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Barca bank on indispensable Ibrahimovic
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-29 11:44 MADRID: Zlatan Ibrahimovic has settled quickly at Barcelona and his continuing fitness will be vital as Pep Guardiola's team seeks to defend its European title. Barca host Dynamo Kiev in Champions League Group F on Tuesday (Wednesday morning, Beijing time) with striker Thierry Henry doubtful due to a thigh strain, and Bojan Krkic injured, leaving Ibrahimovic as the only fit center forward.
The Swede, signed from Inter Milan, started on the bench against Malaga in La Liga on Saturday to recover from an ankle strain. But he was forced to come on for Henry in the first half and immediately lifted Barca's game, scoring the opener in a bruising 2-0 victory. He has now scored five in five league games. "He (Ibrahimovic) wasn't 100 percent but he's a strong player who doesn't complain if he's thrown on," Guardiola said. "More important than the goals he scores are the various alternatives he gives us in attack."
But it was not as easy as the scoreline suggests and the depth of Guardiola's squad remains debatable. "We'll have to see how we recover before the Dynamo Kiev game after so much effort and sacrifice," Guardiola said. "If one player cannot be replaced by another we'll turn to the youth team." The European champions drew 0-0 at Inter in their opening group match and Dynamo took top spot with a 3-1 comeback win over Russian champions Rubin Kazan. Dynamo also lead the Ukrainian league and warmed up for the trip to Barcelona with a 2-0 victory over Zarja Lugansk. They are unbeaten in 15 matches in all competitions. Midfielder Olexander Aliyev played against Lugansk after two months out with injury. Barca will be favorites to win but the last time Dynamo visited the Nou Camp, in a Champions League stage match in 1997, Andriy Shevchenko scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 victory and the former European Footballer of the Year is now back at Kiev. Russian champions and competition debutants Rubin Kazan welcome Inter to their refurbished 30,000-capacity stadium, with the Italian champions traveling without Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder (hip injury). While Barca were maintaining their perfect La Liga start, Real Madrid, aiming to win a record-extending 10th European Cup at their Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in May - also won their fifth successive league match by beating Tenerife 3-0. Real won 5-2 at FC Zurich in their opening Group C match and host Olympique Marseille on Wednesday with the French side reeling from their first Ligue 1 defeat of the season. "I didn't recognize Marseille," defender Cyril Rool said after Saturday's 3-2 loss at Valenciennes. "Obviously, it would have been better to win before going to Madrid." Trio win Three of the four English challengers won in the Premier League at the weekend, with Manchester United going top for the first time this season after a 2-0 victory at Stoke City.
Liverpool crushed Hull City 6-1, Fernando Torres scoring an outstanding hat-trick, and Arsenal beat Fulham 1-0 in a London derby at Craven Cottage. Previously unbeaten Chelsea went down to a shock 3-1 defeat at Wigan Athletic. United, who began their Group B campaign for a third successive Champions League final appearance with a 1-0 win at Besiktas, host Wolfsburg knowing the German champions have conceded 14 goals in seven Bundesliga games. Liverpool travel to Fiorentina in Group E with the English side having beaten Debrecen of Hungary 1-0 in their opener and the Italians having lost to Olympique Lyon by the same score. Chelsea should follow up their opening 1-0 win over Porto with another victory in Group D against APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus, especially if England midfielder Joe Cole continues his rehabilitation from his long injury layoff and plays. APOEL gained a point from a surprise 0-0 draw at Atletico Madrid two weeks ago and the Spaniards, at the wrong end of La Liga without a win in five matches, will be hoping to kickstart their season in their trip to Porto. Arsenal, who came from two goals down to beat Standard Liege 3-2 in their Group H opener, host Olympiakos Pireaus, while Liege travel to AZ Alkmaar. Reuters |
