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Zalayeta strikes late Ten-man Juventus beats Barcelona, makes semifinalsPosted: Tuesday April 22, 2003 5:58 PMUpdated: Tuesday April 22, 2003 8:07 PM
BARCELONA (Reuters) -- Substitute striker Marcelo Zalayeta struck six minutes before the end of extra-time to earn 10-man Juventus a 2-1 win over Barcelona on Tuesday and send them into the Champions League semifinals on a 3-2 aggregate. Barcelona had come back from a flashing Pavel Nedved strike for the Italians after 53 minutes to equalize through Xavi 13 minutes later and leave the tie level at 1-1 on the night and 2-2 over the two legs. The Catalans were then handed a huge advantage when Juve's Edgar Davids was sent off for a second yellow card after 80 minutes. Barca spent most of the extra-time period camped in the Juventus half but their approach play was imprecise and their finishing simply not good enough, especially with Gianluigi Buffon at his unhurried best. Radomir Antic's side continued to press forward, leaving some huge gaps at the back, and they were stung as Alessandro Birindelli broke down the right and sent over a low cross that Zalayeta touched in. The goal was just reward for a heroic rearguard action from Juventus, who played a total of 41 minutes a man short. Juve's prize for ending Barcelona's 15-match unbeaten run in Europe this season will be a semifinal against either Real Madrid or Manchester United and the chance of a place in the final to be staged at Old Trafford. Glorious opportunity Barcelona will be left to rue a glorious opportunity to get something from a dreadful season after dominating the game, virtually from start to finish. The first half may have finished goalless but it was played at a frantic pace as Barcelona took the adventurous approach their coach had promised. Luis Enrique was only just denied in the penalty area inside the first minute after Patrick Kluivert had flicked on Frank de Boer's long clearance. A couple of minutes later Marc Overmars picked out Javier Saviola with an accurate cross from the right but the Argentine's header was well over. Pavel Nedved struck a shot just wide of Roberto Bonano's goal in the fifth minute but Barca were soon on the attack again as Luis Enrique fed Saviola, who turned inside the area and shot straight at Buffon. Nedved was enjoying a battle with Thiago Motta in the midfield and the Czech midfielder plundered the ball on 14 minutes and found Alessandro Del Piero, who saw his shot well blocked by Bonano. Del Piero was just wide with a flick-header as the chances continued to come thick and fast. Lilian Thuram appeared to use a hand in the area to control the ball as Kluivert threatened but English referee Graham Poll was unimpressed with Barca's claims for a penalty. Thuram was in trouble again as he brought down Michael Reiziger just outside the box as halftime approached. Poll waved play on as the ball broke to Saviola and Barca eventually worked the ball across to Kluivert, who skewed a shot just wide. Let-off At the start of the second half Luis Enrique gave Juventus an incredible let-off, as he beat two players in the area to give himself a clear sight of goal only to lift his shot wide. Barcelona could not expect to get away with such profligacy and were punished with Nedved's brilliance, as he cut past Patrik Andersson, left Frank de Boer for dead and beat Bonano at his near post. Barca were roared on by a 98,000 full house at the Nou Camp and they did manage to equalize as Xavi finished emphatically after Thuram could only half clear a cross from the left. The sending-off of Davids should have been their prompt for an eighth straight home victory in Europe but they found the Juventus defense utterly immovable as the Italians first frustrated them and then finished Barca off with typical style. It was Juve's first win in Spain since 1970. Lippi hails Juventus character after heroic winBARCELONA (Reuters) -- Juventus had a combination of strength of character and extraordinary quality to thank for Tuesday's epic Champions league victory over Barcelona, according to their coach Marcello Lippi. With the quarterfinal second leg level at 1-1, and the tie poised on a knife-edge at 2-2 on aggregate, Juve were dealt a heavy blow with the sending-off of Edgar Davids. Juve managed to hold on for 11 minutes of normal time and then grabbed the winner after 24 minutes of extra-time through substitute Marcelo Zalayeta to book a semifinal place against Real Madrid or Manchester United. "Juventus are a team with a very particular character," Lippi said after his side's 3-2 aggregate victory. "We had a few good chances and then gave an extraordinary performance to keep Barcelona out after we were reduced to 10 men. We're a very practical team. "We are delighted to have got past this big obstacle. We closed down space very well and we could keep tight to their strikers. "The lads did well for the umpteenth time. I am really pleased for Zalayeta -- he scored a great goal that counts for so much." On an excellent night for Italian football, Inter Milan knocked out Valencia at the Mestalla and Lippi appeared entirely satisfied with events in Spain. Regaining prestige "This is marvelous for the Juventus fans and the club," the coach said. "With Inter reaching the semifinals as well, Italian football is regaining prestige. "There was too much criticism of us and so there was a spirit of revenge this year." Juve face a tough semifinal clash against either Real, the reigning European champions and favorites for the competition, or United, who will be desperate to reach the final to be played at their own Old Trafford ground. "I don't have any preference at all," Lippi said. "I know we'll have to suffer to beat either one of these great teams." Asked whether he should have taken off Davids before his red card, Lippi replied: "I couldn't have taken off the best player on the field. He had a superlative game." Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved, who scored the first Juventus goal after 53 minutes, said: "This competition counts for so much for us and we gave our all tonight. "In these matches if you want to win you have to play to your limits. It was a very tough game indeed. "[To win] the Champions League is the ambition that I have had throughout my career." Bleak future for Barca after defeat to JuventusBARCELONA (Reuters) -- Barcelona coach Radomir Antic was at a loss to explain his side's Champions League defeat to Juventus on Tuesday, after his side created chance after chance only to miss out on a place in the semifinals. "The truth is that the dream is over in a terrible, unfair way," Antic sighed after 10-man Juventus had clinched a 3-2 aggregate victory with a Marcelo Zalayeta strike six minutes from the end of extra-time. "What's left? To get up in the morning." Barcelona had a man advantage for a total of 41 minutes but they were unimaginative in attack and when they did manage to create clear chances they found Gianluigi Buffon in exceptional form. "We tried everything but we just couldn't score," a downcast Antic said. "When we did have a great chance, with Patrick Kluivert through on goal, he hit the goalkeeper. That sort of action decides a game." Antic said he felt his side had deserved to win after enjoying most of the possession and having most of the chances. "Sometimes the best team doesn't win and in my opinion Barcelona were clearly better," he said. "We did almost everything in that game -- everything, in fact. We gave a great account of ourselves but I know you can't trade on the image you give." Barcelona are down in 12th place in the Spanish first division after a dreadful run of domestic form and their best hope of claiming a place in Europe next year was to win the Champions League. They went into Tuesday's quarterfinal second leg on a 15-match unbeaten run in Europe and their cruel defeat to Juventus will be hard to take. "It's not going to be easy," Antic accepted. "Apart form the question of morale, we have a number of injured players after this game." SummaryBarcelona 1 Juventus 2 -- result Champions League quarterfinal, second leg First leg: 1-1. Juventus win 3-2 on aggregate after extra time. Scorers: Barcelona -- Xavi 66 Juventus -- Pavel Nedved 53, Zalayeta 114 Red card: Edgar Davids (Juventus) 80 Halftime: 0-0; 90 minutes: 1-1 Teams: Barcelona: 1-Roberto Bonano; 5-Carles Puyol, 3-Frank de Boer, 4-Patrik Andersson (17-Gaizka Mendieta 61), 2-Michael Reiziger (Gerard 91); 11-Marc Overmars (10-Juan Roman Riqueleme 85), 6-Xavi, 31-Thiago Motta, 21-Luis Enrique; 7-Javier Saviola, 9-Patrick Kluivert Juventus: 1-Gianluigi Buffon; 21-Lilian Thuram, 2-Ciro Ferrara, 4-Paolo Montero, 19-Gianluca Zambrotta; 16-Mauro Camoranesi (15-Alessandro Birindelli 46), 3-Alessio Tacchinardi, 26-Edgar Davids, 11-Pavel Nedved; 10-Alessandro Del Piero (5-Igor Tudor 83), 18-Marco Di Vaio (25-Marcelo Zalayeta 46) Referee: Graham Poll (England)
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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