ACTUALITE |
21.03.2002
Champions League: yesterday`s matches in review
Bayer Leverkusen not only qualified for the quarter finals but qualified as group winners after defeating Deportivo La Coruna 3-1 in Spain.
Michael Ballack and Bernd Schneider put Klaus Toppmoller`s side 2-0 up at the Riazor and although substitute Diego Tristan got one back for the home side, Oliver Neuville rounded off a fantastic night for the Germans with a third goal four minutes from time.
Deportivo ultimately paid the price for resting eight players from the side that won so comprehensively at Arsenal last week. The star-studded line-up of Juan Valeron, Sergio, Fran, Francisco Molina and Diego Tristan could all be seen warming the bench at the Riazor last night. Although it`s been a long hard season for all at the club, was it really necessary to make such wholesale changes? With a less than demanding home match against Tenerife to come this weekend, could coach Javier Irureta not have afforded to start with a few more of his star names? As a result of the defeat, Depor will now face Real Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester United in the next round. Irureta`s squad rotation policy may end up costing him dear.
In the other game Arsenal went down 1-0 to Juventus in front of a sparsely populated Stadio Delle Alpi. Uruguayan forward Marcelo Zalayeta capped off a fine individual display by heading the winner in the 76th minute.
How disappointing for Arsenal, though. How they must rue that last minute equaliser from Ulf Kirsten in their 1-1 draw with Bayer earlier in the group. The points were all but in the bag in Germany until the veteran striker popped up out of nowhere to fire home a long ball.
Last night Arsenal put in a performance lacking in any kind of urgency. They did, though, create five or six more than presentable chances, with none being better than Thierry Henry`s 51st minute penalty after he, himself had been fouled in the box. Young Uruguayan keeper Fabian Carini pulled off a fine save to make it two missed penalties in a week for the Arsenal striker. It was rough justice on Henry who`d looked by far Arsenal`s biggest goal threat. Alongside him, Kanu was anonymous throughout and will need to improve if he`s to hold down the regular place in the side that he so craves.
Arsene Wenger`s side must now concentrate on domestic matter and what could still become a season to remember. The double dream is still very much alive and kicking. They are just one point behind Manchester United with a game in hand in the Premiership while in the FA Cup they face a quarter final replay at home to Newcastle on Saturday. Wenger desperately needs some of his players back for the run in. There are few other clubs in the country who could cope without four first-choice centre-backs but that is exactly what Wenger had to do against Juventus, with Igors Stepanovs, Matthew Upson, Tony Adams and Martin Keown all out injured. The latter two, inparticular, are crucial to the cause, but news of their imminent return will be a boost to all around Highbury.
In Group C it was a memorable night for Panathiaikos after the Greeks made it through to the quarter finals following a 2-2 draw with Real Madrid. Pana midfielder Angelos Basinas warned rivals Porto last week that his side would get what they needed to take them through and he proved quite right. Nikos Liberopoulos put the home side ahead only for Fernando Morientes to equalise two minutes later. The Greeks then regained the lead through Giannis Goumas but young striking sensation Javier Portillo again levelled with ten minutes remaining.
Sergio Markarian side`s will be the team everyone wants to face in the next round but they will certainly be no pushovers. Undefeated at home in the competition, they`ve already beaten Arsenal, Schalke and Mallorca and it is certain that none of their three possible opponents -Barcelona, Manchester United or Bayer Leverkusen- will relish travelling to the intimidating Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium. On the pitch, midfield schemer Giorgos Karagounis has been the thorn of many European sides this season, while up-front Emmanuel Olisadebe is reportedly being targeted by Juventus.
The result of the other match proved academic in the end but for the record Sparta Prague beat Porto 2-0. Libor Sionko and Jiri Jarosik got the goals for the Czechs who`ve had a campaign to remember under Jaroslav Hrebik. Porto, meanwhile, needed to beat Sparta and hope that Real saw off Panathaikos. Neither happened so Jose Mourinho`s side are left with the sole objective of fighting for a Uefa Cup place in the Campeonato.
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