BAYER LEVERKUSEN 4

FC LIVERPOOL 2

(1:1)

Bramki: Bayer - Ballack 16, 63, Berbatov 68, Lucio 84; Liverpool - Xavier 42, Litmanen 79.

Sędziował: Pereira (Portugalia). Widzów: 22500.

BAYER: Butt - Sebescen (46 Berbatov), Lucio, Nowotny, Placente - Schneider, Ballack, Basturk, Ze

Roberto - Kirsten (46 Neuville), Brdaric (70 Żivković).

LIVERPOOL: Dudek - Riise, Hyypia, Henchoz, Carragher - Xavier (74 Berger), Murphy, Hamann (61

Smicer), Gerrard - Heskey (40 Litmanen), Owen.

"LEVERKUSEN, 9.4. Liverpool z Jerzym Dudkiem zakończył już rozgrywki w Lidze Mistrzów. Po przegranej

0:1 w Liverpoolu piłkarze Bayeru zapowiadali srogi rewanż na Bay Arena. Już w pierwszych minutach

widać było, że tym razem gospodarze wystawią na ciężką próbę bramkarza Liverpoolu - Dudka. Popularne

"Aspirynki", które aspirują do tytułu mistrza Niemiec, ostro zabrały się do odrabiania straty z

poprzedniego spotkania. Ale Dudek dobrze interweniował w pierwszej próbie.

Niestety, w 16 minucie obrona angielskiej drużyny trochę zaspała. Dopuściła, żeby Michael Ballack

miał swobodę pod bramką Liverpoolu. Pomocnik Bayeru kapitalnie strzelił z dystansu i Polak

skapitulował, piłka wpadła do siatki. Po tym zdarzeniu Jerzy Dudek złapał się za głowę, mimo

wszystko miał szansę wybić piłkę, nawet ją lekko dotknął.

Bayer szybko odrobił stratę. Wkrótce Dudek popisał się obroną strzału Thomasa Brdaricia i do ataku

ruszył Liverpool. W 42 minucie po rzucie rożnym, główkował Abel Xavier i bramkarz Hans-Joerg Butt

niespodziewanie przepuścił piłkę. Remis oznaczał, że rosną szanse Liverpoolu na awans do półfinału

Ligi Mistrzów.

Już na początku drugiej połowy goście mogli przyklepać sprawę. Michael Oven był w sytuacji sam na

sam z Buttem, ale strzelił prosto w słupek. Po chwili znów nie popisał się Oven, który ponownie sam

był z piłką przed bramką Bayeru, lecz strzelił niecelnie.

Niestety, role się odwróciły. W 63 min. Dudek skapitulował po raz drugi. Do dośrodkowania najwyżej

wyskoczył Ballack. Po jego główce piłka tuż przy słupku wpadła do bramki. Polak nie miał szans na

obronę.

Bayer nadal atakował i przechylił szalę na swoją korzyść. W 68 min. strzałem z bliskiej odległości

bramkę zdobył Dimitar Berbatov. Gdy już wydawało się, że jest po Liverpoolu klasę pokazał Jari

Litmanen. Wywiódł w pole kilku rywali i strzałem zza linii pola karnego pokonał Butta.Taki rezultat

forował Liverpol, ale Bayer się nie poddał. W 84 min. zatakował Lucio. Przy tym strzale Dudek się

nie popisał, przepuścił piłkę między nogami.

Wkrótce trener Klaus Topmeoeller i kibice Bayeru fetowali sukces. Grają dalej w Lidze Mistrzów."

Leverkusen 4 Liverpool 2

By MIKE ELLIS

Gerard Houllier's side were just six minutes from a possible Battle of Britain semi-final clash

against Manchester United after a brilliant Jari Litmanen strike.

But Leverkusen snatched a fourth goal through Brazilian defender Lucio to leave the Kop Kings in

despair.

Yet, in truth, Houllier's side can have no complaints after this pulsating quarter-final second-leg

tie.

Liverpool's reputation for boasting the meanest defence in the competition was laid bare by the

sheer exuberance and passion of the home side.

Before this quarter-final second leg Liverpool had conceded only three goals in their six Champions

League away matches and nobody could have predicted they would concede four in 90 minutes.

But if the circumstances of their exit may have been painful, the harsh truth is that the better

side won.

Yet it was still a night of what-might-have-been for Liverpool as Michael Owen missed a hat-trick of

wonderful chances.

The most agonising was when he struck the foot of the post early in the second half with the scores

level on aggregate and Bayer needing two more goals to rule out Liverpool's away-goal advantage.

Owen's shot completely beat Jorg Butt only to hit the woodwork.

It proved a crucial turning point - although Owen had another clear opening with only Butt to beat

but he shot wide.

A goal at that stage would surely have broken the hearts of the home side.

Instead they responded with two goals in the space of four minutes to grab the initiative for the

first time in the game.

Litmanen's superb strike on 79 minutes put the Kop on pole position again but Liverpool's defences

were breached a fourth time to deny them that last-four place.

It was an epic tie that rivalled Liverpool's 5-4 UEFA Cup Final victory against Alaves last season

for drama.

The game was only two minutes old when Emile Heskey seemed certain to score after being put clear

only for Jens Nowotny to deflect his effort behind.

It was an encouraging start by Liverpool, who were clearly intent on grabbing an early away goal.

But instead they fell behind in the 16th minute to a stunning strike from Man of the Match Michael

Ballack.

The new superstar of German football, who is set to join Bayern Munich at the end of the season,

casually gave Steven Gerrard the slip before unleashing a 35-yard rocket which flew into the net.

The goal sparked a period of total domination by the home side.

Liverpool were on the back foot - despite one rare opportunity for Owen, who was denied by the

outstretched boot of Butt.

Ballack was quite majestic, dictating the pattern of play while Brazilian Ze Roberto constantly

caused Abel Xavier a host of problems.

Liverpool were overrun in midfield where neither Gerrard nor Danny Murphy could stem the flow and

when Heskey pulled up with a hamstring injury seven minutes before half-time, Liverpool's task

looked even greater.

He was replaced by Litmanen and amazingly Liverpool were level two minutes later against the run of

play.

A Murphy corner evaded Butt and Xavier popped up inside the six-yard box to head over the line

despite a despairing effort by Placente. So at half-time Liverpool were back in the driving seat.

Surely their famed defence would hold out to keep them on target for the semi finals?

It might have done except for that man Ballack.

In the 64th minute he showed he can be just as lethal with his head as his feet.

But there will be questions asked in the Liverpool dressing-room as to how he was able to rise high

and meet an Oliver Neuville cross to out-jump the big Liverpool defenders.

Four minutes later Liverpool's world had turned upside down as Bayer claimed the third goal they

needed to go through on aggregate.

Again there was a hint of desperation in Liverpool's defending and although Stephane Henchoz cleared

one effort off the line, there was to be no escape as substitute Dimitar Berbatov pounced on the

rebound to score from close range.

So Liverpool had to start all over again and, amazingly, they did.

In the 79th minute Litmanen produced a classic strike to give them the advantage once more.

As the minutes ticked away, Bayer threw more men forward and they gained their reward when Lucio

struck the decisive goal with six minutes remaining.

Liverpool could not believe it and there was no way back.

When the final whistle went, the crowd erupted and the jubilant Germans went on a well-deserved lap

of honour.

The Liverpool players looked broken and some of them collapsed in the centre-circle as the despair

of defeat engulfed them.

You could call it a glorious failure but Liverpool are not used to losing.

This was their first defeat on foreign soil for four years in a run stretching to 16 games and it

was their first setback of any sort for three months when they were knocked out of the FA Cup by

Arsenal.

That is why this failure so late in the game hit them hard.

Now it is the Premiership or bust and Houllier only has a matter of days to restore their morale and

self-belief before they go to Sunderland on Saturday.

You had to feel for them last night but the harsh reality was they were beaten by a better side on

the night.

DREAM TEAM

STAR MAN

MICHAEL BALLACK (Bayer Leverkusen). A class act.

SUN RATINGS

LEVERKUSEN: Butt 7, Nowotny 7, Lucio 8, Placente 7, Ze Roberto 8, Basturk 7, Ballack 9, Schneider 7,

Sebescen 6 (Neuville 7), Kirsten 6 (Berbatov 7), Brdaric 7 (Zivkovic 6). Subs not used: Juric,

Babic, Vranjes, Kleine. Booked: Nowotny, Ze Roberto.

LIVERPOOL: Dudek 6, Xavier 6 (Berger 6), Hyypia 8, Henchoz 7, Murphy 6, Riise 6, Hamann 7 (Smicer

6), Gerrard 6, Carragher 7, Heskey 6 (Litmanen 7), Owen 7. Subs not used: Kirkland, Berger, Barmby,

McAllister, Biscan. Booked: Riise, Henchoz,. Xavier.

REF: M Pereira (Portugal) 7.