18 March 2003
BASLE 2-1 JUVENTUS
Irrelevant match #1. Tacchinardi gave Juve a lead they didn't need with a wicked curling shot. The Swiss midfielder with an Italian name equalised late in the half, he crashed home a volley after some exceptionally poor defending, even by Juve's standards (in Europe). Juve went AWOL on a late corner allowing Gimenez to volley in the winner.
A fine European campaign for Basle. Juve better hope they draw an Italian club in the next round (or Barca) otherwise they're toast.
Assist : Zenoni, Cantaluppi (ck)
DEPORTIVO 2-0 MAN UNITED
Irrelevant match #2. Taggart took the piss by fielding the clubs reserve team + Giggs. Victor slid in to meet Luque's cross after the forward drove in from the left. Lynch headed in Victor's cross. Fletcher had a shot cleared off the line. Luque, who is rubbish, blew a one on one against Marshmallow, sorry couldn't resist (Depor's reserve 'keeper is named Mallo). Giggs hit a post.
We won't see any irrelevant games at this time of year next season as the competition reverts to a traditional knockout format at the end of the first phase.
The Mancs will fancy their chances against anyone in the next round, apart from Arsenal:)
Assist : Luque
12 March 2003
JUVENTUS 3-2 DEPORTIVO
Ferrara headed Juve into the lead from a Camoranesi corner. It was no surprise when Depor got back into the match following a quick break involving Fran, Duscher and Makaay which left Tristan with a simple tap-in. Makaay put Depor in front with a the first of two outstanding goals in this thrilling encounter. He received a pass with his back to goal, baited Davids, turned and curled the ball into the top corner. Brilliant. Trezeguet got Juve level with a classic poachers goal. Davids tried his luck from distance, the ball fell to Frenchman, he took one touch to kill it and another to send it past Molina. Trezeguet volleyed against the post. Donkey Zalayeta missed an absolute sitter. Zalayeta slung a cross into the box, Naybet headed the ball to the edge of the box and Tudor hit the sweetest of left foot volleys into the bottom corner, LASTMINUTE.COM!
Simply brilliant match. At one point it looked as if both teams had settled for a draw but typical of Juve to pull a swift one and go for a winner:)
Assists : Camoranesi (ck), Makaay, ?, Davids
MAN UNITED 1-1 BASLE
Ferdinand went to sleep on a right wing cross, Gimenez superbly controlled the ball on his chest before thumping it past Carroll. Atouba deflected Gary Neville's shot past his own 'keeper.
Assist : Rossi
Basle need to beat Juve by four clear goals to go through. Happen not gonna. Once again the great pretenders, Depor, are out. Juve's best chances of making the semi's would be to draw an Italian club.
25 February 2003
JUVENTUS 0-3 MAN UNITED
Ferrara deflected a Nedved shot against the post shortly before Giggs, on as an early substitute for Forlan, gave Man United the lead on a superb counter attack. Solskjaer hooked Rio Ferdinand's clearance to Beckham, Beckham turned then dropped a fantastic 40yd pass upto to Solskjaer, Solskjaer crossed the ball out wide to Veron, as he tried to go past Zambrotta, Zambrotta intercepted but then foolishly tried to trap the ball and fell over, Veron ran into the box, passed to Giggs, 0-1. Trezeguet should have equalised from Camoranesi's cross but headed against the crossbar. He also had a penalty appeal turned down before Giggs put Man United out of sight with a wonderful solo effort. He latched onto a Conte hospital pass then destroyed the lame Juve defence with his severe pace - first he flew by Thuram then turned inside Ferrara before running wide of Montero and rolling the ball into the corner past Buffon with his beleaguered right foot.
Lippi brought on Tudor and Salas. Salas flattened Barthez with a flying hip attack, Barthez crashed to the ground and the ball flew up in the air to Trezeguet, he attempted a spectacular volley but volleyed spectacularly into the stands. Van Nistelrooy came on for Giggs and profited from more Juve rubbish. Gary Neville floated a cross to the back post, Tudor thought it would be a good idea to chest the ball against the post, he paid the price and RVN bagged his 10th Champions League goal of the season to add to the 10 he scored in the previous campaign. Only a complete IDIOT would dispute the fact that Van Nistelrooy is one of the finest strikers in the World. Gary Neville almost added insult to er insult when his lob (!) came back off the crossbar.
Assist : Veron
19 February 2003
MAN UNITED 2-1 JUVENTUS
Brown scored his first ever goal for Man United when he powerfully headed Beckham's corner past stand-in goalkeeper Chimenti. Nedved's fiercely struck, dipping low drive cannoned off a post. Trezeguet blew a glorious chance from a Butt hospital pass, blazing high over the bar. Montero inadvertently headed on a monstrous Barthez goal kick, Chimenti clipped Van Nistelrooy as he ran past, Scholes ran onto the ball and somehow managed to miss an open goal, shooting against the post. Beckham and Butt flattened Davids as he tried to start a counter attack, Beckham skipped away from Nedved with a quick dummy then dropped a phenomenal pass over
Van Nistelrooy who volleyed over Chimenti. Nedved scored an irrelevant but deserved goal when his speculative shot evaded Beckham and took a slight deflection off Rio Ferdinand before bobbling past Barthez.
Assists : Beckham (ck), Beckham
11 DECEMBER 2002
JUVENTUS 4-0 BASEL
Trezeguet scored 3 minutes after returning from injury, re-directing Iuliano's header past Zuberbuhler. Montero tapped in a second after Zuberbuhler pushed Del Piero's free kick against the crossbar. A Basel player hit a clearance straight to Tacchinardi, the ball bounced up in the air and Tacchinardi blasted a volley into the net from 30yds. Del Piero converted a penalty won by Nedved's theatrics.
Assists : Iuliano, Nedved (won pen)
MAN UNITED 2-0 DEPORTIVO
Haven't already forced Juanmi into making an excellent save Ruud scored after just seven minutes with a precise flick header from Scholes' excellent first time cross. Scholes should have doubled the Mancs lead but he shot wide after a typically destructive run by Giggs. Van Nistelrooy missed an easy header then had two goals disallowed either side of half time, first for a 'foul' on Juanmi then for offside. Barthez saved brilliantly from Makaay. Juanmi dropped a stinging shot from Scholes, blocked Solskjaer on the rebound but couldn't prevent Solskjaer knocking the ball back to Van Nistelrooy and he lashed the ball home from close range.
18 goals in 19 Champions League games from Ruud. An incredible strike rate only bettered by Van Basten in recent history (18 goals in 18 games).
Assists : Scholes, Solskjaer
The Man United vs Juventus ties should be outstanding. Depor will get their qualification back on track with six points against Basle.
26 NOVEMBER 2002
BASLE 1-1 MAN UNITED
Hakan Yakin swung a corner into the box, Rossi's header was cleared off the line, Chipperfield lashed the ball back towards ball and it took a deflection off Gimenez leaving Barthez with no chance. Basle dominated until Van Nistelrooy headed in a Solskjaer cross, then they fell apart. His second was out of this World. He won the ball, ran down the goal line then took out Marat Yakin with a fabulous dummy then whipped the ball into the net from a ridiculous angle. Solskjaer took a pass from Van Nistelrooy, raced down the left and, as usual, finished clinically. Hakan Yakin should have pulled a goal back when Barthez sliced a back pass straight to him.
Assists : Chipperfield, Solskjaer, Van Nistelrooy
DEPORTIVO 2-2 JUVENTUS
Tristan headed Depor into an early lead from a Capdevilla cross. Two minutes later Capdevilla unlocked Juve again, this time Makaay re-directed his low cross past Buffon. Juve dominated the rest of the half and pulled a goal back through an unlikely source. Birindelli received a pass from Davids, cut infield and then let rip with an incredible curling shot which dropped right into the corner of the net. As Di Vaio latched onto a sloppy clearance and tried to make an opening for
himself, Nedved took the ball of him and blasted it into the bottom corner.
Assists : Capdevilla (x2), Davids, Di Vaio