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Bayer Leverkusen (a) CL Group Match 9
Date: Tuesday 18th February 2003, 8.45pm (7.45pm GMT). Venue: BayArena, Leverkusen Conditions: Cool,
clear, dry |
|
| Bayer Leverkusen | 1 - 3 | Newcastle United |
| Half time: | 1 - 3 | |
| Score Sheet: | ||
Franca (25)
|
Ameobi (5) Ameobi
(16) LuaLua (32)
| |
 |
Teams |
 |
|
Butt Preuss Cris Simak Basturk Franca Balitsch Ojigwe Brdaric Neuville Kleine |
Given Hughes Bernard Bramble O'Brien Jenas Dyer Speed Ameobi LuaLua Robert | |
 |
||
| Substitutes: | ||
|
Schneider for Preuss (46) Callsen-Bracker for Cris (72) Kaluzny for Balitsch (79) |
Cort for Ameobi (84) Chopra for LuaLua (84) | |
| Subs not used: | ||
|
Starke Zivkovic Vranjes Babic |
Harper Acuna Griffin Kerr S.Caldwell |
|
| Bookings: | ||
| Balitsch | None | |
| Sendings off: | ||
| None | None | |
| Referee: Terje Hauge (Norway) No complaints. | ||
| Attendance:
22,500 - around 1,500 travelling fans. Support was good throughout, ranging from birthday-related ditties to the Shola Hokey Cokey and variations on "you're going down with...." variously: "...the mackems", "...the Cottbus" and from the politically incorrect faction, "....the Bismarck." A few repetitions of "Sunderland in the Nationwide" were also followed by "Geordies in the Champions League." Read it and weep wear boys.....
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Goals |
5 mins Lomana LuaLua gained
possession down the right flank not far from the Bayer corner flag but
seemed to have tied himself in knots momentarily. He twisted again though
and from the byline sent over a perfect cross for the unmarked Shola
Ameobi to
nod into the net with no fuss. 1-0
16 mins A mistake from Cris
presented the ball to Shola Ameobi in the centre of the
German half
and he advanced past the weak lunge of Thomas Kleine before striking a
firm shot to the keeper's left and into the bottom corner. That was the
cue for most of the Toon bench to leap up in exultation. 2-0
25 mins Ojigweon exchanged passes with lone striker Franca on the edge of the area as Titus Bramble seemed to hesitate and he went on to neatly dink the ball over the advancing Shay Given. 2-1
32 mins Just past the toon
dugout down the left wing, Neuville stood on the ball as it reached the
touchline and prevented it from going out. Unfortunately for him, Olivier Bernard was in
close proximity and took the ball forward, finding Laurent Robert on the run
further ahead.
His outstanding cross was met in the area by Lomana LuaLua
who volleyed home without breaking stride before celebrating in his trademark gymnastic style. 3-1
Half time: Leverkusen
1
Newcastle 3
Full time: Leverkusen 1 Newcastle 3
|
We Said |
Sir Bobby
said:
"It's very nice to win, but it's for the club, it's for our
supporters, it's not really personal for me. Our early play won us the
game basically.
"The idea was to try to get a good start. We were conscious that they had lost five consecutive games which, I think, can be very painful, and we didn't really want to allow them to get some cohesion, some rhythm, some confidence in their early play.
"The message was to try to get off to a bright start, and we did it. The two young players, Shola and LuaLua, did very well.
"They haven't played a lot of
first-team football, so we knew at round about 70 minutes or 75 minutes
they would tire, which they did. But their early play got us the goals.
Bayer were a little bit nervous and unfortunately for them, they just got
off to the worst possible start.
"This group is still open. Nothing has been decided with three games
gone, it never can be. The important thing for us is to look after
ourselves, that is what we have done, we have put ourselves in a good
position. One week from now we play Bayer again at St James's Park. Can we
win at home and give ourselves a really good chance of going through?
Whatever happens, this was a very big win for Newcastle.
"Barcelona and Inter Milan will play again next week. While they are knocking each other out, we will be meeting Leverkusen again. This is a beginning, a start, it gives us some hope. You have to help yourself, win games and give yourself points. You won't qualify until you do things for yourself. We are now moving in the right direction and we have got a chance.
"Certainly, if we can win next week, the door will be open for us and you never know what might happen. At least we have got a chance now, this was a vital result for us and we have got to build on it."
"I really don't pay too much attention to the team winning on my birthday."
Robson on Shola:
"I'm pleased with him. He's a player for the future, he's 21 and he's
going to be very difficult to handle.
"He took his two goals very well and I think he's got a good future. He faded at the end - he's got a slight back injury which didn't help him - but other than that, he's fine.
"He did very well at Barcelona and two goals last night, he's shown great promise."
After watching the match on TV in
England, Alan Shearer said:
"I thought Shola was brilliant and so too was Lomana LuaLua.
But really the whole team was fantastic and I don't think they could have
done any more.
"We were superb in the first half and we were very professional in the second and it was a magnificent victory. Shola's performance wasn't a surprise to me. I said before the game that no one should have any fears about him and he showed just that.
"He is improving all the time - and, to be fair, so too is LuaLua.
"We will not know whether that (Barca 3 Inter 0) was a bad result for us until the return in the San Siro next Wednesday night. But the most important thing for us is "that our hopes are still alive and we know we have to beat Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night first before we can think about what is happening in Italy.
"These are great times to be a Newcastle United player and supporter. We go to Leeds on Saturday and then we have the return with Bayer Leverkusen next Wednesday night and then Chelsea come to St James's Park a week on Saturday.
"Me and Craig (Bellamy) have had a very good few days working with Tommy (Craig) along with Jonathan Woodgate and Hugo Viana, which was probably better than travelling to Germany with the rest of the lads."
|
They Said |
Thomas Horster said :
"I said before
the match that survival in the Bundesliga was my main ambition.
"I am not
too disappointed with the result because we had our moments in the match.
I thought that my players did really well in the first 30 minutes of the
second half. Obviously we got off to a terrible start and gifted them two
goals by making two defensive errors."
"We made some early mistakes but as the match went on we improved and that is the most important thing. I said when I took the job that I would chose a system and stick to it. That is exactly what I will do."
"If you look at the group then it is impossible for us to go through," he said. "The good thing about the remaining matches is that they will give me the chance to try some things out. The Champions League fixtures are vital tests for me because they will help me get to know the players better."
(Horster was asked during the press conference by one unimpressed local journalist to explain the tactics he'd employed in the game, as they were "unclear." ie non-existent)
|
Match Stats |
A second-ever competitive trip to
Germany for Newcastle, and a second 3-1 success, following the Intertoto
victory in Munich's Olympic Stadium against 1860 in July 2001.
This was our sixth victory in European competition this season, and our eleventh
match of at least fourteen. Compare that to our Fairs Cup winning season
- seven victories in twelve games.
And with the trip to Milan still to come, the victory in Leverkusen marked the
first occasion in our history when we've won three away games in major
European competition (although we did manage wins on the road at Roma, Como and
Fiorentina in the 1972/73 Anglo-Italian competition.)
The last time we got three away goals in a first half in a European game was Lokeren (ended up being 4-0) and before that Antwerp where we went on to win 5-0.
|
Waffle |
Player by player
Given - stood firm in the second half when Bayer attempted to
salvage some pride, with one eye-catching save to calm any nerves.
Hughes - not the most exerting of nights, but had he not been on hand
to clear the ball from under his own crossbar then things could have been
a little less comfortable.
Bernard - crucial forage upfield for the third goal, perhaps benefited
by the fact the home side lacked a ball player down the right flank to
test him.
Bramble - occasional slips but more evidence of obvious improvement in
his play, and presumably confidence since being recalled to the side after
injury.
O'Brien - possibly our man of the match. Mature and composed in the
face of what was less than thunderous opposition and seemingly intent on
not being the fall guy when Woodgate takes his place in the side.
Jenas - A quiet birthday for the lad, who could easily have made way
for Kerr or Acuna to provide an extra body in midfield.
Dyer - worked his proverbials off to frequently deny the home side any
credible possession, looked knackered at the end.
Speed - A crucial presence when the younger midfielders started to run
out of steam after the break and we were defending deep.
Ameobi - Further evidence that the first team claims of this lad
become more credible by the game post-Barcelona. Not known for his heading
he had a relatively easy one for the opener, having of course made it look
so by taking up the appropriate position, unmolested by defenders. The
second though was quality and came with a tag line of "all my own
work."
LuaLua - a fantastic finish for his goal and memorable work on the
right to set up the crucial opener for Shola. Far, far better combination
with Ameobi and a much more responsible display than his forgettable night
in the Nou Camp. Blazed over late in the second half when well placed to
net what would have been a fourth in front of the toon fans to really seal
a wonderful night - how great to be talking about not scoring a fourth
goal away from home in the Champions League though...
Robert - all we ever really ask of him is that he uses the talent in
his boots to good effect. Thankfully he did with a cross that was begging
to be hit for our third goal.
Cort - not on long enough to make an impression.
Chopra - almost a memorable goalscoring cameo in the dying seconds.
Our 2002/03
European tour continued with country number six and a birthday party for
Sir Bobby in Leverkusen, in many ways the Teutonic equivalent of
Middlesbrough.
After the epic
scale of the grounds encountered previously in the competition, it came as
something of a culture shock to be confronted by a stadium smaller than
that which Wigan Athletic call home.
But aside from an
old-fashioned “Ayresome Park dart net” draped between the pitch and
the toon corner section, the BayArena proved to be a comfortable venue for
a 70th / 20th knees up – don’t forget Jermaine
Jenas also had an anniversary to celebrate.
Toon fans had made
their way to Leverkusen by the usual variety of routes and methods –
official and unofficial flights, bus trips and budget airlines flying into
nearby flughafen such as Dusseldorf and Cologne.
And it was in those two cities that the vast majority of pre-match
drinking went on, Leverkusen proving to be a slightly less racy version of
Stockton – there really was nowt there, except a few bars, hotels, a
shopping centre and the massive Bayer chemical works – very much das
smoggies.
Having said that though, unlike Teesside things did grow in the area
(apart from second heads), and the approach to the BayArena was through a
wooded park – slightly nicer than the wastelands of the Riverside
stadium. The smell was a bit better as well….
|
|
A squint up at the huge Dom cathedral in Cologne and a wander along the banks of the Rhine proved to be the extent of most tourist-like activity, sampling the brews in the old town being rather more popular. For anyone who thought they’d had a few too many though, those really were Shetland ponies and Llamas . |
|
As well as those
who were happy to wander round in club colours, there were the usual
Burberry brigade and talk of some trouble in Cologne the night before the
game when local fans were returning from a 1-1 draw at Eintracht
Frankfurt. However, there were no arrests made.
Just across the river from the old town was the imposing Hyatt hotel,
where United’s official party was billeted. And a number of fans were on
hand, along with the inevitable TV crews, when the team and manager went
on a lunchtime stroll, the players looking relaxed and confident, while
the gaffer was busy acknowledging the frequent good wishes from onlookers.
To the game then,
for some via the set-your-clock-by-it rail system as darkness fell and the
floodlights of the BayArena dominated the night sky, along with the
ever-present Bayer neon logo – seeming to overshadow the whole town.
The forces of law
and order had a fairly calm time of it, with the home fans fairly subdued
and seemingly resigned to their fate, both domestically and in this
competition. A side who came so close to honours now seem to be returning
to reality with a jolt – unfortunately I couldn’t share this profound
thought with any Levekusers, my dictionary omitting the word
“overachievement.”
A less-threatening
atmosphere it would be hard to imagine, with toon fans mingling in the
stands alongside the locals and the only problems outside the ground near
kickoff as toon fans were delayed at the search gates, leading to some
crushing amidst the confusion and a number of people missing the first
goal.
There was a presence of British redcaps, officially on duty, who ended up
acting as tour guides to the toon army and assisting the local police –
a slightly better posting than looking for rebels in caves…
But it’s a sign
of the times that less squaddies were at the game than would normally have
been the case, as a number of local units were away on what looks
increasingly like being active service.
The away contingent were mostly situated in two adjacent sections of the
ground – normal seating on the side of the pitch and a corner section
with the rows of metal seats / railings combo familiar to many Bundesliga
stadia.
In terms of size and atmosphere, the Leverkusen stadium was reminiscent of
Bobby's former club PSV
Eindhoven with a slightly manufactured, antiseptic ambience.
And
like the Phillip’s stadium, the punters inside were kept warm by roof-mounted
heaters
– no excuse for missing work with a cold in these company towns.
The overall effect was akin to that of the Zurich away game in the UEFA
Cup a few years
ago and provided a good example of can happen when there's a designated
"singing section" ie - fairly reserved & undemonstrative
home support, aside from a small designated area who seem to have a good
enough time but don't set the rest singing.
This
contrasted sharply with a
raucous and ebullient away section, many stripped to the waist in the heat
of the moment, others swept up in the emotion. And the ale.
While the toon fans kept up a vocal barrage throughout and paraded flags
and banners, this time interspersed with home made birthday greetings of
the bedsheet variety, the Bayer support only raised a chant when their two
“goals” were scored – one of which was rightly ruled out for
offside.
Support
from the mags was excellent, with choruses of “Happy Birthday Sir
Bobby” belatedly acknowledged with a wave, although he chose not to join
his players in applauding the away section at the end.
The
locals
did raise some banners and seemed quite keen on smallish renditions of “you’ll
never walk alone”, but even the “Ultra’s” banner displayed at
their end looked like it had been bought in the club shop.
Difficult to
imagine there being much use for the fencing that surrounded
three sides of the ground, certainly on the evidence of the Leverkusen
lads and lasses in this game.
On sale in the ground were sausages of frankly pornographic appearance,
hanging out of buns in the manner of what foul-mouthed people from
Ashington would no doubt call “big dergs cerks.” The usual
non-alcoholic beer was also on sale.
In keeping with the relaxed atmosphere of the night, the travelling
sections were also held back for only a few minutes, in stark contrast to
some other Euro games. This was probably helped though by the fact some of
the 20,000 home fans hadn’t even bothered retaking their seats after the
half time break, and many more had given up and headed off well before the
finish.
Finally, having
deliberately tried to shy away from references to the War (which the toon
fans mostly avoided, apart from some Dambusters arm-waving renditions), one small
incident does warrant mention, if only for the comedic value.
With Newcastle fans returning from the game and being routed through the
woods back to the station, a number of fans mistakenly ended up on the
platforms rather than in the town.
Spotting a gap in the fence, a couple of daft lads jumped down and
made their way across the lines, rousing a police dog handler into dashing
along the platform with his Alsatian, shouting “Halt! Halt!”
Fortunately a volley of machine gun fire didn’t follow, and nobody asked
to see their papers.
So, more Jack
Douglas than Kirk Douglas – and Von Ryan’s express didn’t even stop
at Leverkusen. If anyone had a “great escape” thought was the Leverkusen
side, who could easily have been on the end of a real humping.
As for the town, there was little sign a game was taking place and
thankfully the English Invasion of 2003 didn’t leave it’s mark, except
in extra profits for local bartenders. Good trip, great result, many happy
returns, Bobby.
And any
fans of the cult group Theatre of Hate or Spear of Destiny may be
interested to know that singer Kirk Brandon appears to have joined the dog
handler squad of the Leverkusen police.
PS – Having seen their team score three goals in one half in Europe, the
toon fans were understandably dancing at half time, and singing along to
the selection of rotten records being played on the PA system. Our
enthusiastic rendition of “Twisting / Shake a Tail Feather” was
even awarded the moment of the match by the Dusseldorf local paper. Who
said the Germans were humourless?
Thanks to: Chris Miller, Bryan W & The Pieman for photies.
Biffa