P W D L F A PTS
Leverkusen 6 3 1 2 11 11 10
Deportivo 6 3 1 2 7 6 10
Arsenal 6 2 1 3 8 8 7
Juventus 6 2 1 3 7 8 7
Qualify for Quarter Finals
20 MARCH 2002
DEPORTIVO 1-3 LEVERKUSEN
Tristan 75 Ballack 33
Ramelow 54
Neuville 86
Leverkusen totally dominated the match and if anything a 3-1 loss flattered
the hosts. Schneider and Basturk missed two great chances before Ballack
gave Leverkusen a deserved lead with a brilliant header from Bradaric's cross.
Leverkusen doubled their lead from a corner. Ramelow getting the faintest of
touches on the line as Schneider's shot deflected off Duscher. Deportivo sent
on Valeron, Sergio and Tristan and briefly got back into the match midway
through the second half with a deflected shot but Neuville sealed victory with
a stunning near post header.
Assists : Bradaric, Ballack
JUVENTUS 1-0 ARSENAL
Zalayeta 76
Henry dived in the box when Zenoni breathed on him but. For the second
successive week, his penalty was saved, Carini tipped the ball onto the post.
Carini made a brilliant save from Edu's free kick and Vieira dragged a shot just
wide from the resulting corner. Zalayeta won the match with a towering
header from Zambrotta's free kick.
Arsene Wenger is about as good a tactician as Bryan Robson. In fact it's not
just his tactics that have to be questioned, clearly given Arsenal's miserable
away form in Europe his motivational skills are severely lacking. If Arsenal
line-up the likes of Seamen, Luzhny and Dixon next season they'll be going
home early again. Choker Henry was terrible. Aside from the penalty miss
wasted several great chances and one again failed to score away from
home. Carini is totally wasted on the Juve bench. He looks World Class.
Hopefully he'll get move after the World Cup.
Assist : Zambrotta (ck)
12 MARCH 2002
ARSENAL 0-2 DEPORTIVO
Valeron 30
Naybet 40
Bergkamp came within two inches of scoring what would have arguably been
THE greatest goal of all time. He received a pass from Pires and flicked the
ball up with the inside of his right foot, he flicked it up again with his right
foot and then crashed a left foot volley against the top of the crossbar. That
was about as good as it got for the Arse. Old man Fran ran into about 40yds
of space down the right wing as Arsenal were caught on the counter attack,
he released Romero who flew in on the blind side then pulled the ball back
for Valeron. Campbell dived in early and missed, as he does all the time,
and Valeron whipped the ball into the corner. Arsenal's offside trap and crap
defence gave Depor their second. Vieira threw himself at Valeron and
missed, Campbell went in and missed, again, Valeron tried to pick out
Tristan, the ball fell to Naybet and his shot deflected in off Stepanovs.
Tristan curled a free kick against the crossbar. Ljungberg threw himself
over Molina to win a penalty. Obviously under the rules Molina should have
walked but didn't. Molina danced across the goal-line as Henry prepared to
take the spot kick. Predictably Henry bottled it and Molina saved then
recovered to deny Kanu with a World Class save on the rebound. Kanu
had a goal rightfully disallowed for backing into Molina.
Assist : Romero
LEVERKUSEN 3-1 JUVENTUS
Butt 24 (Pen) Tudor 61
Brdaric 71
Babic 91
Buffon made a World Class save from Schneider in the opening minutes but
£35 million only gets so many miracles and ironically it was Leverkusen's
'keeper who put them in the lead from the penalty spot. Zenoni grabbed
Bradaric's shirt in the box and he threw himself down, dive but also
a penalty. It's hard to be sympathetic to Juve at the best of times but
stupidity like that deserves to be punished. Butt feigned to shoot right with
the shifty eyes trick but went left, sending Buffon the wrong way.
Tudor, on as a second half substitute, headed Juve level from Zenoni's cross.
Ze Roberto chipped a free kick into the box, the Juve defence missed the ball,
Bradaric didn't, 2-1. Leverkusen completed their revenge on a counter
attack from a Juve free kick. Basturk released Babic who had the freedom
of the pitch, he sprayed the ball wide to Ze Roberto. Ze Roberto cut inside
the box and took out Buffon before centring to Babic who tapped into an
empty net.
Lippi will of course blame injuries, his usual excuse, but Juve are dreadful
away from home in Europe.
Assists : Bradaric (pen), Zenoni, Ze Roberto (fk), Ze Roberto
Remaining Fixtures :
Juventus vs Arsenal
Deportivo vs Leverkusen
Depor are through due to their superior head to head records against Juve
and the Arse. Arsenal have a superior head to head record against
Leverkusen so they're through as long as they match whatever result
Leverkusen manage.
27 FEBRUARY 2002
ARSENAL 4-1 LEVERKUSEN
Pires 5 Sebescen 86
Henry 7
Vieira 48
Bergkamp 83
Lucio casually brought the ball out of defence and didn't notice he was
running straight at Vieira, BANG, Vieira won the ball and sent Pires away
one quick turn out two Leverkusen defenders and Pires curled the ball inside
the post. Henry, foolishly criticised by Leverkusen coach Toppmoller before
the match for diving, scored a second minutes later. Leverkusen were playing
offside very high up the pitch and one pass from Vieira sent the Arsenal
attack clear, Bergkamp played the ball wide to Wiltord, he hit a first time
pass to Henry and he shot between Butt's legs. Brilliant counter attack.
Berbatov tried to clear Henry's teasing free kick but only got as far as
Vieira, 3-0. Wiltord passed to Bergkamp on the edge of the box, he took
out Ballack and Lucio with a trademark drag back, turned and chipped the
ball into the net. Basturk latched on the ball after a slack by donkey Dixon
and Vieira, sent a cross to the back post, lard arse Seamen was nowhere and
Sebescen sent a ferocious half volley screaming into the net.
Zidane has got nothing on Bergkamp.
Assists : Wiltord (x2), Vieira, Basturk
DEPORTIVO 2-0 JUVENTUS
Tristan 8
Djalminha 77
Juve, as I have been saying for YEARS, are useless at defending high crosses
into the box and two from Victor send them empty handed out of the Riazor.
The defending for Depor's first was especially poor. Five Juve players
surrounded three Depor players from a throw in, Victor received the ball and
sent a cross into the box, Tristan pushed away Ferrara and sent a brilliant
diving header past Buffon. Davids was sent off for arguing after Conte had
fouled Cesar. Djalminha jumped over Pessotto to head in another Victor
cross.
Assists : Victor, Sergio
Red Card : 74 Davids (Juventus)
19 FEBRUARY 2002
LEVERKUSEN 1-1 ARSENAL
Kirsten 90 Pires 56
Arsenal took the lead on a counter attack. Pires, in a central position, pass to
Wiltord out wide right and continued his run into the box, Wiltord smoked
Hedjuk with a clever change of pace and pulled the ball back for assist
machine Pires to score his second Champions League goal. Parlour was lucky
to escape with a yellow after a criminal foul on Basturk. He walked minutes
later for another stupid foul. Berbatov headed against the crossbar.
Leverkusen had penalty appeals turned down when Stepanovs handled in
the box but Arsenal's technically challenged defender went to sleep on
Schneider's huge cross, though fatty Seamen was also to blame, and Kirsten
stretched to equalise.
Assists : Wiltord, Schneider
JUVENTUS 0-0 DEPORTIVO
Trezeguet missed a gilt edged chance when heading against the post from a
perfect Del Piero cross. Vermin Del Piero threw himself over Cesar Martin in
the box to win a penalty but Molina made an outstanding save.
Great result for Depor. Two out of Juve's three remaining games are away
from home. Given Juve's away record if they don't get anything in the Riazor
next week they're in real trouble.
4 DECEMBER 2001
ARSENAL 3-1 JUVENTUS
Ljungberg 21, 88 Taylor 49 (og)
Henry 28
Taylor made a brilliant save from Nedved and Trezeguet headed the rebound
over the bar. Ljungberg tapped in a rebound after Buffon spilled Vieira's shot.
Henry curled in a free kick though I think Buffon was partly to blame for his
poor positioning.
Juve scored a freak goal early in the second half. Taylor parried from
Zambrotta following a surging run into the box, Trezeguet whacked the
rebound at goal, Campbell tried to clear but only succeeded in hitting the
ball against the unfortunate Taylor, 2-1. Pires and Parlour went close before
Bergkamp put Arsenal out of reach with quite possibly the greatest assist
of all time from a rapid counter attack. David's played the ball against the
ref and it fell to Grimandi, he passed to Vieira who sent Ljungberg racing
clear with a perfectly weighted first time pass. Ljungberg sprayed the ball
wide right to Bergkamp. Bergkamp tried to go past Montero but he didn't
bite so he checked back, spun to get on Montero's right side with an
OUTRAGEOUSLY sharp drag back then flicked the ball up in the air,
Ljungberg lobbed over Buffon from close range prompting the
commentator to scream :
"Straordinario, Bergkamp incredible assist. Tre-Uno per Arsenal"
One of THE greatest goals of all time. You have not lived until you see
this goal.
Granted Juve's record away from home in Europe is as bad as Arsenal
but I can never recall seeing them so comprehensively outplayed.
Assists : Pires, Bergkamp
LEVERKUSEN 3-0 DEPORTIVO
Ze Roberto 64
Neuville 67
Ballack 79
After totally dominating the first half Leverkusen finally took a richly
deserved lead through a Ze Roberto free kick. Kirsten played a one two with
Ramelow and continued his run into the box. Ramelow chipped the forward,
Neuville ran in on the blind side and shot first time past Molina. Great goal.
Molina came off his line to claim Ze Roberto's corner, got nowhere near
the ball and Ballack headed into an empty net. Leverkusen should have had
a fourth.
Not so super Depor tonight. Full credit to Leverkusen for rebounding from
successive losses against Juve and Bremen respectively.
Assists : ?, Ramelow, Ze Roberto
29 NOVEMBER 2001
JUVENTUS 4-0 LEVERKUSEN
Trezeguet 8, 60
Del Piero 37
Tudor 44
Trezeguet pounced on Nowotny's poor attempts to clear Del Piero's cross
and headed Juve into the lead. Del Piero creamed Sebescen with an
outrageous back heel but blazed over the bar with the goal at his mercy.
Against the run of play Juve increased their lead. They broke from a corner
with Leverkusen naively packing the Juve penalty area in search of an
equaliser, Thuram's deflected cross fell to Trezeguet and he unselfishly
centred for Del Piero, 2-0. Iuliano's volley was superbly kept in play by
Tacchinardi's overhead kick and Tudor volleyed past Butt. Trezeguet banged
in Juve's fourth with a beautifully struck left foot volley and blew a great
chance to complete a hat-trick from Del Piero's centre.
Trezeguet is the best penalty box player in the World.
Assists : Trezeguet, Tacchinardi, Nedved
21 NOVEMBER 2001
DEPORTIVO 2-0 ARSENAL
Makaay 9
Tristan 25
Horrendous defending by the Arse for Depor's first. They wasted several
chances to clear a cross, Campbell stupidly hammered the ball against two
players, the ball bounced off Upson and Makaay smashed it past Wright with
a possible deflection off Vieira en route. Tristan punished Wright's poor
positioning with thumping drive inside the post. He went off injured minutes
later.
Third choice 'keeper Stuart Taylor came on in place of the 'injured' Wright
at the start of the second half. Either he was genuinely injured or Wenger
decided to substitute him for his part in both goals.
Wenger did his usual whinging after the match, bemoaning the fact that
they couldn't pull a goal back and claimed his team were much improved in
the second half which is true but then Depor didn't even bother to play
in the second half.
Assist : Donato?
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