Mar 11, 2010, 20:50 GMT
Berlin - On a night of close games in first leg matches of the round of 16 in the Europa League on Thursday, Bundesliga club SV Hamburg was the only team to register a clear win in the early games.
The team from northern Germany beat Belgian club Anderlecht 3-1 to secure an advantage ahead of the return leg on March 18.
Fellow Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg held Rubin Kazan to a 1-1 draw in Russia, coming from behind to equalize Christian Noboa's first half strike.
On an almost unplayable pitch Zvjedzan Misimovic scored for the German champions in the 67th minute to give his side a slight advantage with the away goal ahead of the return leg.
Wolfsburg coach Lorenz-Guenther Koestner said that he thought the draw was well-deserved. 'The Russian side managed to cope with the cold and the pitch better in the beginning. I would have liked if we had managed to hold our own against them better in the first half.
'I think we looked stronger in the second half and were closer to scoring a second than they were,' he said.
In France, Olympique Lille goalkeeper Mikael Landreau pulled off a number of magnificent saves in the first half to deny Liverpool a goal before 19-year-old Belgian international Eden Hazard scored with six minutes to go to give the French side a 1-0 victory.
In Madrid Atletico failed to beat a ten-man Sporting Lisbon as neither side managed to score.
The Portuguese team, who had Leandro Grimi sent off for a second bookable offence in the 31st minute, came closest when a Liedson strike hit the woodwork in the first half.
SV Hamburg was the only side who came close to registering anything that resembled a clear victory with first half goals from Joris Mathijsen and Ruud van Nistelrooy and a strike in the second half from David Jarolim.
Van Nistelrooy's goal was scored from a very acute angle and the former Real Madrid and Manchester United player admitted that it was a bit lucky. 'To score goals like that there has to be luck.'
Jonathan Legear had pulled one back with a direct free-kick in first half injury time.
Mathijsen said that he was a bit disappointed the side had conceded a goal. 'It was a pity and makes me a bit disappointed,' the Dutch international said.
Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia added that even though he believed his side deserved the victory the tie was not yet won. 'It will be very tough to play in Belgium.'
Later Thursday Benfica are at home to Marseille, while Panathinaikos welcome Standard Liege. Juventus are hoping for a victory at home against Premier League side Fulham, while last year's UEFA Cup finalists Werder Bremen travel to Valencia.
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