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Score draw but no bore for Real and Bayer
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-11-24 09:10
Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen fought out an exciting 1-1 draw to leave
qualification from Champions League group B still up in the air for both sides.
Real Madrid's
Portuguese striker Luis Figo celebrates after scoring a goal during their
Champions League clash against Bayer Leverkusen in Madrid.
[AFP] |
"Of course I wanted to go back to
Germany with a win because then we could have relaxed for the last game but a
draw is still good," said Bayer coach Klaus Augenthaler.
After Dynamo Kiev beat Roma 2-0, Real now need to win against the Italians in
two weeks time in order to progress towards a 10th European title.
"I'm sad that we didn't get it sorted out tonight but at least our future is
in our own hands," said Real coach Mariano Garcia Remon.
Bayer's Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov tormented Real just as he
had done in their first encounter in Germany two months ago and put the visitors
ahead after 36 minutes.
Real club captain Raul then gave the nine-times European champions a deserved
share of the points 20 minutes before the whistle to take him to 49 Champions
League goals and a share of the all-time club record with former Real legend
Alfredo Di Stefano.
The Spaniards could have secured their qualification 10 minutes from time
after Zinedine Zidane was brought down in the area by Bayer defender Juan.
However, the fall was more of a dive and justice was done when Bayer
goalkeeper Jorg Butt palmed away Luis Figo's penalty.
"We were better in the first half and in the end I am happy we managed to
hang on," added Augenthaler, acknowledging that Real improved as the game went
on.
"But this game was also a response to those German newspaper stories that
suggested that this side was broken up into different groups. We showed that we
are all one team," added the 1990 World Cup winner.
Bayer waited patiently for their chances during the first 45 minutes before
Berbatov found the net for the third time in the season's Champions League
campaign.
Ukrainian striker Andrej Voronin put the ball on the cross bar only for Ivan
Helguera to head the rebound stright to the feet of Berbatov, who didn't fail
from close range.
Real could have equalised shortly after the break but David Beckham missed a
sitter and was then taken off after 54 minutes.
The pressure will rise on Real coach Mariano Garcia Remon after the England
captain's fourth dismal display since returning to action 10 days ago after a
six weeks absence due to two broken ribs.
Noticeably, Real seemed to move up a gear without Beckham but Garcia Remon
continued to back his man.
"It was a tactical change, nothing more and not one to do with his physical
condition," added the Real coach.
Raul's goal came after a neat one-two with Figo, which caught the Bayer
defence napping.
Seven minutes after Raul entered the Real record books, Ronaldo also hit the
post to reinforce the impression that the home side were going to snatch three
points at the death.
"We made mistakes during the first half and made life difficult for ourselves
but in the second half we were passing the ball around much more fluently,"
assessed Garcia Remon.
The match was the first in the Santiago Bernabeu since last Wednesday's
notorious international between Spain and England, sadly only remarkable for the
racist abuse heaped upon the black England players.
Worryingly little seemed to have been learnt by some sections of the Real
spectators, despite the worldwide criticism of what happened, as monkey-like
grunts were still often audible when Bayer's two black Brazilian defenders Roque
Junior and Juan touched the ball.
Another negative note for Bayer, in addition to being unable to convert their
first half superiority into more than one point was that their Argentine
defender Diego Placente was booked.
Placente will now miss the vital decider at home to Dynamo Kiev.
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