Rusty Lokomotiv celebrate close-season defeat of Monaco

LOKOMOTIV MOSCOW brushed away close-season cobwebs to defeat French league leaders Monaco 2-1 in the first leg of the Champions League first knockout round last night.

Russian international midfielder Marat Izmailov and Uzbek defender Vladimir Maminov were on target for the hosts in either half, while Spaniard Fernando Morientes scored a crucial away goal for the visitors.

Lokomotiv, who have not competed since the Russian league ended on November 1, should be happy with their night’s work but Nigerian striker James Obiorah will be kicking himself after missing a great chance to put the match beyond reach. In the dying minutes Obiorah superbly chested down a long ball from midfield and only had Monaco keeper Flavio Roma to beat but somehow his right-foot shot from close range trickled feebly wide.

While Lokomotiv coach Yuri Semin was bubbling with optimism after the match, his Monaco counterpart Didier Deschamps was far less pleased.

“We’re lucky to still have a chance of qualifying, but if it all goes bad then we could probably say it was because of tonight,” said the Frenchman, who won the trophy while playing with Marseille in 1993.

“For a good part of the match we never managed to do what we set out to. Our defence had a hard time of it, but the goal from Morientes saved us.

“It means we live to fight another day and gives us hope. Overall, we came out not too badly.”

Lokomotiv now face the more challenging task of going to Monaco in search of a result in a fortnight.

But for Semin, Tuesday’s performance left a good impression.

“Before the match I would have taken a nil-nil draw, but it’s crucial we won and I’m very satisfied.

“Monaco threatened us near the end of the game, although we missed chances that we just shouldn’t have,” added Semin, who hailed his team for their off-season feat.

“It’s a big result for us. We’ve never beaten a foreign team in February.”

The hosts’ first goal came in the 32nd minute when Izmailov dribbled in between Monaco midfielders Akis Zikos and Lucas Bernardi to beat Roma in the Monaco goal from close range.

After the break a more determined Monaco wasted no time in pinning Lokomotiv back.

However the hosts’ defence proved frustrating for Monaco, who were also left open to a number of counter-attacks.

It was from a corner however that Lokomotiv pulled ahead again, with Maminov firing home a rebound from the edge of the box.

Ten minutes later Morientes grabbed a crucial away goal, the Spaniard on loan from Real Madrid beating Ovchinnikov with a close-range header after an inch-perfect delivery from Jerome Rothen.

In Prague, reigning European champions AC Milan rarely moved into top gear but did enough to earn a valuable 0-0 draw away to Sparta.

Despite Milan’s domination, the Czechs almost got the upper hand in the knockout tie six minutes from time when Igor Gluscevic’s goalbound shot was turned around the post by Brazilian goalkeeper Dida.

Sparta enjoyed the majority of the possession in the early stages and came close to opening their account in the 12th minute.

Karel Poborsky, the Czech Republic’s most capped player with 91 international appearances, drove at the Milan defence and let fly from 25-yards, but his rasping drive was beaten away by Dida.

Then, Brazil international Kaka chipped the ball into Filippo Inzaghi, who turned quickly and shot in one quick movement only to see his point-blank effort smothered by Blazec’s quick hands.

Sparta were quickest out of the blocks for the second-half and after Lukas Zelenka’s deflected shot was parried away by Dida, the lively Gluscevic had a goal ruled out for offside for the home side.

Blazec then denied Andrei Shevchenko by diving at the Ukrainian’s feet just as he was about to pull the trigger, before blocking Giuseppe Pancaro’s downward header on the goal line.