Overmars’ strike keep Barca’s perfect record intact

BARCELONA needed a late goal from substitute and former Arsenal star Marc Overmars to extend their perfect Champions League record with a 2-1 away victory over Bayer Leverkusen in their first match in the second phase last night.

The Catalan giants completed the first group stage with maximum points at the expense of Lokomotiv Moscow, Club Brugge and Galatasaray.

Overmars struck from a counter-attack with two minutes remaining to give the Spanish side their ninth win in as many matches in the campaign after two in qualifying and six in the opening stage.

Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov headed home from a corner to put the German team, losing finalists last season, in the lead in the 39th minute.

But Argentine striker Javier Saviola exchanged passes with fellow substitute Juan Roman Riquelme to put the visitors back into the game three minutes into the second half and Overmars clinched victory in the dying minutes. Juan Roman Riquelme, who is wholly owned by Barca after the Nou Camp side bought out the remaining 50% of his contract from Boca Juniors this week, however managed to miss a penalty.

The Spainards are now second in the Group behind Inter Milan, who trounced Newcastle Utd, on goal difference.

The Germans, stripped of their best player Michael Ballack over the summer, are struggling in the Bundesliga.

They had fared better in the Champions League, advancing to the second round in the wake of Manchester United.

Now they are in third while Newcastle are rooted to the bottom of the table. Inter Milan entertain Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday December 10 as Bobby Robson returns to the Nou Camp, to face his former club Barcelona.

In Group B Valencia midfielder Miguel Angel Angulo struck in injury-time to snatch a 1-1 draw against Ajax Amsterdam in a frantic finale. Ajax took the lead in a match dominated by the home side just two minutes from time, as substitute striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic stole into the box to convert a pass from Rafael van der Vaart.

Valencia were heading for defeat in a game they dominated almost completely but Angulo popped up in the third minute of time added on to spare their blushes.

Arsenal after their stunning performance against Roma sit atop the Group B table, with Ajax and Valenica in second and third respectively. On their next outing, on December 10, Ajax Amsterdam host AS Roma while Arsenal play Valencia at Highbury

Meanwhile Former Spanish national coach Jose Antonio Camacho is willing to discuss terms to take over at Portugal’s most popular club Benfica

“No one has spoken to me directly thus far,” Camacho was quoted as saying “I know that my name has been suggested as a possibility, but, as I have been told recently, there are other hats in the ring.”