European League
Arsenal 0:2 AC Milan 0:0 Arsenal 1:2 ----------------- Liverpool 2:1 Liverpool 1:4 Inter M 0:0 Liverpool 1:1 -------------------------- [c] Fenerbahce 3:2 [b] CSKA Kens 1:1 Sevilla 2:3 Fenerbahce 2:1 ----------------- Olympiakos 0:0 CSKA Kens 1:3 CSKA Kens 0:3 CSKA Kens ============================================= Schalke 1:0 [a] Manch B Porto 0:1 Schalke 0:0 ----------------- Celtic 2:0 Barcelona 1:1 Barcelona 3:1 Barcelona 0:0 -------------------------- Roma 2:2 Manch B 0:1 Real Mad 1:1 Roma 0:0 ----------------- Lyon 1:0 ManchB 2:1 Manch B 1:1
[a] - 0:0 in extra time, Schalke 04 won 4:1 in kicks from the penalty mark.
[b] - 0:0 in extra time, Fenerbahçe won 3:2 in kicks from the penalty mark.
[c] - CSKA Kensington wins 2:1 in extra time.
Another tedious, goal-free snore-fest between the Buccaneers and Barcelona. Goal-free, that is, apart from the goal, which was a speculative shot to nothing. After this match, we knew the European League would have an all-English final, played in that well-known English seaside resort of Moscow. We also knew that England would take the number one spot in the UEFA rankings for only the second time in the country's history: the previous occasion had been in the five years ending 1985, and was curtailed only by of political interference from UEFA.
We were expecting another tedious, goal-free snore-fest between the Stadiennes and CSKA Kensington, not least because seven meetings in the previous four seasons have produced just five goals, and one of those never crossed the line. This time, though, the sides manages a goal each in normal time, CSKA went 2:0 up in extra time, only for the visiting Stadiennes to pull one back and force a nervy final few minutes.
The result, though, is that the final between CSKA and the Buccaneers will take place at that well-known English city of Moscow. Won't Kensington enjoy home advantage?
UEFA Cup
Anderlecht 2:1 Bordeaux 1:1 Anderlecht 0:2 ---------- Aberdeen 2:1 Bayern M 5:1 Bayern M 2:5 Bayern M 1:1 ================================ AEK Athens 1:0 Getafe 1:1 [c] Getafe 1:3 Getafe 1:1 ---------- Benfica 1:2 Benfica 0:0 Nurnburg 0:2 Bayern M 1:0 =============================-------------- [36] Galatasary 0:1 Zenit St P 1:4 B Leverkus 0:5 B Leverkus 1:2 ---------- Zurich 1:0 Hamburg 0:3 Hamburg 3:0 B Leverkus 1:1 ================================ Marseille 3:0 Zenit St P 4:0 Spartak M 0:2 Marseille 3:0 ---------- Zenit St P 1:1 Zenit St P 1:2 Villarreal 0:2 Zenit St P ======================================================= Rangers 0:1 Panath'kos 0:1 Rangers 2:0 ---------- Werder B 3:1 Werder B 0:1 Braga 0:0 Rangers 0:0 ================================ Bolton 1:0 Sporting L 0:2 A. Madrid 0:0 Bolton 1:0 ---------- Sporting L 2:3 Sporting L 1:1 Basle 0:0 Rangers 0:0 =============================-------------- [d] Rosenborg 0:1 Fiorentina 0:0 Fiorentina 1:2 Fiorentina 2:0 ---------- Brann 0:1 Everton 0:2 [a] Everton 2:6 Fiorentina 1:2 ================================ Slavia Pr 1:1 PSV 1:0 Tottenham 2:1 Tottenham 0:1 ---------- PSV 2:2 PSV 1:0 [b] Helsingbgs 0:1
[a] 0:0 in extra time; Fiorentina won 4:2 in kicks from the penalty mark.
[b] 0:0 in extra time; PSV won 6:5 in kicks from the penalty mark.
[c] 2:2 in extra time, Bayern wins on away goals.
[d] 0:0 in extra time; Rangers won 4:2 in kicks from the penalty mark.
The surprise in the first semi wasn't so much that Zenit won their game so easily - 4:0 didn't flatter them in the slightest - but that München crumbled so easily. Zenit took the lead in the third minute, after Kahn was unsighted at a free-kick, and though Bayern threatened, they rather gave up after falling 2:0 down. Next stop, Manchester; after that, the European League.
The nightcap was a poor game, Rangers content to soak up the pressure and hope to hit on the break. Neither side found their range, and the game had KFTPM written all over it. Though Rangers missed their first spot kick, that was all they missed, the Scottish League will be running its Schedule B, and West Coast need to lay on some extra trains.
