Keane impresses but Swedes stun Inter
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Your support makes all the difference.Robbie Keane had an impressive competitive debut for Internazionale last night, but still finished on the losing side as the Italian club suffered an unexpected defeat in Sweden.
Robbie Keane had an impressive competitive debut for Internazionale last night, but still finished on the losing side as the Italian club suffered an unexpected defeat in Sweden.
The Swedish champions, Helsingborg, found the finishing touch that the Serie A side lacked in last night's Champions' League third qualifying round, first leg. Michael Hansson volleyed home from the edge of the penalty area in the 82nd minute to give Inter some work to do in the return leg.
Keane, the Republic of Ireland striker, and Laurent Blanc were the best Inter players on view. The Frenchman controlled midfield with some subtle passing skills while Keane went close to scoring several times. Just before the interval the £13m buy from Coventry City forced a superb save from the Helsingborg goalkeeper Bengt Andersson.
There were no such problems for Inter's rivals, Milan, who beat Dynamo Zagreb 3-1 at San Siro. The Croatians took the lead through Renato Pilipovic, but two goals from Andriy Shevchenko and one fromGianni Comandini gave the Serie A team a deserved win.
Last season's European Cup runners-up, Valencia, started this term's campaign with a 0-0 draw at Tirol Innsbruck. The Spanish side were off form with only Gaizka Mendieta, who hit the bar with a ferocious shot in the 44th minute, looking lively. The English referee Mike Riley produced 10 yellow cards, with six shown to the Austrians.
Elsewhere in the Champions' League qualifiers, two goals from the giant Brazilian striker Mario Jardel, a summer signing from the Portuguese side Porto, gave the Uefa Cup holders, Galatasaray, a 2-1 win away to the Swiss side St Gallen. Jardel's former club went down 1-0 in Belgium to Anderlecht, for whom the Czech striker Jan Koller was on target.
In tonight's Uefa Cup first qualifying round, first leg action, Celtic are in Luxembourg to take on Jeunesse d'Esch. The Scotland striker Mark Burchill trained with the Bhoys' squad last night despite putting in a transfer request and will be hoping to figure in the plans of his manager, Martin O'Neill.
The game also marks the return to European club football for the Swedish striker Henrik Larsson after his recovery from a broken leg last year. Celtic still have a doubt over the defender Alan Stubbs, who missed Saturday's 1-0 victory over Motherwell with a knee injury, while the Israeli Eyal Berkovic picked up a knock in training and is struggling to be fit.
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