Rubin Kazan have created one of the biggest shocks in Champions League history when they stunned a seemingly indestructible Barcelona side 2-1 at the Camp Nou .
Aleksandr Ryazantsev gave the visitors an astonishing lead just two
minutes into the game, but Barca’s incessant pressure paid off when
they levelled through Zlatan Ibrahimovic two minutes into the second
period. But Karadeniz Gokdeniz would have the last laugh when he
smashed in the winning goal 15 minutes from time.
Just 120 seconds into the contest, Aleksandr Ryazantsev pounced on a stray pass by Rafa Marquez and arrowed in a 30-yard thunderbolt past a hapless Victor Valdes.
Barca came close to an immediate equaliser two minutes later when
Iniesta slipped Ibrahimovic into the box on the left channel but the
Swede’s sidefooted shot was flicked away by Ryzhikov’s fingertips.
Ibra had another opening on ten minutes. Lionel Messi did all the
hard work when he careened forward on the left channel, cut inside his
defender and clipped the ball into the middle, but the big striker’s
miscued half-volley was easily gathered by the Rubin goalkeeper.
Dani Alves was next to try his luck five minutes later when he
latched onto Pedro’s long cutback but the Brazilian’s 20-yard
piledriver flashed wide. Young Pedro himself had a glorious chance to
restore parity on 25 minutes when he leapt above his marker to meet
Dani Alves’ cross, but Ryzhikov managed to palm the header away.
The half-filled Camp Nou
was starting to feel anxious as their treble heroes struggled to find a
breakthrough. But Pep Guardiola’s men continued to pummel the visiting
goal and on 40 minutes, Messi saw his low drive tipped away by Ryzhikov.
Rubin had an opportunity to double their advantage three minutes
before the break when Alejandro Dominguez curled in a lovely free kick
on the edge of the box but Valdes was equal to the task.
But what the visitors did to the Blaugrana in the first half, the
hosts replied the favour in the second. Two minutes into the restart,
the Catalans drew levelled when Xavi dinked a delicate through ball
over the defence for Ibrahimovic, who took it on his chest before rifling a low cross shot past the goalkeeper.
Right on the hour mark, a free-flowing move involving Messi, Iniesta
and 'Ibra' found Pedro inside the area but his shot from a tight angle
sailed straight into Ryzhikov’s arms. The busy Rubin goalkeeper had to
be alert again moments later to deny Messi’s effort on the edge of the
box after the Argentine combined brilliantly with Dani Alves.
'Ibra' then attempted an ambitious free kick from 30 yards out and
although he struck it sweetly, it flew wide of the mark. Just as Barca
were starting to settle into a rhythm, Rubin stunned the Camp Nou
into silence again on 72 minutes when they regained their lead. A
rapid-fire counterattack led by Dominguez was finished off clinically
when Karadeniz Gokdeniz fired in a superb first-time shot past Valdes inside the box.
Kurban Berdyev's valiant soldiers held on not only to pull off one
of the greatest upsets in the competition’s history but they now
jointly lead Group F along with Barca and Dynamo Kiev.