Bayern hopes hanging by a thread
Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side went down 2-1 to an AC Milan side who secured their second round participation in the competition in front of their own fans at the San Siro.
But their continued participation in the Champions’ League came courtesy of fellow Group G strugglers Lens, who beat Deportivo La Coruna quite comfortably 3-1.
Indeed, for a long time last night it looked as if Bayern’s goose was cooked as Deportivo only needed a point from the game with Lens to to secure their own passage into the second round and they actually led until the 61st minute, while Bayern were struggling at the San Siro.
Roy Makaay opened the scoring for Deportivo and they were sitting comfortably on that lead until long after half-time when Lens defender Coulibaly caught the Spaniards on the hop with a low shot from outside the box which took two deflections before hitting the back of the net.
All was not lost for Deportivo at this point as a draw would still have seen them qualify, but them Moriera struck again for Lens on the 71st minute with a superb strike and then in the 84th minute Thomert put the issue beyond doubt to frustrate the Spaniards and earn the eternal gratitude of the Germans.
With Lens winning, defeat in Milan did not much matter for Hitzfeld and his men, but for AC it secured them a definite berth in the second round.
Serginho opened the scoring for the Milanese side on 11 minutes, but Bayern struck back through Tarnat after 23 minutes.
Bayern hit serious trouble after 51 minutes when Oliver Kahn had to leave the pitch after injuring himself clearing a Sammy Kuffour back pass.
Milan took advantage and Inzaghi scored in the 61st minute when he was picked out by Rui Costa, took one touch to pass Kovac and then prod the ball pass Wessels, who had replaced Kahn in the Bayern goal.
But the situation, with Deportivo on six points, Lens on four and Bayern on just one, means the Germans still have a glimmer of hope and have to win their last two games against these two sides and hope the other results go their way.
Elsewhere, Barcelona cruised past Lokomotiv Moscow at the Nou Camp and although they only won 1-0 courtesy of a Frank de Boer header in the 76th minute, they were never troubled by what was a shambolic Russian outfit.
They too now qualify automatically for the second phase of the competition, while Bruges and Galatasaray fight it out for the second qualifying position.
Bruges beat the Turks 3 1 last night and now edge ahead of them on points in Group H. Martens, Verheyen and Saeternes scored the Bruges goals, while Fabio Pinto got Galatasaray’s consolation.
In Manchester United’s Group F, Bayer Leverkusen did themselves no harm when they beat Maccabi Haifa
2-1, but the Israelis gave them something of a scare, coming from one behind through Nenad Pralija, before Juan sealed it for Leverkusen and put them in pole position to qualify from the group.
While Newcastle were providing the heroics at St James’ Park with a famous 1-0 win over Juventus, their vague hopes of making it through to the second round were actually helped by Dynamo Kiev’s 2-0 win over Feyenoord.
Goals from Khatskevic and Belkevic sealed it for the Ukrainians and the group is now very tight with just two series of games to go.
Juventus and Kiev are in equal top position with seven points, while Feyenoord are on five and Bobby Robson’s team now have three.
They have given themselves an outside chance of could conceivably making it through to the second round if they win their remaining games against the Dutch and the Ukrainians.
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