12 APRIL 2001

STUTTGART			1-0		COTTBUS
Balakov 72 (Pen)

40,000 were on hand at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion to watch this
trendsetting relegation bowl. Krassimir Balakov scored the only
goal of the night from the penalty spot after Ganea was fouled by
Vata. With the victory Stuttgart leaves the relegation ranks for
the first time under Magath.

Attendance : 40,000


14 APRIL 2001

KAISERSLAUTERN			4-2		FRANKFURT
Lokvenc 1, 52					Guié-Mien 21
Basler 50 (Pen)					Kryszalowicz 36
Klose 89

Lokvenc headed in Basler's corner only 43 seconds into the game.
Wimmer latched onto Ramzy's hospital pass and centred for Guié-Mien
who cut inside the FCK defense and remained cool to score his 1st
of the season. Branco got Kryszalowicz into position with a nice
backheel flick and the Pole fired Frankfurt into the lead with a
left-footed blast.

Djorkaeff came on in the 2nd half after a longer injury lay-off
and almost immediately made an impact: 5 minutes into the game he
dribbled around the Eintracht defenders like slalom poles, Kracht
stopped him in the box, Basler equalized from the penalty spot.
DJ then fed Lokvenc with a World Class no-look through pass, the
huge centre forward tunnelled Bindewald and shot inside the near
post to turn the game around within 2 minutes!

Weidenfeller, in goal for the suspended Koch, denied Kryszalowicz
a huge chance after a great through pass from Preuß. After Klose
and Basler wasted 2 great chances the national team forward wrapped
things up with a nice shot with his outside instep after Basler
played a ball over the top of the Eintracht defense.

Attendance : 41,500 (sold out)


WOLFSBURG			0-1		1860 MÜNCHEN
						Bierofka 31

Bierofka breezed past Akonnor & Greiner and crossed...into the net!
Akonnor headed Sebescen's cross against the underside of the bar.
Häßler had to make everything crystal clear after 82 minutes but he
smacked his shot straight at his old pal Reitmaier after a sprint
over half the length of the pitch. Juskowiak headed another Sebescen
cross against the crossbar so 1860 win their 1st game in Wolfsburg
on their 4th attempt.

Attendance : 13,639


BOCHUM			1-2		BREMEN
Reis 62						Pizarro 38
						Verlaat 74

Bastürk struck Baumann's bollocks from an indirect free kick in
Werder's 5m area. Schreiber missed a sitter 1-on-1 with Rost.
Pizarro headed in Herzog's corner against the flow of the game.
Herzog struck the post after a nice solo, Pizarro, surprised,
ballooned the rebound high over the empty net.

Reis squeezed one inside the 'keeper's corner, his 3rd goal in
his 3rd consecutive match. Colding headed Pizarro's shot from
the line after the Peruvian ace destroyed his marker Schröder
and 'keeper Van Duijnhoven. Werder won the game from another
set piece, Verlaat heading in Banovic's accurate corner.

Pizarro & Herzog have been Werder's best players this year,
ironically both may not be with the club next season anymore.

Attendance : 21,974


LEVERKUSEN			1-3		FREIBURG
Zé Roberto 51					Schumann 12
						Baya 81
						But 89

Nowotny denied But a certain goal with a crucial tackle after
a capital blunder from Lúcio only 120 seconds into the game.
Schumann punished slack marking with his 1st goal of the season
after Iashvili fired But's free kick back across goal for him
to 'knee' in. Golz made great saves from Ballack's bullet and
Vranjes' good efford. Zé Roberto scored the equalizer on the
counter attack with a shot into the far corner from Kirsten's
centre.

Rink, coming on for the slightly injured Ballack and sporting
a gay-looking, blond "Martin-Palermo-commemorative-curl" tested
big Richie Golz with a scoop shot. Rink then proceeded to strike
the outside of the post from Lúcio's opening pass. Baya gave
Freiburg the lead with a well-taken shot from just outside the
box, phlegmatic goalkeeping by Juric helped as well though.

Kehl advanced Zeyer's throw-in to But and the blond Russian
playmaker imperturably completed Bayer's fiasco with Freiburg's
3rd goal despite pressure from Ramelow. Bayer have won only 9
of their 17 games under Vogts, lost 8(!) and conceded a total
of 26 goals with the potentially toughest defense in the league
comprised of Nowotny, Lúcio and Kovac. My take is the team is
mentally dead.

Attendance : 22,500 (sold out)


BAYERN MÜNCHEN		1-3		SCHALKE
Jancker 3					Sand 14, 48, 76

Bayern started like the fire brigade: Jeremies returned Waldoch's
hospital pass like a boomerang, Jancker killed his through pass with
his right and smashed a left-footed half volley past Reck to give
the home side the early lead. A simple throw-in caused major havoc
in Bayern's box, Mpenza fired Kuffour's hospital header through
Kahn's braces and Sand arrived at the far post to tap in his 18th
of the season.

Jeremies almost snapped the crossbar with a violent stroke from the
outside of the box off a short clearance. Kahn made a fantastic save
from Asamoah's header. Büskens had a goal disallowed for 'dangerous
play'. Mpenza ran onto Böhme's sensational longball over 50 meters,
headed the ball across goal and Sand powerfully headed in #19.

Jancker wasted a great chance on the counter attack when he simply
took too long to use Santa Cruz' cross. Jeremies struck the crossbar
for the 2nd time on the afternoon after swapping passes with Jancker.
Mpenza wasted 3 great chances on the counter attack but on the 3rd
Sand was there to bundle in his hattrick.

Attendance : 63,000 (sold out)


HERTHA				1-0		DORTMUND
Rehmer 65

Rehmer powerfully headed in the lone goal of the night from Deisler's
excellent cross. Dortmund only had 1 serious chance all game, a Bobic
header which barely missed the goal. The Yellow Blacks should have
been awarded a penalty when Sverrisson fouled Bobic but the ref didn't
think so.

The Hertha defender later headed a Deisler free kick against the
crossbar. Heinrich got Dárdai sent off with a dive, his second
bookable offence. Dortmund again couldn't use their numerical
advantage as Hertha scores their 1st victory against a Top 6 club.

Red Card : Dárdai 74 (Hertha)
Attendance : 54,429


15 APRIL 2001

HAMBURG			1-1		KÖLN
Barbarez 76					Baranek 20

Mahdavikia headed Barbarez' cross against the bar. Baranek gave
Köln the shock lead with a beautiful diving header after good
work from Kreuz on the wing, Hamburg's 50th conceded goal of the
season. Hollerbach struck the post from 25 meters out. Barbarez
picked up his 10th yellow card for dissent and will miss next
weeks' huge clash with Leverkusen.

Hamburg were awarded a penalty for a clumsy challenge by
Sichone on Heinz but Pröll saved Butt's weakly struck spot kick.
The HSV now kept pumping long balls into Barbarez and Meijer
which eventually paid off when Pröll punched Kovac's lights out
in the 5m area but Barbarez wanted to do things too precisely
and hammered the ball against the inside of the crossbar.

Still the Bosnian goalgetter rescued the Elberatten at least 1
point with a header (what else ?) from Mahdavikia's dripping,
deflected cross. Baranek got himself sent off for a brutal two
footed lunge on Groth. Kovac had the game winner not counted
because the linesman didn't see the ball crossing the line as
a ruck of players were blocking his vision.

Red Card : Baranek 85 (Köln)
Attendance : 50,029


UNTERHACHING			1-1		ROSTOCK
Ahanfouf 53					Majak 75

Wibrån struck the post after Tremmel spilled Lantz' through pass.
Hirsch blazed over the bar after good work from Oberleitner on
the wing. Haber drilled a free kick through the walls of Rostock,
Strehmel killed the ball for Ahanfouf who fired into the top-right
angle against his former club.

Hansa should have been awarded a penalty when Grassow chopped down
Salou in the box. Rostock then hit back on the counter attack:
Lantz who had a superb game carried the ball over half the length
of the pitch before releasing substitute Majak who made no mistake
but the 1-1.

Attendance : 10,000


Ciao,

Tim

[TL] = Tim Leidecker

http://milanmania.com
http://soccer-europe.com