26 October 1999
Rangers 1 (Moore 60)
Valencia 2 (Mendieta 35, C Lopez 45)
By Bill Bride
Valencia captain Gaizca Mendieta played a huge role in this match, scoring a superb goal in the 2-1 win over Rangers. With the win, Valencia is guaranteed
a place in the second phase of the Champions League.
Mendieta, whose hustle from midfield frustrated Rangers all night, gave Valencia the lead in the 35th minute when he controlled a crossfield pass from Amedeo
Carboni and spun to fire in a left-foot shot from 17 metres.
Claudio Lopez then gve Valencia a 2-0 lead in the 45th minute when he collected a fine pass from Kily Gonzalez and fired a right-foot shot past Stefan Klos.
Rangers got one back on the hour when Craig Moore fired a low shot past Andres Palop off a corner kick.
Valencia lead the group on nine points, two ahead of Rangers and three more than Bayern Munich, who lost 2-1 to PSV.
Attendance : 50,063
RANGERS 1-2 VALENCIA
Mendieta stunned Rangers with a great volley. Lopez ghosted past Amoroso with a rude dummy and gently placed the ball into the bottom left corner.
Porrini flicked on Van Bronckhorst's corner, Moore slammed the ball into the net.
Attendance : 50,063
PSV 2-1 BAYERN
By Tim Leidecker
PSV deservedly led after the first half in which Bayern played very poorly through a goal by Van Nistelrooij after the PSV goalgetter
swapped passes with Nilis. When Van Nistelrooij first received the ball he was a good meter offside though. Bayern came out of the locker room
with a different attitute: 6 minutes were played in the 2nd half when Elber put through Effenberg with a neat backheel trick, Effe unleashed a
powerful shot, Waterreus couldn't hold on to it and Santa Cruz was there to tap in the rebound.
Just when everybody thought Bayern would now go on and turn the game around completely Van Bommel swung a long ball into the area, Babbel
opened the inner lane for Luc Nilis with a positional error and the Belgian striker ripped a fierce shot past Bayerns 4th keeper Wessels.
Bayern then dominated the rest of the 2nd half and even created a bunch of semi-decent chances (Elber was pulled down in the area at least twice
among other things) but it just shouldn't be on that day.
The real highlights came when the game was virtually over though, after he had been provocated throughout the match Bayerns Jens Jeremies was
expelled in injury time for stomping on Bruggink after the two players got tangled up while fighting for the ball. PSV coach Gerets who had
encouraged his players to play very aggressively throughout the game pushed Bayerns Lothar Matthäus while he was just talking to the referee.
This led to riot-like scenes, both benches cleared and there were said to be some scuffles in the locker room area.
Gerets behaviour in this game was absolutely unprofessional (for some reason he doesn't seem to have a special liking for the Germans even
though there had been no nasty incidents between the two teams except the one by Jeremies), he even went as far as *kicking* Bayerns
Salihamidzic while he was throwing the ball back into play. Wouldn't it be for the World Cup 2006 bid Bayern couldn't have filed a protest
against the result of the game and the chances wouldn't have been bad to have PSV stripped off the victory and have Gerets banned for a couple of
matches.
Bayern now has the final they wanted at home against Rangers next week. Coach Hitzfeld, president Beckenbauer and manager Hoeneß agreed that if
they don't win this one they also don't deserve to go to the next round.
Red Card : Jeremies 90 (Bayern)
Attendance : 28,000 (sold out)
20 OCTOBER 1999
RANGERS 4-1 PSV
Amoruso and Mols headed Rangers in front from crosses by Van Bronckhorst and McCann respectively. Nistelrooy pulled back a goal from the spot after Moore
fouled him. Kralj should have been sent off for kicking McCann in the box. Kralj spilled Van Bronckhorst's free kick, made a great block to deny Wallace but
McCann raced in to slam in Rangers third. Mols ran onto a brilliant Porrini pass and eventually beat Kralj although he looked offside.
Attendance : 50,083
Valencia 1 (Ilie 10)
Bayern Munich 1 (Effenberg 17)
By Bill Bride
Valencia and Bayern Munich fought to a1-1 draw in Wednesday's Champions league group F clash. The score was a repeat of the two teams last match, at
the Olympic Stadium three weeks ago. Both Bayern and Valencia have six points each, with Valencia ahead of Bayern in second place on goal difference.
Both teams now trail Glasgow Rangers by a point after the Scots beat PSV 4-1 in Glasgow.
Bayern's coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said : "It was a fair result with both teams having chances to win. A general rule in football is that you play as well as the opponent lets you and this is a very balanced group. One of the teams could even reach the final."
Valencia chose the direct route, an approach which looked look sensible given the conditions, by hoisting long balls over the Bayern defense for Claudio Lopez
to run on to.
Lopez proved to be a pest in Bayern's side through out the match and in the 10th minute he created the Valencia goal with his chip leaving Adrian Ilie with
an easy goal past Oliver Kahn. But the Germans who had appeared a little out of it, immediately stepped up their play and seven minutes later Giovane Elber
was nailed by goalkeeper Andres Palop as he attempted to dribble past him. Stefan Effenberg calmly tied the match with the penalty, scoring to Palop's right.
Both teams fought hard and battled the rest of the way. In the final minute Bayern keeper Oliver Kahn was called on to save an overhead kick by Ilie to
preserve the draw.
Attendance : 29,000
VALENCIA 1-1 BAYERN MUNCHEN
By Tim Leidecker
Louse & Cobra played cat and mouse with the Bayern defense in their own area, after exchanging a few passes Lopez crossed for Ilie and the Romanian wrong
footed Kahn with a perfect header into the opposite direction. Linke and Kuffour with grave positional errors though. Bayern stepped up the pressure and were
rewarded 7 minutes later when Valencia's reserve keeper Palop brought Elber down in the box and the strongly improved Effenberg converted the spot kick.
The biggest chances in the 2nd half fell to Paulo Sergio who was 1 on 1 with the keeper but blasted just over in the 56th minute and Adrian Ilie again who forced
Kahn into a stunning save with a great falling overhead kick in the final seconds.
After Rangers home trashing of PSV Bayern are now 3rd in the table but *should* qualify from this group with games at PSV (who are virtually out) and the final at
home against Rangers remaining.
Attendance : 29,000
28 SEPTEMBER 1999
BAYERN 1-1 VALENCIA
By Tim Leidecker
Valencias reserve keeper Palop spilled a mediocre shot by Salihamidzic, Elber picked up the ball and placed it between keeper and defender into
the back of the net. Tarnat then should have won the game with a fierce volley from 25 meters out but it rebounded off the post. After Bayern
declined conditionally at the hour break Valencia became stronger. They scored the equalizer 10 minutes from time when El Piojo headed a Kily
Gonzales cross on to Gerard who only had to nod it home. Bayern then had a regualar goal by Jancker (chip over the keeper) disallowed for
offside. The ref ended the game just when Valencia were on one of their counterattacks and López was through on goal as the Bayern defense stood
still because they thought it was offside. Claudio was offsides a good dozen times overall. Mendieta had a good game for Valencia while
Effenberg hasn't been the same for Bayern after his injury...
Attendance : 31,000
21 SEPTEMBER 1999
PSV 1-1 VALENCIA
Claudio Lopez opened the scoring with a brilliant volley. Nistelroij equalised from the penalty spot.
Attendance : 30,000
15 SEPTEMBER 1999
VALENCIA 2-0 RANGERS
Lopez crossed into the box, Charbonnier parried the shot, it rebounded off Moore into the net. Similar to the goal Brazil scored against Scotland in the last World
Cup. Valencia's second was a move of sheer overindulgence, Killy Gonzalez picked up the ball about 30yds from goal and after THREE one-twos with
Mendieta and Sanchez made his way into the box and blasted a low shot past the 'keeper. 8 passes in total, fabulous goal.
Attendance : 35,000