dominated Valencia with a 4-1 win at El Madrigal.  Villareal continues to send notice to the rest of La Liga that they are returning with a vengeance after being relegated two years ago. 

Villareal jumpstart early as Ikechukwu Uche nodded Giovanni Dos Santos cross past Vicente Guaita in the 17th minute. Five minutes later, Villareal added another goal when Hernan Perez heads Cani's lob from the left. 

Valencia tried to score in the 37th and the 39th minute when both Dorado Pabon and Joao Perreira failed to complete their attempts respectively.  

Villareal added another goal in second half but in some kind of a twist of fate.  Valencia defender Jeremy Mathieu fouled Ikechukwu Uche to set up a Giovanni dos Santos penalty.  However, Vicente Guaita tipped Giovanni's penalty to set up a corner.  Cani's corner was headed by Uche in the ensuing play and the rebound went to Giovanni who back heeled the shot and score his first goal.  Giovanni Dos Santos later completed his productive night with 25 yard curl against Ricardo Costa from a pass by Bruno in the 84th minute.  

Valencia however had a consolation goal in the 62nd minute when Ricardo Costa headed  an inswinging corner from Dani Parejo. 

Nastatic mistake hands Chelsea the win against Manchester City 2-1

Contrasting emotion: Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho whoop it up after Torres goal
as a stunned Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini looked on. 

Matija Nastatic committed a monumental blunder in the closing of minutes of the game enabling Chelsea to steal the win from Manchester City 2-1 in the latest round of English Premiere League. 

Chelsea substitute Willian just lobbed the ball ahead to Fernando Torres. It looks like Nastatic has beaten Torres for the ball, but in a twist of fate Manchester City goal keeper Joe Hart rushed in to get the ball.  Nastatic, unaware of what Joe Hart was doing heads the ball supposedly for safety only for it to slip pass Hart who is already so close to Nastatic.  

That blunder enabled Torres to pursue the ball and poked it into the net as Martin Demichelis could not do anything to stop Torres. 

Earlier, both teams are fighting tooth and nail to either score for the game or maintain the draw.  In the early goings, Torres was poised to give Chelsea the goal on two occasions.  In the 28th minute, Ramires feed a cross to Torres who missed the ball by few inches. A minute later, Ramires again gave another cross to Torres, who this time, had an open shot but still miserably missed as his shot went high up the goal.  

Torres however redeemed himself in the 37th minute when his cross to Andre Schurrle was completed as Martin Demichelis sliding save missed and allowed Schurrle to tap into the net.  

Manchester City however answered in the early part of the second half.  In the 49th minute, Samir Nasri made a perfect pass to Kun Aguero who slipped past between Chelsea defenders Gary Cahill and John Terry and scooped the ball which was too high for Peter Czech to block. 

It was even from then on and was headed for a draw until the Nastatic blunder in the 90th minute.