P W D L F A PTS
Man United 6 4 1 1 10 4 13
Valencia 6 3 1 2 9 5 10
Fiorentina 6 2 2 2 7 8 8
Bordeaux 6 0 2 4 5 14 2
Top two qualify for the Quarter Finals
21 MARCH 2000
FIORENTINA 3-3 BORDEAUX
Chiesa 47 (Pen) Wiltord 5
Batistuta 61 Zanotti 87
Rui Costa 64 Battles 90
Toldo punched out Philippe's fiercely struck shot, Pierini made a hash of clearing
the ball and Wiltord smashed in. Another defensive mistake, Firicano poorly
ontrolled a pass which allowed Micoud to slip in Laslandes but Toldo saved and
then made a spectacular diving save from a point blank Wiltord header. Rame
was only tested once in the first half, saving brilliantly with his feet from
Rui Costa.
Alicarte was sent off for man handling Batistuta in the box. Chiesa converted.
Even down to 10 men Bordeaux still ploughed forward, Toldo once again
rescuing his team with another tremendous save from Rouviere. Chiesa gave
Batistuta a gift as Bordeaux waited in vain for the offside trap. Rui Costa
punished awful defending by Pavon and Diabate to score the third. Zanotti
pulled a goal back with a powerful strike inside the box following good work
by Wiltord and Zanotti turned provider for Batlles to volley in the equaliser
just before full time.
Toldo is a great 'keeper but has one of those tragic puberty moustaches.
Red Card : Alicarte 46 (Porto)
Attendance : 25,000
VALENCIA 0-0 MAN UNITED
Bosnich punched out a shot by Gonzalez and Irwin cleared with Angulo about
to snap up the rebound. Berg deflected Angloma's cross wide of the post.
Canizares made a fantastic save from a powerful Sheringham header. Brilliant
work by Sheringham on the right wing went un-rewarded when Solskjaer failed
to make enough contact on his cross. Scholes, brilliantly played in by Butt?
Saw his goal bound shot deflected wide. Angloma smashed a shot off the post
and then both teams stopped trying and played out time.
Attendance : 50,000
15 MARCH 2000
BORDEAUX 1-4 VALENCIA
Wiltord 54 Djukic 41
Mendieta 48
(Pen)
Gonzalez 72
Sanchez 90
Rame made an excellent save from Gerrard. Feindouno wasted a present from
a hospital pass, stupidly shooting straight at Canizares when the 'keeper had
left a big gap on his left side. Djukic acrobatically volleyed in Ilie's corner
although Rame should have saved. Juan Sanchez threw himself down in the
box and got Saveljic sent off following minimal contact. Mendieta converted.
Wiltord capitalised on some dire defending from a set piece to pull a goal back.
Ilie brilliantly controlled a wild Angloma cross before playing in Gonzalez with
a disguised pass, he blasted the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle,
similar to the goal he scored against Bordeaux at the start of the campaign.
Rame stupidly came off his line and missed the ball, fortunately for him Pavon
cleared Angloma's shot. Angloma brilliantly flicked on a ball for Juan Sanchez
and he beat Rame with ease.
Valencia only need a point from their last match to be sure of qualification.
Red Card : Saveljic 47 (Bordeaux)
Attendance : 27,000
MAN UNITED 3-1 FIORENTINA
Cole 20 Batistuta 16
Keane 32
Yorke 70
Fiorentina opened up Man United with a great passing move which ended
when Mijatovic released Rui Costa with a brilliant pass, he shot straight at
Bosnich and slipped when attempted to put away the rebound. Giggs destroyed
Repka on the left flank before crossing into the box, Toldo parried Cole's shot
straight to Yorke but he also slipped at the crucial moment. A magnificent
counter attacking move by the home side went un-rewarded when Rossitto
made an awesome headed clearance with Beckham about to score. Cole
flicked on a long punt upfield to Giggs, he sent Torricelli crashing onto his
arse, turned Rossitto so many ways he must have given him motion sickness
and his cross deflected off Adani to Keane but his shot was charged down.
Berg weakly headed a long ball straight to Di Livio, he passed to Batistuta
who turned inside Stam before unleashing a violent shot past Bosnich. With
his back to goal and Repka breathing down his neck, Cole brilliantly killed
a long Gary Neville pass before turning and firing inside the post. Toldo made
a great save from Cole's chip. Berg headed a Beckham corner against the
crossbar, Keane smashed the rebound in off the post.
Giggs picked up the ball on the half way line and left three players in his wake
with a trademark slalom run but shot high, wide and handsome. Rossitto was
sent off for a reckless foul on Yorke. Chiesa came on for Mijatovic and his first
contribution was to take a dive in the box. Yorke headed in Giggs cross and
Man United pretty much played out time.
Giggs was off the charts awesome. I have never, ever, eeeeever seen a player
humiliate Torricelli like Giggs did tonight, tonight Torricelli was Giggs' bitch!
Shame he still goes to pieces in front of goal. Ferguson has already hinted that
he will make changes in Man United's final game away to Valencia which
almost guarantee's Fiorentina are toast.
Red Card : Rossitto 62 (Fiorentina)
Attendance : 59,926
7 MARCH 2000
VALENCIA 2-0 FIORENTINA
Ilie 35
Mendieta 90 (Pen)
Ilie should have headed Valencia into the lead from a corner but made up
for his miss with a neat turn and shot past Taglialatela. Canizares tipped over
Torricelli's header, Mijatovic headed wide from the resulting corner.
Ilie gifted Lopez the ball right in front of goal but he froze and shot straight
at Taglialatela. He smashed a shot off the underside of the crossbar from
the right hand side and minutes later repeated the trick from the left hand
side. Cois, unmarked in front of goal, headed down and over the bar from
Rui Costa's cross. Lopez was once again denied this time by the feet of
Taglialatela. Rui Costa scored with a superb free kick on a tight angle but
the goal was disallowed as Batistuta ran offside even though he wasn't
interfering in the play. Batistuta hit the outside of a post. Lopez went
down in the box and Mendieta brilliantly converted for a long overdue
second goal.
Attendance : 50,000
BORDEAUX 1-2 MAN UNITED
Pavon 9 Keane 33
Solskjaer 84
Battles took an accidental boot to the face from a team-mate Saveljic and
emerged with the most horrific broken nose I have ever seen, far worse than
anything I've witnessed in kickboxing or no holds barred fighting. Poor bastard.
Pavon hit a timid shot from 20yds, Van der Gouw somehow managed to palm
the ball into his own net. Beckham got Laslandes sent off with a total
overreaction from a love tap to the foot. Minutes later Man United equalised
following a slick passing move, Beckham with a beautiful through pass to Cole
who turned it onto Sheringham who in turn spotted the run of Keane, Keane's
initial shot was saved but he put away the rebound.
With his back to goal Wiltord spun around, rolled back a pass, drew in Stam
and Silvestre and accelerated forward but shot just wide, beautiful move
deserving of a goal. Cole raced onto a great through pass from Butt but just as
he was about to score Saveljic stole the ball off his feet with an outstanding
sliding tackle. Micoud smashed a shot off the post. Van der Gouw launched
the ball upfield, Solskjaer killed the ball with an unreal first touch, held off two
defenders and shot under Rame.
Red Card : Laslandes 23 (Bordeaux)
Attendance : 28,000
1 MARCH 2000
MAN UNITED 2-0 BORDEAUX
Giggs 42
Sheringham 84
Giggs gave United the lead with a clever flick from a Beckham cross and
provided the cross for Sheringham to head in their second. Beckham went
close with free kicks, one smashing off the crossbar and the other brilliantly
saved by Rame. Cole wasted two un-missable chances. Wiltord shot wide
with only Van der Gouw to beat. Awful, awful match.
Attendance : 59,786
FIORENTINA 1-0 VALENCIA
Mijatovic 20 (Pen)
Mijatovic dived in the box and picked his cowardly, cheating arse off the ground
to score from the spot. Gerard headed wide from a corner, Toldo made a string
of fine saves from Ilie, Kili Gonzalez and Angloma, the pick being a spectacular
save from Ilie's miss hit volley. Farinos shot wide from a free kick. Rui Costa
went close following a fine run and Batistuta headed wide from 1yd out and had
a miserable game. Once again Fiorentina were second best but come away with
3 points thanks to Toldo.
Attendance : 30,000
8 DECEMBER 1999
BORDEAUX 0-0 FIORENTINA
Di Livio should have been sent off for handling Micoud's header in the box.
Typical of the luck Fiorentina have enjoyed this season. Balbo put one over
the top for Chiesa as he broke the offside trap but shot weakly at Rame.
Toldo dropped Micoud's cross but Laslandes kicked the loose ball into the
ground, Toldo (still on the floor) headed the ball and caught it. He then
made two fantastic saves the first from Laslandes header and the second
an unbelievable low save to keep out a ferocious effort from Wiltord. Rame
misjudged a cross, the ball fell to Balbo but he headed wide from a tight
angle.
Attendance : 28,000
MAN UNITED 3-0 VALENCIA
Keane 38
Solskjaer 47
Scholes 69
Oscar and Mendieta forced Irwin into loosing possession, Mendieta flew down
the wing, abused Gary Neville and whipped a cross into the box, Phil Neville's
clearance bounced off Stam straight to Farinos, Van der Gouw blocked
his initial shot and Stam took the sting off his follow-up. Man United's
first real chance came from a cleverly worked free kick, Beckham chipped
the ball into the box, Giggs headed wide to Irwin he sent a cross into the
box, Cole's shot was blocked the ball broke to Solskjaer but his shot was
easily saved. Beckham curled a free kick against the crossbar. Another
Beckham free kick led to the opening goal, Carboni headed the ball out,
Gary Neville sent the ball back in, Carboni headed out again to Keane who
struck a beautiful half volley past Palop.
Man United punished another dodgy header by Carboni, Phil Neville released
Beckham and his beautifully clipped cross was met first time by Solskjaer
at the neat post. Gary Neville then took a leaf out of Carboni's book and
headed a cross straight to Angloma but Van der Gouw made a great save to
keep out the Frenchman's shot. Carboni almost made amends for his mistakes
when he picked out Lopez with a deflected cross but he poked his shot over
the bar. Palop made two fantastic saves to keep out Cole's diving header
and his follow up. Scholes wasted a headed chance created by Cole. Claudio
Lopez clipped the outside of the post from a free kick. Scholes met Beckham's
beautifully flighted free kick with a fine header. Butt and Yorke came on for
Scholes and Cole as Man United played out the remaining 20 minutes. Juan
Sanchez should have grabbed a consolation goal but shot straight at Van der
Gouw from Vlaovic's back heel.
Too easy for Man United. Valencia were missing 4 first teamers. Stam gave a
performance bordering on arrogance, such was his dominance. Beckham was
also superb.
Attendance : 54,606
23 NOVEMBER 1999
FIORENTINA 2-0 MAN UNITED
Batistuta 24
Balbo 52
Scholes blazed wide from the edge of the box from Yorke's excellent cut back,
almost identical to his shot against Scotland last week. Bosnich made a great
save to deny Rui Costa, set-up by a typically dangerous Torricelli run. Keane,
having just won a ball, then played in Batistuta with a treacherous hospital
pass and he beat Bosnich with ease. Toldo dropped a Beckham free kick it
bounced off two Fiorentina defenders and onto the crossbar.
Batistuta intercepted Berg's back pass, centered for Balbo, bang 2-0. Scholes
missed a sitter after Giggs' cross caused chaos in the box. Batistuta was
booked for a foul on Beckham and subsequently misses Fiorentina's next
match away to Bordeaux. Beckham was booked for taking a free kick early.
Rui Costa blasted over the bar from close range.
Attendance : 40,000
VALENCIA 3-0 BORDEAUX
Farinos 60
Ilie 68
Kily Gonzalez 90
The first real chance fell late in the first half to Bordeaux, Wiltord ran down the
wing and rudely cut inside Pellegrino before unleashing a shot which was
brilliantly saved by Palop.
Valencia finally woke up in the second half. Farinos forcing Rame to save and
Mendieta screwing a shot wide when put through by Lopez. Lopez inevitably
had a hand in the opening goal, he absolutely shamed Diabate with an
outrageous dummy and then passed to Farinos who blasted a shot into the top
left corner of the net. Mendieta stole a ball in midfield passed to Lopez
(obviously) and despite being centrally placed he ran wide and crossed to
Ilie at the back post via a deflection and he made it 2-0. Ilie desperately
needs to work on his goal celebration. Laslandes has had a haircut.
Valencia capped off a fine 2nd half display with a fantastic move, Gerard
intercepted a ball and took a return pass with a defender before passing
to Mendieta who spraying the ball wide to Kily Gonzalez, he headed
goalwards, turned Grenet inside out (twice) and took an outrageous
return pass from Lopez before hammering the ball into the roof of the
net, awesome, awesome, awesome goal. Forget about Ronaldo, Rivaldo,
Shevchenko, Batistuta, etc, etc, Lopez is the best forward in the World.
Who is better than Lopez? No one! (well maybe Jennifer Lopez!).
Attendance : 25,000
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