All three Spanish teams could
qualify for the Champions League quarterfinals after the latest round of
results. Barcelona are already mathematically through after beating Oporto for
the second time in a week, and Real Madrid are still favourites to finish
second in their group despite another heavy loss against Bayern Munich.
Valencia beat Fiorentina to keep their hopes alive. In the UEFA cup, two out of
four qualified, with Celta scoring four goals against Juventus and Mallorca
doing enough to eliminate Monaco. Deportivo and Atlético Madrid were
eliminated by Arsenal and Lens respectively.
See European section for
fixtures and results. Match reports follow:
Champions League, second
league phase, day 4
Oporto 0 - Barcelona 2
Barcelona: Hesp; Frank
De Boer, Abelardo; Puyol, Guardiola, Bogarde; Ronald De Boer, Cocu (Gabri 46');
Figo (Xavi 88'), Kluivert, Rivaldo (Dani 75'). 2-3-2-3.
Barcelona qualified
mathematically for the quarterfinals with two games to go after beating Oporto
for the first time ever in the Das Antas stadium. Van Gaal made two changes to
his side, bringing in Bogarde for Zenden at left back, and including Ronald De
Boer in midfield in place of Luis Enrique, who will be out for around three
months with a knee cartilage injury. The competition's third top scorer was
operated on the day after the match, and may now miss Spain's games in the Euro
2000 competition this summer. Since their humiliating defeat by Real Madrid,
Barcelona have returned to form, with Pep Guardiola returning to direct
operations from midfield. The new look Barcelona dominated much of the first
half, with Figo and Rivaldo trying their luck from outside of the area. Eight
minutes before half time they got the goal they were looking for from Figo's
corner. Nobody picked up Abelardo (understandable, as he isn't exactly the best
looker in the team), and the defender, unmarked, stroked the ball past Hilario.
Gabri came on for Cocu at half time and the pressure continued, with all three
forwards going close. On the hour mark Barcelona extended their lead when
Rivaldo's low free kick from the edge of the area passed under the defensive
wall, Jardel and company jumping in the air expecting a high curler. This was
Rivaldo's eighth goal of the championship, and puts him joint top goalscorer
with Jardel. Their work done, Rivaldo and then Figo were replaced by Dani and
Xavi. Oporto came forward, with Domingos in particular forcing a couple of
saves from Hesp, now back in favour with his manager. Barcelona head group A
with 10 points, followed by Oporto on 6, Sparta Prague on 4 and Hertha Berlin
on 2, and are the top prize-winners so far in the competition, with 6.7 million
euros already in the bag. Next week they play Hertha at home, and a victory
will leave them group champions, giving them a better seeding for the
quarterfinals.
Valencia 2 - Fiorentina
0
Valencia:
Cañizares; Angloma, Djukic, Pellegrino, Carboni; Mendieta,
Farinós, Gerard, Kily González (Angulo 94'); Ilie (Oscar 77'),
Claudio López. 4-4-2.
Valencia kept their hopes
alive with a good victory against the Italians, and now have their destiny in
their own hands. They will probably need two good victories to do so however,
away against Bordeaux next week and at home to Manchester United, barring a
collapse by Fiorentina. Héctor Cúper was able to call upon the
services of his captain Mendieta, back from a one match suspension, and he came
in for the injured Milla. Claudio 'Piojo' López kept his place alongside
Ilie up front, and the Argentinian striker took advantage of the European stage
to demonstrate to potential investors that he has not lost any of his skills.
Fiorentina's manager Trapattoni was missing first choice keeper, Toldo, but his
substitute Taglialatela wove a web of spaghetti around his goal and was the
best player on his side on the night, his save from a Gerard header in the
third minute setting the tone for the match. Pedrag Mijatovic came back to the
ground where he made his name, but his return was not a happy one, the
Montenegrino being booed following his dive last week to win a penalty for his
new side. The pressure obviously got to him, and after a disappointing
performance he was replaced by Balbo before the hour was up. Fiorentina had
obviously come for the point, and packed their side with five defenders at the
back. Even so they were dangerous on the counterattack, with Torricelli coming
forward from the right wing back position to test Cañizares on three
occasions in the first half. The first goal came ten minutes before half time,
Adrian Ilie proving that his nickname of the 'cobra' was well founded with a
venomous turn and shot after receiving a pass from Carboni. The second half was
all Piojo, the Valencia striker hitting the crossbar twice in five minutes and
missing a couple more chances before forcing an injury time penalty which
Mendieta converted. He unfortunately also picked up a yellow card which means
he misses the next match. Fiorentina nearly sneaked it just before the penalty
however, Rui Costa's free kick from the right wing deceiving Cañizares
and entering the net, but German referee Krugg disallowed the goal for a
positional offside by Batistuta. That rounded off a rotten night for the
Argentinian, who only had his first shot at goal right at the end of the match.
The second goal gives Valencia a goal advantage over Fiorentina which could be
important at the end of the group games. They are now third in group B on six
points, one behind their rivals on the night and three behind Manchester
United. Bordeaux a bottom with one point. Valencia's 45,000 crowd was their
best of the season.
Bayern Munich 4 - Real
Madrid 1
Real Madrid: Casillas;
Salgado, Hierro, Karanka (Anelka 69'), Roberto Carlos; Geremi (McManaman 63'),
Redondo, Iván Helguera, Guti; Raúl, Morientes (Iván Campo
84'). 4-3-1-2.
Real Madrid once again ran
into a brick wall, with Bayern Munich putting four past them for the second
time in eight days. This was Lothar Matthaus's last game for Bayern before
moving to the United States, and his team wanted to send him off in style. They
certainly did that, the most capped player in international football (who
incidentally changed shirts with Raúl last week), leaving the field in
the last two years clearly in tears. The game was full of emotion, with 65,000
spectators packing the Olympic stadium to cheer their team on. Madrid's manager
Del Bosque was at a loss to know how to cope with the German champions, and he
only made one change from the side he fielded in the first leg, Iván
Helguera coming in for Anelka, with Guti and Raúl moving further
forward. Within three minutes they were behind, Scholl receiving the ball in an
obvious offside position and shooting past Casillas. Spanish sports press were
very critical of Dutch referee Dick Jol for allowing the goal (and later not
awarding a penalty for a foul on Raúl), although he probably felt that
Hierro was the last player to touch the ball before it came to Scholl. There
was no doubt for the second goal however, Hierro misjudging a long clearance by
Kahn and the ball falling to Eibar to score on the half hour. Roberto Carlos
hit the crossbar shortly before half time, and Raúl went close twice in
the second half before Helguera got one back in the 68th minute with a shot
from outside of the penalty area. However Bayern brought on Zickler for Elbar
fifteen minutes from time, and the German striker scored twice to produce a
score which flattered his side. They are now qualified for the quarterfinals
from group C with ten points, with Madrid and Dynamo Kiev level on six, and
Rosenborg bottom with one. Madrid are still favourites to take second place,
although they must win at home to Dynamo Kiev next Tuesday to be sure.
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