The Hindu : Sport / Football : An emotional win for Liverpool

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 07, 2005

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Sport - Football

An emotional win for Liverpool

LONDON, APRIL 6. Liverpool scored with a pair of early volleys to beat Juventus 2-1 in a Champions League quarterfinal match that commemorated the Heysel Stadium tragedy nearly 20 years ago.

Sami Hyypia scored the first goal from the left side in the 10th minute, and Luis Garcia added the second with a hard shot from well outside the area in the 25th. Defender Fabio Cannavaro replied for Juventus, scoring his first Champions League goal with a powerful header in the 63rd.

In another quarterfinal match, PSV Eindhoven came back to draw 1-1 with host Lyon. Florent Malouda sent a low shot past PSV goalkeeper Gomes in the 12th minute, but Phillip Cocu equalised for the Dutch leaders in the 79th.

The second leg matches will be played next Wednesday.

Juventus had only conceded two goals in its first eight Champions League matches this season, but the Serie A co-leader allowed two in the first half on Tuesday.

"We did not play in the first 30 minutes. We allowed two avoidable goals and squandered our scoring chances," Juventus coach Fabio Capello said.

Hyypia, recalled to the Liverpool defence because Mauricio Pellegrino is ineligible, opened the scoring when Steven Gerrard's corner was flicked on by Luis Garcia to the Finland international.

Fifteen minutes later, Anthony Le Tallec floated a ball into space midway in the Juve half. Luis Garcia then ran through to take control and lob a firmly struck 25-metre shot over the head of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and just under the crossbar.

"I am delighted with our performance in the first half but, against Juventus, it was very difficult to keep going like that for 90 minutes," said Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, who led Valencia to a UEFA Cup triumph last season.

The result is likely to leave both sets of fans satisfied — Liverpool with its win and Juventus with an important away goal.

"It's a good result after all," Capello said. ``A 1-0 home win will do, but we will have to play with greater determination."

Clash of customs

Earlier, in Liverpool, former stars Michel Platini and Ian Rush joined thousands of fans in an emotional ceremony to remember the 39 people who were killed at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, before the start of the 1985 European Cup final. It was one of the worst soccer tragedies in history.

Platini and Rush, who later joined Juventus, played on opposite sides in that game, which Juventus won 1-0. Tuesday's match was the first competitive meeting between the two European powerhouses since that day.

Italian custom, however, clashed with English expectations.

With Liverpool and Juventus facing each in the Champions League quarterfinals, loud applause rang out around Anfield as the fans staged a brief ceremony as a mark of respect to the 39 mostly Juve fans who died. It is not uncommon, and customary for some Italians, to applaud during moments of silence, including at funerals.

The results quarterfinals (home teams listed first): first leg: Liverpool (England) 2 (Sami Hyypia 10th, Luis Garcia 25th) bt Juventus (Italy) 1 (Fabio Cannavaro 63rd); Lyon (France) 1 (Florent Malouda 12th) drew with PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) 1 (Phillip Cocu 79th). — AP

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