LEVERKUSEN < BAYERN < ST. PAULI

All match reviews by Tim Leidecker tim@milanmania.com unless otherwise
stated.

After handily beating then-league leader Leverkusen last week European
and Intercontinental Cup Winners' FC Bayern München managed the what
should be impossible by losing to bottom of the table of St. Pauli!
But the self proclaimed "Pirates" of the league could not really gain
any advantage from the surprise three points as fellow relegation
candidates Cottbus, Nürnberg and Gladbach won as well. In other games
"Ruhrpott Powers" Schalke continued their hot streak by winning their
4th straight while Dortmund defended their n°1 spot with a comfortable
home victory over Rostock.


5 FEBRUARY 2002

MÖNCHENGLADBACH		4-0		KÖLN
Münch 51 (Pen)
Van Lent 54, 60, 68

Felgenhauer scored a fantastic Wembley Goal with a 22m free kick but
unlike in '66 it was in but not given. Laslandes hit a spectacular
falling overhead kick just over the bar, technically superb strike
though. Korell won a penalty (consolation decision for the wrongly
disallowed goal), Münch converted for Gladbach's first goal in ages!
(384 minutes to be exact).

Van Lent made it 2-0 on the counter attack only 3 minutes later.
Köln now totally feel apart, Aidoo abused everybody on the wing and
centred for Van Lent who easily bagged his 2nd of the night. BMG's
N°9 then helped himself to only his 2nd career hattrick thanks to
some inept defending by Zellweger (the Swiss cheese...errr...centre
back allowed him to move and get a shot off in the box).

Assists: Korell, Demo, Aidoo, Ulich
Attendance: 32,200


FREIBURG			0-0		WOLFSBURG

Golz substitute Timo Reus made a good reflex save from the red-hot
Maric. Franz went close with a thumping header following a Róbson
Ponté corner. Hermel had the best chance for Freiburg but he hit
teammate Kondé into the kidneys from close range. Still not as bad
a game as the scoreline might suggest.

Attendance: 24,000


COTTBUS			1-0		HERTHA
Topic 85

Game had to be halted after 5 minutes because the stands were literally
on fire, Energie Cottbus fans again proving not to be the smartest in
the country... After 85 minutes of complete and utter boredom the whole
Hertha defense failed to deal with a routine header across the area,
Topic killed the ball and volleyed through Schmidt's legs and into the
far corner for precious, precious 3 points!

Jürgen Röber, in his 7th season with the team, leading the club from
the bottom of the 2. Bundesliga into the Champions League, was sacked
following this game.

Assist: Beeck
Attendance: 15,600


STUTTGART			2-3		NÜRNBERG
Bordon 24					Cacão 15, 26
Ganea 60					Larsen 77

Nikl pumped a longball into attack, new signing Fernando Meira and
'keeper Hildebrand took each other out of the action with a "you
take it, I've got it safe" kind of move (i.e. they collided :),
Cacão capitalized by tapping into an empty net. Bordon equalized
with *the* single most ferocious free kick I have seen in my entire
life, there is no 'keeper in the history of the game who would have
gotten to this one! You better go to sport1.de's video section and
see for yourself!

Cacão restored the lead 70 seconds later courtesy of more sloppy
defending by Fernando Meira. The young Brasilian had another glorious
chance with only the 'keeper to beat following a tremendous 70m pass
from Krzynowek but he panicked and shot just wide. Seitz stung Kampa's
palms with a smashing dropkick. Larsen's free kick just touched the
crossbar at the other end. Ganea shook off his marker and bagged his
8th of the season after good passing from Soldo & Tiffert.

Rink struck the post from well outside the area. Larsen scored the
game-winner from what looked like a savable free kick to me.
The Swedish midfielder got himself sent off only 8 minutes later for
a hard foul on Adhemar, his 2nd bookable offence.

Assists: Seitz, Rink, Tiffert
Red Card: Larsen 84 (Nürnberg)
Attendance: 21,000


1860 MÜNCHEN			3-1		BREMEN
Agostino 18					Lisztes 24
Max 68
Häßler 74 (Pen)

Cerny whacked in a low cross, Verlaat stood around playing with his
balls instead of attempting to clear so Paul Agostino could come
running up from behind to fire the "Löwen" into the lead at the far
post. Krstajic drew out the 60er defense, then sticked the ball to
Aílton on the left side of the box, his centre found Lisztes who put
it away with a technically perfect shot into the top-left angle --
you won't see a much better finish than this!

The hard-working Hungarian playmaker tested 1860 'keeper Jentzsch
again with a good shot just before half time. Tyce stung Rost's palms
with a furious drive after the break. Max fired Munich's Blues into
the lead with a whack across goal following Cerny's ball over the
top of the Werder defense. Tjikuzu hit a tackle on Max in the box
and ended up getting all ball, ref Meyer thought it would be a good
idea to still give the home side a penalty which "Icke" Häßler put
away in sovereign fashion to decide the game.

Assists: Cerny (x2), Aílton, Max
Attendance: 17,200


6 FEBRUARY 2002

ST. PAULI			2-1		BAYERN MÜNCHEN
Meggle 30					Sagnol 87
Patschinski 33

Meggle gave Kahn a first taste of things to come with a cracking shot
against the crossbar at 15 minutes. 15 minutes later it was again the
teams' playmaker who collected the ball from Rath in the box, turned
around Robert Kovac and fired Pauli into the lead! Former Babelsberger
Nico Patschinski (03 could surely use him now...) doubled the lead from
a chaotic goalmouth scramble following a corner.

Kahn prevented Bayern from falling behind 0-3 in the first half when he
acrobatically kept out Berre's shot. Multiple reject Rath had to make it
3-0 but he missed an absolute sitter created by Rahn's fabulous through
pass. New Pauli N°1 Henzler made a string of good saves against Scholl,
the only player who showed any pride in wearing the Bayern shirt that
evening...

Sagnol headed in his 1st Bundesliga goal from Effenberg's corner for
the consolation.

Assists: Rath (x2), Effenberg
Attendance: 20,735 (sold out)


DORTMUND			2-0		ROSTOCK
Ewerthon 66
Amoroso 81

Sørensen pulled down Dedê's cross and centred for Ewerthon but the
Brasilian blazed over the bar. Schober made a good save from Heinrich's
header. Lantz stupidly flicked onto Ewerthon's cross, Heinrich headed
the ball back to Dortmund's N°12 who fired through Schober's braces for
the 1-0. Amoroso came on as a sub and put the game out of reach with a
hidden shot from the left side of the box.

Assists: Heinrich, Ewerthon
Attendance: 60,500


KAISERSLAUTERN			2-2		HAMBURG
Basler 4						Romeo 11
Klose 76						Heinz 80

Pettersson won a free kick which Basler drilled under the wall and in
from over 25 meters! Barbarez headed Hollerbach's cross back into the
middle where Romeo snatched the equalizer with a diving header. Klose
headed the Red Devils back into the lead from Lincoln's cross. Riedl
turned the ball over near the area, Romeo passed to Heinz on the right
side of the box and the Czech forward took a few steps before beating
Koch from an impossible angle.

Assists: Pettersson, Barbarez, Lincoln, Romeo
Attendance: 34,958


LEVERKUSEN			0-1		SCHALKE
						Böhme 52

Schalke should have been awarded a penalty for a Lúcio handball.
Böhme smashed a free kick into the wall and then fired his own rebound
into the top-left corner for the game-winner.

Attendance: 22,500 (sold out)


Ciao,

Tim

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