Leeds Tormented, Juve Scrape Draw
Illawarra Mercury
Friday September 15, 2000
LONDON.- Hamburg SV's return to European soccer's top club competition heralded a goal barrage in the opening round of the Champions League.
Those who claim the opening group phase are a turn-off for fans were proved wrong as Hamburg's 4-4 home thriller with Juventus highlighted a night in which 36 goals were scored in the eight games.
Juventus's Filippo Inzaghi struck a hat-trick, as did Manchester United's Andy Cole in its 5-1 demolition of Belgian side Anderlecht at Old Trafford.
Barcelona hammered Leeds United 4-0 in the Nou Camp following a superb performance from world player of the year Rivaldo.
AC Milan saw off Besiktas 4-1 and Bayern Munich won 3-1 at Helsingborg in Sweden despite having a man sent off.
The only minor upset came in Trondheim where Norway's Rosenborg beat Paris St Germain 3-1.
Hamburg, back in the competition after a 16-year absence, recovered from 3-1 down to lead 4-3 before Inzaghi completed his hat-trick with an 88th minute penalty to save Juve in a pulsating Group E clash.
Hamburg coach Frank Pagelsdorf was convinced Inzaghi had milked the penalty but said: ``It's not often you're in a position to overturn a 3-1 score against a club like Juve, but the players put in a great performance and they won't forget it in a hurry."
Nourredine Naybet's 84th minute effort earned Spanish champions Deportivo Coruna a 1-1 Group E draw at Panathinaikos.
Cole's neat header after 15 minutes put Manchester United in front against Anderlecht in a one-sided Group G match.
It also lifted Cole past Denis Law's club record of 14 goals in the competition.
Denis Irwin added the second from the penalty spot after Ryan Giggs was felled and Teddy Sheringham made it three at the second attempt before the break.
Cole struck United's fourth after 50 minutes and, after Jan Koller's consolation for the Belgians, looped in another header to seal his hat-trick.
Anderlecht coach Aime Anthuenis joked afterwards: ``How do you stop them? You can ask to play with 13 players maybe."
Arnold Bruggink scored PSV Eindhoven's winner in a 2-1 victory over Dynamo Kiev in the other Group G game after the Ukrainians had gone ahead in the sixth minute through Maxim Shatskikh.
In Group H, Rivaldo's low drive and a brilliant Frank de Boer free-kick put Barca 2-0 ahead against injury-hit Leeds United.
Leeds, missing its Australian strikers Harry Kewell (injured) and Mark Viduka (Olympics), were under siege throughout and Dutch international Patrick Kluivert killed them off with two second-half goals.
Barca coach Llorenc Serra Ferrer said: ``I think that the people enjoyed that performance."
Leeds' woes were compounded when inspirational captain Lucas Radebe was carried off with a neck injury.
In the same group Besiktas shocked AC Milan in the San Siro when Havuctu Tayfur converted a 20th-minute penalty.
But the Italians hit back with three goals in nine minutes before half-time from Francesco Cocu, German international Oliver Bierhoff and Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko, who also added a fourth in the second half.
Bayern Munich were 1-0 up through Mehmet Scholl against Helsingborg in Group F before defender Samuel Kuffour was sent off for dissent after disputing a penalty decision when he brought down Alvaro Santos.
Bayern keeper Oliver Kahn saved Roland Nilsson's penalty and the 10-man German side added two more through Hasan Salihamidzic and Carsten Jancker before Bjorn Johansen's last minute consolation for the Swedes.
Rosenborg Trondheim had goals by Orjan Berg, Frode Johnsen and Bent Skammelsrud to thank for their win over PSG who had gone ahead through Christian in the seventh minute.
© 2000 Illawarra Mercury