Wasted chances
Maurice gives Marseille victory over Celta Vigo
Posted: Tuesday March 02, 1999 06:45 PM
MARSEILLE, France (AP) -- Florian Maurice struck twice to give Marseille a 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo in a stirring UEFA Cup quarterfinal first leg match on Tuesday.
But the French league leader will be ruing a series of spurned chances that could have put the tie beyond the reach of Celta Vigo - and a blunder by goalkeeper Stephane Porato that gifted a goal to the Spanish team's Russian striker Alexandre Mostovoi.
Maurice, 25, scored his first in the 33rd minute after good work by Christophe Dugarry.
Dugarry robbed defender Goran Djorovic 25 yards (meters) from goal and the ball broke to Maurice, who finished brilliantly with a curling right foot shot.
Maurice scored again in the 68th minute, blasting in after a fine run down the right wing by Robert Pires.
But in the 63rd minute, Mostovoi scored a crucial away goal, tapping in after Porato had fumbled an innocuous-looking cross.
In its march to the quarterfinals, Celta Vigo had won all three of its away leg matches at Aston Villa, Liverpool and Arges Pitesti.
Again it started in positive mood, but was soon forced back by a Marseille onslaught midway through the first half.
In the 24th minute, Maurice rose above Goran Djorovic and headed a Dugarry cross against a post.
Two minutes later Fabrizio Ravanelli headed into the net, but was called just offside.
After the first goal, Ravanelli wasted a glorious chance, firing over from just eight yards (meters).
On the hour, Miguel Salgado cleared a Laurent Blanc header off the line and minutes later another Marseille defender, William Gallas, headed over when he was in a great position to score.
Marseille had its own slice of luck ten minutes after halftime, when Varela Oskar Vales' deflected shot bounced off a post.
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