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No goals Valencia holds Leeds United to 0-0 draw in semifinal
Updated: Wednesday May 02, 2001 7:16 PM
LEEDS, England (AP) -- Valencia and Leeds played a 0-0 draw in Wednesday's Champions League first-leg semifinal, giving the Spaniards a slight edge as they return to Spain next week for the second leg. In the other first-leg semifinal on Tuesday, Bayern Munich won 1-0 at defending champion Real Madrid on Giovane's Elber's goal. The European Champions Cup final is May 23 in Milan, Italy. Playing in a light rain, Valencia had the majority of the play in the first half and three clear scoring chances with Leeds' goalie Nigel Martyn coming up with key saves. The second half was a reverse with Valencia's defense broken down at times by Leeds. In the 12th minute, 6-foot-5 (1.94 meters) Norwegian striker John Carew forced Leeds goalkeeper Nigel Martyn to come up with a good save off a bicycle kick from 12 yards (meters). Six minutes later, Valencia's creative midfielder Gaizka Mendieta hit the crossbar behind Martyn with a looping header. Leeds had its most threatening early chance when midfielder Lee Bowyer shot wide of the left of Valencia 'keeper Santiago Canizares from 18 yards (meters). Pressing at times with good possession, Leeds was unable to crack Valencia's stern and experienced defense of Jocelyn Angloma and Amedeo Carboni. Valencia's forward Juan Sanchez had the third threat in the 42nd with a low 18-yard (meter) shot that Martyn dived to his left to save. Leeds started better in the second half had its best chance in the 52nd -- and maybe the best of the match for either side -- when Dominic Matteo's header from close-in seemed headed for net until Canizares dived to his left and stopped the ball inches from crossing the line. Valencia's defense was more porous than in the first half with Leeds nearly cracking though in the 70th when Canizares was caught off his line with Bowyer getting the loose ball in the area and then hitting the crossbar with a header. After Leeds' pressure, Valencia finished strong with the Englishmen on their back feet. Valencia players Carboni and Ruben Baraja each picked up yellow cards and will miss the second leg. The match was Leeds first semifinal in the European Champions Cup since 1975, when the English side defeated Barcelona over two legs, only to lose it the side's only European Champions final. Leeds has been the underdog of the tournament since it entered, getting through in pre-qualifying last summer. The team has also had to endure a court trial in which Bowyer and defender Jonathan Woodgate were charged with beating up a student outside a bar. The trail was halted -- it's to begin again Oct. 8 -- when a newspaper published allegations of a racial motivation in the incident. Valencia is trying to return to the final for the second straight year after losing in the 2000 final to Real Madrid 3-0 in Paris. O'Leary wishes for stronger squadLEEDS, England -- Leeds United manager David O'Leary bemoaned his lack of attacking options after his side was held to a 0-0 draw against Valencia. Leeds, whose usual first choice striker Robbie Keane is ineligible for the competition after playing for Inter Milan, did not have an extra forward on the bench for the game at Elland Road. "We have limits with our squad," O'Leary said. "You would love to send on Robbie Keane and change it. We just have two forwards for our opponents to play against. "But I know on our day we can score an away goal and it's amazing how an away goal can change things." Valencia had to beat another English team, Arsenal in the previous round to go through. They did so on the basis of their away goal in a 2-1 defeat at Highbury in the first leg, winning the second leg 1-0 with a late strike from John Carew. "If I was in Valencia now I would be thinking this was a good result, but I would be concerned about losing an away goal to us. We didn't get the rub of the green tonight... We could have been 2-0 up. "But these games aren't decided by three or four goals. These games are decided by one chance or a little break that you take," O'Leary said. Valencia coach Hector Cuper, whose side reached the final last year, is refusing to admit they now have an advantage. He praised his team for coping with the aerial threat of Leeds at set pieces. "The result is the result. I would rather have won of course," he said. "They are capable of scoring a goal in the Mestalla but so are we. "Today we had reason to suffer. We had an ambitious side against us, a team that creates danger in the penalty area. The defense was well organised but we had to take care of people like (Alan) Smith, (Mark) Viduka and (Harry) Kewell. "They created a couple of chances that were dangerous but so did we," Cuper said. Both sides hit the bar with headers, Gaizka Mendieta for Valencia in the first half and Lee Bowyer for Leeds in the second. Each goalkeeper was also kept busy with Valncia's Santiago Canizares making one outstanding save in the 51st minute to claw out a Dominic Matteo header just as it was crossing the line. Nigel Martyn in the Leeds goal was twice forced to make excellent first half stops to keep out an acrobatic attempt from John Carew and a low drive from Juan Sanchez. Central defender Rio Ferdinand saved Leeds at the death with a header off his own line after substitute Vicente's poorly hit shot looped over Martyn. Valencia will be without suspended duo Amedeo Carboni and Ruben Baraja, who were both booked at Elland Road, for the second leg at Mestalla next week. SummaryHalftime: 0-0; Attendance: 36,437 Teams: Leeds United: 1-Nigel Martyn; 18-Danny Mills, 29-Rio Ferdinand, 21-Dominic Matteo, 3-Ian Harte; 11-Lee Bowyer, 23-David Batty, 4-Olivier Dacourt, 10-Harry Kewell; 9-Mark Viduka, 17-Alan Smith. Valencia: 1-Santiago Canizares, 2-Mauricio Pellegrino, 12-Roberto Ayala, 15-Amedeo Carboni 20-Jocelyn Angloma; 6-Gaizka Mendieta, 23-David Albelda, 19-Ruben Baraja, 17-Juan Sanchez (8-Zlatko Zahovic, 66), 18-Kily Gonzalez (14-Vincente 90); 7-John Carew. Referee: Pierluigi Collina (Italy)
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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