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Another try Valencia beats Leeds 3-0, makes European final again
Updated: Tuesday May 08, 2001 6:12 PM
VALENCIA, Spain (Reuters) -- Valencia reached the Champions League final for the second successive year as Juan Sanchez struck twice and Gaizka Mendieta fired in a third to give them an emphatic 3-0 victory over Leeds in their semifinal second leg at Mestalla on Tuesday. After a scoreless draw at Elland Road in the first leg, Leeds were still in with an excellent chance even after Sanchez's first goal, which he bundled in with his shoulder on 15 minutes after Mendieta's precision cross. But two goals in the opening seven minutes of the second half put the English premier side out of the equation. Sanchez, seeing John Carew and Pablo Aimar well marked and the Leeds defense backing off, took the ball across the face of the area before driving in at Nigel Martyn's left-hand post after 47 minutes. Mendieta wasted a great chance two minutes later after Aimar's through-ball sent him clear on goal only for his first touch to let him down and allow Martyn to claim. The Valencia skipper made no mistake with his second opportunity, though, as he unleashed a superb right-foot shot that flashed past the Leeds keeper to almost the exact same spot as Sanchez's second goal.
Repeat chanceVictory for Valencia sets up the possibility of a final rematch against Real Madrid, who beat them 3-0 in Paris last year. Real trail Bayern Munich 1-0 after their semifinal first leg at the Bernabeu but still have a chance of setting up a second successive all-Spanish final, this time in Milan on May 23. For Leeds, defeat was a sad end to their European adventure, in which they had defied the odds to move to the brink of their first European Cup final since 1975, when they lost to Bayern. The team clearly missed the skill and drive of Lee Bowyer, who was suspended for three games at the 11th hour for an incident in the first leg. In the opening stages of the match, Leeds hopes of an early goal to put them well in control of the tie were frustrated as David Albelda played a stopper's role just in front of the back four and prevented the English side making headway through the middle. Their best hope of creating something appeared to be down the wings and twice in the first 10 minutes Danny Mills and Harry Kewell got in dangerous positions only to see their crosses cleared. Mendieta had tried his luck with a couple of efforts from outside the box, the first bringing a diving save from Martyn. The Valencia captain was seeing a lot of the ball, as the home side looked to him as their outlet whenever they cleared.
Quick thinkingOne sharp piece of thinking from Kily Gonzalez led to the opening goal on the quarter-hour mark. Kily, picking up a loose ball in midfield, put in a first-time pass that Mendieta controlled to the right of the Leeds area. The Spanish international midfielder sent in a weighted cross that bounced before Sanchez met it awkwardly with his shoulder to send the ball past the exposed Martyn. Leeds were spurred on to the offensive but they were still finding it difficult to get through what was effectively a five-man defense. Mark Viduka and Kewell both won corners as they attempted to hustle their way through before Olivier Dacourt created the first good chance for Leeds on 31 minutes. The Frenchman used his strength to win the ball and storm past Mendieta and Albelda to the edge of the box. His shot was well struck but straight at Santiago Canizares. Best spellFrom the resulting counter-attack Aimar put a shot well over but Leeds were enjoying their best spell of the game and were keeping the pressure on the Valencia midfield with some typically snappy tackling. Viduka, played in by Ian Harte on the left, got the better of Fabian Ayala for the first time in the match and pulled the ball back for David Batty, whose first-time low shot was saved by Canizares. Kily, breaking on the left, showed Eirik Bakke a clean pair of heels and claimed a penalty as he was shouldered off the ball on the edge of the box. Swiss referee Urs Meier instead awarded a corner and, after a desperate clearance resulted in another, Ayala headed just over. Leeds had a couple of half-chances but Valencia came closer to adding to their tally, with Sanchez striking a post when he seemed set to complete his hat-trick and Mendieta forcing a point-blank save from Martyn. Leeds misery was completed when forward Alan Smith was sent off in the last minute for a tough challenge from behind on substitute Didier Deschamps. Cuper urges one final push from Valencia playersValencia coach Hector Cuper urged his players to go on and finish the job after reaching a second successive Champions League final. The team will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the final in Milan on May 23 and Cuper is anxious for them to atone for a 3-0 defeat to Real in last year's final in Paris. "Experience will teach us that we can't afford to repeat the mistakes of last season," said Cuper, whose side appeared to be overwhelmed by the occasion last year. "The players will know they can't let this opportunity slip by. It depends on them and they must give it everything to bring home the title for the Valencia fans. "Evidently, it's going to be difficult, though." For Cuper it will be a third successive European final, after his Real Mallorca side were beaten by Lazio in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1999 and last year's disappointing defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League. "Maybe it will be third time lucky for me," said Cuper. "I'm not exactly surprised to have reached the final again but I wouldn't have predicted it at the start of the season. "As you go through the year, coming past better and better teams, then little by little the feeling grows that you might be able to do it. "Now it's a reality." Asked about his preference for his team's opponents in the final, he declined to choose between Real and Bayern. "In the final we have to believe that success or failure will depend on ourselves," said the Argentine. "An all-Spanish final would make everyone here happy and would give us a chance of revenge but I have no real preference over our opponents." Cuper put Tuesday's superb victory over Leeds down to the ability of his players to temper their enthusiasm with the right tactics. "I wouldn't claim credit for the result," he said. "The players understood our strategy, which was to keep the ball and play it around a lot more. "They also played with the right spirit and desire. "I'm happy just to take whatever credit is left over for me." O'Leary laments lack of video evidenceLeeds United coach David O'Leary conceded on Tuesday that his side had been beaten by a superior Valencia team. But he lamented an ironic twist to the semifinal proceedings, over what he saw as a blatant handball from Juan Sanchez as he scored Valencia's first goal. "We got punished on the basis of video evidence before the game as Lee Bowyer was handed a suspension," O'Leary said after two goals from Sanchez and one from Gaizka Mendieta ended the hopes of his young side. "We couldn't afford to lose an important player like that just before the game -- not with our squad and the injuries we've had. "And yet there was no chance of using video evidence over what was a terrible decision on the first goal. "From what I saw, I think the lad did very well to disguise it as he put the ball in with his hand. "That's not an excuse, though. I have no complaints over the result. Valencia were the better side. "They've made two Champions League finals in two years and I now wish them all the best. They're a fantastic side and I hope they go on and win the final. They deserve it." Despite his concerns over the legality of the first goal, O'Leary said he still felt his side were in with a good chance at the halfway stage, before two goals in seven minutes after the break effectively settled the match. "I wasn't too worried at the break because we'd had a few chances and I thought we'd create more," he said. "But we gave away a stupid goal at the start of the second half and that was game over. "You can't afford to do that at this level in Europe. "We've come a long way in three-and-a-half years, though. It's a sign of that when people say they're disappointed we didn't reach the final at our first attempt. "I'm proud of what we've achieved." A disappointing night for Leeds was made even worse as Alan Smith was sent off in the final minute and the coach said he had no complaints about that decision. "I have no sympathy for him," he said. "I think he's a great lad and he'll be a fine player but it was a disgraceful tackle and it was right that he was sent off."
SummaryValencia won 3-0 on aggregate and will play Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the final on May 23 in Milan Scorers: Juan Sanchez 16, 47, Gaizka Mendieta 52 Red card: Alan Smith (Leeds United) 90 Halftime: 1-0; Attendance: 53,000 Teams: Valencia: 1-Santiago Canizares; 20-Jocelyn Angloma, 12-Fabian Ayala, 2-Mauricio Pellegrino, 34-Fabio Aurelio; 23-David Albelda, 6-Gaizka Mendieta (10-Miguel Angel Angulo 73), 35-Pablo Aimar (4-Didier Deschamps 71), 18-Kily Gonzalez (14-Vicente 65); 7-John Carew, 17-Juan Sanchez Leeds United: 1-Nigel Martyn; 18-Danny Mills, 29-Rio Ferdinand, 21-Dominic Matteo, 3-Ian Harte; 4-Olivier Dacourt, 23-David Batty, 19-Eirik Bakke, 10-Harry Kewell; 9-Mark Viduka 17-Alan Smith. Referee: Urs Meier (Switzerland)
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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