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12 November 2002

AJAX 1-2 INTER

Crespo scored two headed goals in two minutes to give Inter top spot in the group. The first from a Di Biagio cross and the second, a phenomenal header, from an unlikely source - Vieri. Van der Vaart scored a late, deflected consolation goal.


ROSENBORG 1-1 LYON

A mistake by Cacapa allowed Brattbakk to run onto a long ball, cut inside the box and drill a show inside the post. Govou equalised with a low drive. Andersson missed a free header in injury time.


30 OCTOBER 2002

INTER 3-0 ROSENBORG

Recoba pulled down a ball from Conceicao before smashing the ball past Arason. Sarrinen beat his own keeper with a spectacular diving header from Conceicao's cross. Crespo tapped in Inter's third from Conceicao's deflected cross.

Assist : Conceicao


LYON 0-2 AJAX

Pienaar who must be 3ft 6in, slotted Mido's centre past Coupet. Lyon were screwed out of an equaliser when Chivu cleared Andersson's header from inside the goal. Chivu went in with a sliding tackle on Vairelle and the Frenchman made sure he walked when he threw himself to the ground and feigned injury. Van der Vaart completed the robbery when he slid in to meet Maxwell's centre.

Assists : Mido, Maxwell
Red Card : Chivu 62 (Ajax)

Inter, Ajax and Lyon all go through with victories in their final matches. If Lyon draw and Ajax loose to Inter Ajax go through because of their superior head to head record against Lyon. If Lyon draw and Inter loose Lyon go through due to their superior head to head record against Inter. I think!


22 OCTOBER 2002

AJAX 1-1 ROSENBORG

Ibrahimovic once again found himself unmarked in front of goal, which takes some doing given his size, and tapped into an empty net following a surging run down the left flank by Tunisian fullback Hatem Trabelsi. Enerly equalised from the penalty spot after JVD (Jelle Van Damme) handled on the line.

Assist : Trabelsi
Red Card : Jelle Van Damme 84 (Ajax)


LYON 3-3 INTER

A phenomenal one touch passing move tore the Inter defence apart, Carriere supplied the final pass and Andersson, the most spectacular goalscorer in Europe, another spectacular finish. Inter were level on the half hour mark, Cacapa dived in to block a cross from Zanetti but the ball bounced off him over Coupet. Another slick, rapid passing move put Lyon back in front, Carriere sliding in to meet Juninho's centre. Crespo smashed in the equaliser after Coupet had denied Vieri and headed Inter in front for the first time in the match from Emre's corner. Andersson tapped in fellow Brazilian Edmilson's centre when the Inter defence went to sleep on a free kick.

Assists : Carriere, Juninho, Emre (corner), Edmilson


2 OCTOBER 2002

INTER 1-2 LYON

A quick counter attack gave Lyon the lead. Carriere pounced on a mistake by Cannavaro before playing a one-two with Andersson and dropping a fantastic first time pass to Govou who beat Toldo via a deflection off Cannavaro. Andersson scored another fantastic goal, this time he thundered an awesome left foot shot into the roof of the net from 25yds. Cannavaro almost made up for his earlier mistake when he headed in a Recoba corner but Lyon held on to record a rare away victory which is major bad news for Inter given Lyon's excellent home record.

Andersson is the most spectacular goalscorer in Europe.

Assists : Carriere, Recoba (ck)


25 SEPTEMBER 2002

LYON 5-0 ROSENBORG

Carriere began the rout on six minutes. He played a one-two with Andersson, broke into the box and chipped over Arason. Carriere laid on the second for Vairelles with an outrageous pass straight through Skammelsrud's legs and released Andersson with a perfectly weighted 30yd pass, matched by a typically flamboyant finish from the Brazilian, for Lyon's third. Vairelles banged in a fourth on half time. Coupet saved a Skammelsrud penalty. Lyon could only manage one goal in the second half, Luyindula powering Deflandre's cross past Arason.

Assists : Andersson, Carriere (x2), Diarra, Deflandre


16 SEPTEMBER 2002

AJAX 2-1 LYON

There was some excellent one touch passing prior to Ajax's goal. Zlatan 'The Prodigy' Ibrahimovic received the pass inside the box then backed away before smoking two players on the by-line, by switching feet I might add, and blasting the ball in off the post from an acute angle. Litmanen released Sikora with a beautiful chipped pass over two defenders and his centre was lifted over Coupet by Ibrahimovic. Andersson scored an outrageous late consolation goal. Laville launched a hail Mary ball 60yds downfield, Andersson, who was being pulled by Bergdolmo, took one touch to pull it down, flicked it up, turned and volleyed over Stekelenburg. I will be AMAZED if that isn't goal of the season. Yakuba walked for a heavy foul on Diarra, fortunately Diarra wasn't hurt.

Today I think I saw the new Bergkamp but he's not Dutch, he's Swedish.

Assists : Galasek, Sikora
Red Card : Yakuba 85 (Ajax)


ROSENBORG 2-2 INTER

Crespo scored his first goal for Inter when his shot deflected in off Basma. The Inter defence ball watched a corner and Karadas stole a yard on Cannavaro to draw the home side level. Brattbakk missed a sitter seconds later but Karadas made it 2-1 when he leapt between Materazzi and Coco to power home Olsen's cross. Crespo rescued a point with a brilliant volley from Recoba's deflected free kick.

Assists : Olsen (ck), Olsen