10 MAY 2000

BARCELONA			2-1			VALENCIA
Frank De Boer 78						Mendieta 70
Cocu 92

Other than a decent attempt from Rivaldo, there was nothing of note in the
first half. Valencia decided to play football in the second half. Lopez caught
Abelardo napping and centered for Angulo but he shot weakly at Hesp and 
also wasted another chance minutes later. Mendieta then almost, almost, 
scored the goal of the season, he played the ball back to Angloma who
launched a brilliant ball downfield, Angulo flicked it onto Mendieta, he
played a one-two with Lopez but somehow managed to shoot the return pass
wide. Mendieta started the move that lead to the goal, from Lopez's cross,
a brilliant first touch allowed him to turn inside Cocu before firing a 
perfectly placed shot into the left side of the net. Frank De Boer scored
with a superb header from Figo's corner although Canizares' was at fault
for coming off his line early and Cocu won the match when turning in Figo's
cross.

A 4-1 scoreline wouldn't have flattered Valencia, they were so completely in
control the scoreline doesn't make sense. Mendieta was absolutely
magnificent.

Valencia win 5-3 on aggregate
Attendance : 95,000


9 MAY 2000

BAYERN MUNICH			2-1			REAL MADRID
Jancker 12						Anelka 31
Elber 54

Effenberg played a free kick to Jeremies, Elber headed on his cross and
Jancker spectacularly volleyed Bayern into the lead. Real almost scored an
immediate equaliser, Kahn dropped a violent Roberto Carlos free kick and
Raul slipped while trying to get to the rebound. Anelka scored with a
fantastic back header from Savio's cross. Elber should have been sent off
for a murderous, late, two footed foul on Helguera but typically inept
English refereeing meant he escaped with a yellow card.

Elber headed in Effenberg's monstrous free kick. Salihamidzic came on for
Elber and have to be the biggest diving piece of crap in football, even
Inzaghi wouldn't lower himself to make so many dives so far outside the box.
Scholl missed a gift as Paulo Sergio's shot took a deflection off the wall
and fell to him inside the box. Casillas was finally forced to work from the
resulting corner, brilliantly saving Jancker's header and McManaman blocked
Elber's follow-up on the goal-line. Elber headed wide from another corner.
Real Madrid then put together 25 that's TWENTY FIVE passes, McManaman
with the final pass to Anelka who destroyed Kuffour with a  fabulous spin off
his shoulder but shot high over the bar. Shame, it would have been one hell
of a goal. Effenberg blew an open goal late in the match after Casillas was
caught in no man's land from a cross.

Another tactical masterstroke from Del Bosque. Real stifled Bayern and
defended brilliantly. 

Real Madrid win 3-2 on aggregate
Attendance : 60,000


3 MAY 2000

REAL MADRID			2-0			BAYERN MUNICH
Anelka 4
Jeremies 33 (og)

Raul released Anelka with a superb through pass and despite seemingly taking
the ball wide he waited for Kahn to commit himself before blasted into the
net. Morientes had a goal disallowed for offside following superb work by
McManaman and Raul. Jeremies became the latest player to be infected with
the Roy Keane disease, taking the ball off Salgado and then with the first touch
of a twat kicking the ball past Kahn. Tarnat went 'close' with a 35yd nuclear
strike. Real should have been awarded a penalty when McManaman brushed
Fink off the ball and as he went past Fink trapped his leg. Elber wasted a
great chance from a corner just before half time.

Kahn kept Bayern in the tie in the second half, first with a desperate tackle
on Morientes he then made a fine save from Savio and saved the best 'till
last, spectacularly tipping over Raul's chip. Fink headed wide from Scholl's
corner, easily Bayern's best chance of the match. 

Bayern were bloody awful and offered nothing in attack. There is a glimmer
of hope, Real will be without Salgado and Karanka in the second leg due to
suspension and Effenberg may be back. Real however are more than capable
of  getting an away goal.

Attendance : 80,000


2 MAY 2000

VALENCIA			4-1			BARCELONA
Angulo 10, 43						Pellegrino 27 (og)
Mendieta 45 (Pen)
Lopez 92

Valencia opened the scoring from a corner, Djukic kicked the ball against
Angulo, Farinos touched the ball back to him and he shot high into the net
as Hesp went to ground early, something he did all night.  Rivaldo latched 
onto a hospital pass but dragged his shot wide. Lopez picked out Kily
Gonzalez with a fabulous cross filed ball, Gonzalez smashed a shot against
the post from a tight angle, Lopez stole the ball off Zenden before he could
clear and fired into the net but the goal was chalked off for a 'foul'. 
Pellegrino did a Roy Keane, turning Zenden's cross past Canizares.
Gerard? punished more slack 'defending', stealing the ball off Dani as
ran from his own penalty area, he played the ball wide to Gonzalez and the
Argentinean smacked a low cross into the box, Angulo stole in between two
defenders and turned the ball past Hesp for his second and he completed
a superb first half by winning a penalty with a dive over Puyol's leg,
Mendieta converted. The second half was pretty much a non-event until
deep into injury time. Carboni played a one-two with Farinos, charged down
the left wing, went past Simao who made a half arsed attempted to tackle
him and then centered for Lopez who cracked a superb first time shot in off
the post.

Valencia's heads dropped when Pellegrino inadvertently got Barca into the
match but Barca failed to take the initiative and were duly punished.

Attendance : 49,000