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Rampant Real Madrid crushes Galatasaray 3-0 to reach semifinals
Updated: Wednesday April 18, 2001 6:54 PM
MADRID (Reuters) -- A rampant Real Madrid beat Galatasaray 3-0 with two goals from Raul and a towering Ivan Helguera header to complete a 5-3 aggregate win and take a confident stride into the Champions League semifinals on Wednesday. A second-half lapse in the first leg in Istanbul had left the defending European champions with a 3-2 deficit and what looked like a tricky task against the talented Turks. But with the backing of a 74,000 Bernabeu crowd cheering them on, Vicente del Bosque's side soon reasserted their authority. Raul scored with two effortless first touches after 15 and 36 minutes either side of Helguera's header and Real had the tie all but sewn up. Raul is now the top marksman in the competition this season with seven goals and he has scored an all-time total of 28 goals in the Champions League -- more than any other player. The second half featured a brief spell of Galatasaray pressure at the start and finish but the UEFA Cup holders did not come close until the 80th minute when Jardel was just over with a close-range header. The game threatened to turn nasty with 20 minutes to go as Okan Buruk went down clutching his head close to the Ultras Sur end of the ground. Fernando Hierro appealed for restraint from the radical Real supporters and there were no more incidents apart from a bit of pushing and shoving between Steve McManaman and Emre Asik and some fearsome tackling from Galatasaray that brought them five yellow cards. Galatasaray had in fact started the better of the two sides, taking up where their second-half comeback in Istanbul -- in which they recovered from 2-0 down at the break to win 3-2 -- had left off. Hasan Sas brought the ball in from the left in the first minute and tested Iker Casillas with a long shot and Real struggled to hold the ball in the early stages. They nevertheless came close to the opening goal on four minutes as Luis Figo took a McManaman pass and surged into the area. Guti was unmarked on the right of the box but the Portuguese winger's cross was struck tamely at the first defender. The breakthrough came on 15 minutes as McManaman slipped a pass through to the advancing right back Michel Salgado. Salgado crossed early and Raul got in front of the defense to stab the ball in. Galatasaray goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel then had to look lively to save a Helguera drive at full stretch. The Spanish international midfielder got the better of him with his next chance, though, as he rose above a flat-footed defense to power a header into the top of the net from Figo's corner. Galatasaray were by this stage in disarray, finding it impossible to keep possession and rarely getting out of their own half. A lukewarm attack nine minutes before halftime provided Real with the chance for their third goal and again McManaman was at the heart of a lightning move. His measured pass inside the area was perfectly judged for Raul to slip a left-footed shot inside Taffarel's near post. Galatasaray managed only their second decent chance late in the first half as Bulent Korkmaz flicked a header just over. Real eased up after the break but Figo came close to adding a fourth when he was set clear by Raul and shot just wide. Roberto Carlos and Helguera also went close. Delighted del Bosque warns against complacencyReal Madrid coach Vicente del Bosque praised his players for their speed and skill in completing a commanding 5-3 aggregate win. Wednesday's 3-0 win set up a repeat of last season's semifinal against Bayern Munich, a tie Real won before going on to lift the European Cup for the eighth time with a final victory over Valencia. A repetition looks very much on the cards, with Valencia facing Leeds United in the other semifinal, but del Bosque sounded a warning against complacency after watching his side's superb display. "We have to remember we haven't won anything yet this season," said the Real coach. "Bayern will be a very strong rival for us. "They're a club with a great traditionn and some outstanding players. "We played with pace and depth tonight, though, and we recorded a convincing win." First half goals from Raul (2) and Ivan Helguera had set up the prospect of a rout in Wednesday's second leg before Real eased up after the break. "The hardest thing in football is to maintain a high level of performance for an entire game," said del Bosque. "Galatasaray we're courageous opponents throughout the match." Galatasaray coach Mircea Lucescu was unhappy about refereeing decisions he thought had gone against his side early on. "I think the referee was influenced by the atmosphere in the stadium," said Lucescu. "There was a foul on Hasan Sas on the first goal and Michel Salgado hand-balled in the build up to the second. "It's true that Real Madrid dominated the first half but we played very well in the second. But it's easy to play when you're two goals ahead. "You have to remember we we're playing with a patched up defense, with three key players missing, and I think over the two games the teams were pretty even." Asked about the tough tackling that brought his side five yellow cards from Swedish referee Anders Frisk, Lucescu was adamant. "There was aggression from both sides," he said. "But I congratulate Real Madrid. I think they're the strongest side left in the competition." SummaryScorers: Raul 15, 36, Ivan Helguera 29 Halftime: 3-0; Attendance: 74,000 Teams: Real Madrid: 25-Iker Casillas; 2-Michel Salgado, 18-Aitor Karanka, 4-Fernando Hierro, 3-Roberto Carlos (21-Santiago Solari 90); 6-Ivan Helguera, 24-Claude Makelele, 10-Luis Figo (11-Savio 86), 8-Steve McManaman; 7-Raul, 14-Guti (16-Flavio Conceicao 75) Galatasaray: 1-Claudio Taffarel; 3-Bulent Korkmaz, 26-Emre Asik, 14-Fatih Akyel; 5-Emre Belozoglu, 7-Okan Buruk, 8-Kaya Suat (28-Akin Bulent 46), 10-Gheorghe Hagi, 22-Umit Davala, 11-Hasan Sas (33-Arif Erdem 67); 9-Mario Jardel Referee: Anders Frisk (Sweden)
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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