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Late lift Elber's header sends Bayern past Spartak Moscow
Updated: Tuesday February 13, 2001 7:14 PM
MUNICH, Germany (AP) -- Brazilian striker Giovane Elber made up for a series of early misses with a late goal that gave Bayern Munich a 1-0 victory over Spartak Moscow in a Champions League match Tuesday. Elber's header in the 79th minute stretched Bayern's lead atop Group C, with seven points from three matches. Spartak has three points. Bayern opened strongly and largely dominated the match in cold weather. Mehmet Scholl, given a perfect pass by Elber, had the first big opportunity of the match in the seventh minute but he spent too much time pondering whether to shoot or pass. By the time he attempted to find the net, the Russian defense had regrouped to clear his shot. The Bundesliga leader increased the pressure and Spartak goalkeeper Aleksandar Filimonov had to stop several shots form the edge of the area in quick succession. Filimonov was well positioned in the 16th to stop a header from Elber off a good cross by Bixente Lizarazu, the French World Cup star. Spartak replied through Vasily Baranov in the 20th but Oliver Kahn stopped his low drive from 16 meters (yards). Bayern nearly went ahead after 32 minutes, when Elber's swerving shot from the left looped over Filimonov but the ball bounced off the post. Five minutes later, Spartak's second shot on target nearly produced a goal. Jafar Irismetov, Spartak's new Uzbek forward, used a Bayern blunder to send a spectacular overhead volley and Kahn barely got his fingers on the ball to save his net. In the 42nd, Kahn was beaten after a fast break by Robson's chip, but the ball narrowly went outside the far post. Filimonov did well to stop a Scholl volley in the 66th, but Bayern created less chances after the interval as Spartak slowed down the game. The Spartak goalkeeper foiled Elber again in the 74th with a one-handed save. But Elber finally beat the Russian goalkeeper in the 79th, when the Spartak defense failed to clear a long throw-in by Lizarazu. Carsten Jancker flicked the ball over and Elber rose to head in form close range. Bayern's defender Jens Jeremies and his Spartak counterpart Yury Kovtun earned yellow cards that will keep them out of next week's Moscow leg. About 30,000 spectators saw the match. Russian tennis star Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov were among the Spartak fans at Munich's Olympic stadium.
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