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| April 12, 2002 | Friday | Muharram 28, 1423 |
Manchester United and Real Madrid in semifinals
(Real win 3-2 on aggregate)
Man United 3 D. Coruna 2
(Manchester United win 5-2 on aggregate)
LONDON, April 11: Real Madrid took revenge on holders Bayern Munich by knocking the Germans out of the Champions League quarterfinals with a 2-0 win in a bruising, action-packed second leg at the Bernabeu Wednesday.Real, who lost to Bayern in last year’s semifinals, overturned a 2-1 first leg deficit and now face arch rivals Barcelona in an all-Spanish semifinal following the Catalan club’s victory over Panathinaikos on Tuesday.
Deportivo Coruna’s hopes of making it three Spanish sides in the last four were blown away at Old Trafford where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored twice as Manchester United cruised to a 3-2 win for a 5-2 aggregate success.
United, who had lost in the quarterfinals in both the last two seasons, now face Bayer Leverkusen in the semifinals following the German side’s 4-3 aggregate win over Liverpool on Tuesday.
However, United’s victory was soured by a broken bone in the foot suffered by England captain David Beckham that could keep him out of action for eight weeks.
Real’s game against Bayern was full of incident, with fierce tackles, missiles from the crowd, yellow cards a plenty and one red.
Defender Ivan Helguera grabbed the crucial goal after 69 minutes after he slid in at the far post to turn in a low Roberto Carlos cross.
Substitute Guti then added a second five minutes before time when he clipped in over keeper Oliver Khan after Raul had controversially fought his way past the Bayern defence before crossing.
Real can now look forward to the showdown with Barcelona. The two old rivals have met twice before in the European Cup, in 1960 and 1961, with a victory apiece.
But Real’s Luis Figo will miss the first leg against his former side at the Nou Camp after receiving a booking for his part in a scuffle with Bayern striker Elber.
Real deserved their win after making all the running, although they missed two great early chances, Raul and Fernando Morientes the guilty parties.
Helguera eventually struck following Real’s 15th corner before Guti nabbed the second with Bayern defender Thomas Linke lying flat on the turf after being felled by Raul’s elbow.
Tempers flared in the final minutes and Bayern midfielder Hasan Salihamidzic was sent off in injury time for a late tackle on Santiago Solari.
At Old Trafford Manchester United were always in the driving seat after their 2-0 win in the first leg in Spain and any nerves disappeared once Solskjaer scored a minute after coming on for Beckham in the 23rd minute, touching in a Juan Sebastian Veron free kick.
A Laurent Blanc own goal just before halftime briefly raised the visitors’ hopes but Solskjaer struck again after a pinpoint Veron pass in the 56th minute put United back in control.
Ruud van Nistelrooy hit the bar before Ryan Giggs scored a great solo effort in the 69th minute to kill the tie.
Deportivo had Lionel Scaloni and Aldo Duscher sent off in the second half and Djalminha’s deflected free kick in injury time counted for nothing.
United’s joy was ruined by the Beckham injury, however.—Reuters
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