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Greeks miss out Lille draws Manchester United 1-1 to make UEFA Cup
Updated: Thursday November 01, 2001 6:58 AM
LENS, France (AP) -- Manchester United failed to go top of its Champions League group on Wednesday after allowing Lille to level for a 1-1 draw in their final first-round match. Supersub Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, making his first Champions League start of the season, opened for the visitors in the sixth minute. But Lille's top goalscorer Bruno Cheyrou leveled midway through the second half. United, which had already qualified for the next phase, was level with Deportivo La Coruna in Group G on 10 points. But the Reds trailed the Spanish club on goal difference. Lille held on to third place with six points and won a spot in the third round of the UEFA Cup. Solskjaer scored on United's first opportunity. He collected a pass from skipper David Beckham and sent a superb left-foot shot curling across the area and into the top far corner. Lille goalkeeper Gregory Wimbee did well to stop a Beckham free-kick from 28 meters (yards) that almost made it past the left post. Phil Neville blocked a close-range shot from defender Johnny Ecker that risked closing the gap for the home side several minutes before the break. Cheyrou nearly put home a free kick in the 58th minute but Roy Carroll nudged it over the crossbar. The Frenchman leveled eight minutes later, dummying a string of defenders before powering in a left-foot shot from within the penalty arc. Carroll touched the ball but couldn't stop it going in. The United goalkeeper was replacing Fabien Barthez, out with an ear infection. He was one of eight United regulars missing, including Ruud van Nistelrooy and Juan Sebastian Veron, who were left at home. The Reds beat Lille 1-0 with a last-minute goal from Beckham in their first-leg match. Lille was playing in its first ever Champions League. Two seasons ago it was playing in the French second division and now lies second in the French league. The match was played in Lens because Lille doesn't have a UEFA-approved stadium for European games. Satisfaction for Halilodzic "It's a great satisfaction as the guys played really well tonight. We could have even done something better," said Lille coach Vahid Halilodzic. "We equalized thanks to a great goal. The team proved they deserved to play in the Champions League and it's a great reward," he said. "We can now carry on and we want to go as far as we can on this road. The guys relished the taste of these European matches. They bit into the cake and they want some more." "We don't deserve any more than we have got. I haven't seen a team in Europe who hit the ball as Lille did tonight," said United manager Alex Ferguson. "They go for every tackle, they chased every ball. Everybody fought and I think they deserved the draw. I wish them good luck in the UEFA Cup. "We are just happy to qualify in such a difficult group." Olympiakos draws 1-1 vs. Deportivo, misses UEFA CupATHENS, Greece -- A late goal from Deportivo La Coruna's Johan Capdevila in a Champions League game Wednesday gave the Spanish club a 1-1 draw with Olympiakos Piraeus, and dashed Greek hopes for a UEFA Cup spot. Olympiakos finished last in Group G with six points, one behind France's Lille. The French club drew 1-1 with Manchester United in France and clinched a place in the third round of the UEFA Cup. Both Deportivo and Man United had already advanced to the next phase of the Champions League. They finished with 10 points each, but the Spaniards took first place in the group with two wins over the English powerhouse. Deportivo seized the initiative in the first 20 minutes of the game, as Olympiakos fought hard to fend the Spaniards off. The Greeks' dull start prompted 20,000 spectators at Athens Olympic Stadium to boo and jeer at their team. In the 19th minute, goalkeeper Angelos Georgiou, in his Champions League debut, saved a blistering shot from Djalminha, and another from Emerson 10 minutes later. Olympiakos had almost scored in the 17th when Helder stopped Peter Oforiquaye, who was poised to score with keeper Nuno beaten. Six minutes into the second period, Predrag Djordjevic charged down the left wing and passed to Alexis Alexandris, who gave Olympiakos the lead. The visitors besieged the Greek area after the goal, launching successive attacks. The Greek defense resisted well until the 82nd when Capdevila headed in the equalizer off a corner kick taken by Djalminha. The remaining minutes saw Olympiakos desperately trying for the winner, but the Spaniards checked all attacks. Deportivo coach appreciates victory ATHENS (Reuters) -- Deportivo Coruna coach Javier Irureta savoured a 'famous result' when his Spanish team won Champions League group G on Wednesday. After a 1-1 draw with Olympiakos Piraeus sealed first place, Irureta said: "It was a famous result for us to finish top, when you are in a group facing teams of the quality of Manchester United. "In football you need faith but more than that you need luck and we had that tonight," he said in a reference to Deportivo's equaliser with seven minutes left. "There's no particular secret to the late goals, tonight's was a balanced game and both sides had chances to win." Olympiakos coach Takis Lemonis said: "This was a tough group and that has been reflected in the standings. We drew tonight with a team that beat Manchester United twice." Lemonis, whose team finished bottom of the group, added: "The main responsibility is always with the coach, they are the one that make the decisions and that isn't going to change.
"Life goes, Olympiakos goes on, we have a league match we have to prepare for a the weekend. Straight after the game though, you obviously feel the disappointment."
Reuters contributed to this report.
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