Arsenal lead ten-man Hamburg by penalty at break

Hamburg 0 Arsenal 1

Arsenal led Hamburg 1-0 at half-time of their opening Champions League Group G game in the AOL Arena – after home keeper Sascha Kirschstein had been sent off.

Robin van Persie was adjudged to have been brought down by the Hamburg keeper after just nine minutes.

Gilberto – stand-in captain for the injured Thierry Henry – made no mistake from the spot.