Soccer / Juve keeps Haifa locked in the cellar

The first goal of its 2009-10 Champions League campaign continued to elude Maccabi Haifa last night, as the Israeli champion succumbed to Juventus 1-0 at home. Mauro Camoranesi scored what proved to be the winner in first-half stoppage time when his shot was deflected off a defender to beat Nir Davidovich in the Haifa goal at Ramat Gan Stadium.

The loss is Haifa's second straight to the Italian side, having been defeated by the same score two weeks ago in Turin. Second-place Juventus now has eight points behind Girondins Bordeaux, while Bayern Munich is third on four points.

Haifa, making its second appearance in the group stage following its debut in 2002-03, has lost all four matches and has yet to score a goal in the current campaign. After the match, dejected-looking captain Yaniv Katan described the home loss as "one of the weakest" in his squad's Champions League run.

In the night's other Group A action, French champion Girondins Bordeaux booked a place in the knockout round with a 2-0 win at third-place Bayern Munich.

Yoann Gourcuff opened the scoring after 37 minutes and Marouane Chamakh added a late second to guarantee Bordeaux, with 10 points, a top-two finish in the group.

Bayern, with striker Luca Toni partnering Miroslav Klose up front instead of Mario Gomez, missed several good chances and hit the post through Edson Braafheid in the third minute.

But it was the visitor that struck against the run of play when Brazilian Wendel sailed a free-kick high and deep into the box where Gourcuff slipped past Mark van Bommel to head in.

Chamakh made sure of the French side's points when he struck in the 90th.