Writing on the wall for Moscow as Grafite hits hat-trick

Bundesliga champions VfL Wolfsburg got off to a winning start on their Champions League debut in Group B as Brazil striker Grafite scored a hat-trick to seal a 3-1 win here on Tuesday.

The German champions brushed off defeats in their last three league games to begin their campaign in style.

The hosts will face bigger challenges ahead in their quest to get out of Group B, where they are also up against 2008 champions Manchester United and Turkish champions Besiktas, but they had few problems here at the Volkswagen Arena.

The Wolves got the early break through they needed when playmaker Zvjezdan Misimovic put the Brazilian in the perfect position and Grafite drilled his shot through the legs of Moscow goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev on 36 minutes.

The Brazil hot-shot then slotted home a 41st minute penalty after he was held back in the penalty area by Moscow defender Deividas Semberas by his shirt and he scored with his spot-kick.

Moscow pulled a goal back when Russia defender Alan Dzagoev smashed home his shot past Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio on 77 minutes.

But the night belonged to Grafite, the Bundesliga’s top scorer last season, when he put the result beyond doubt by netting after being set up by Wolfsburg’s Marcel Schaefer in the 87th minute.

It was a bad European start for Moscow’s former Tottenham and Real Madrid manager Juande Ramos who replaced Brazilian Zico as coach of the Russian side last weekend.

The Spaniard, 54, has been out of work since his contract at Real expired at the end of last season.

Both sides are next in action again when Wolfsburg travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on September 30, while Moscow are home to Besiktas the same night.