Forgettable evening for English and German clubs

The other English side in action, Arsenal, also saw their European ambitions hit by a 2-4 defeat at Wembley by Spanish champions Barcelona, now assured a place in the next phase.

Germany’s Bayer Leverkusen went down 2-4 in Ukraine to Dynamo Kyiv while Borussia Dortmund, European Champions in 1997, slumped 0-3 at home to Norway’s Rosenborg Trondheim.

Barcelona were playing at a stadium that holds happy memories. Their single success in Europe’s premier club competition was at Wembley in 1992 when an extra-time goal from Ronald Koeman secured a 1-0 win over Italy’s Sampdoria.Two goals within a minute put Barcelona in the driving seat with England defender Tony Adamssuffering a personal nightmare.

Adams conceded a penalty after 15 minutes which was converted with aplomb by Barca’s Brazilian playmaker Rivaldo and then slipped to let in Luis Enrique to score, as Barcelona took command.

The England defender also missed from five yards with the goal at his mercy, as goalkeeper Francesc Arnau recovered to deny him with a miraculous tip over the bar.

Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp kept Arsenal in the game with his first goal for 12 matches after 43 minutes. But after 56 minutes, Barca’s Portuguese star Luis Figore stored the Catalan side’s two goal advantage and Philip Cocu made it 4-1 to Barca.

Dutchman Marc Overmars grabbed a late consolation for the Londoners. In the other Group B match, Fiorentina beat Sweden’s Aik Soln.

Argentinian striker Gabriel Batistuta opened the scoring after five minutes from long range with the ball taking a deflection. And Italian international Enrico Chiesa a close season signing from Parma — bagged a second before another Argentine AbelBalbo wrapped up the points in the second half to make it 3-0 for the Italians, who go second.

UNITED SUCCUMB: Reigning champions Manchester United were again tested by Marseille in their Group D clash, but this time failed to pull off one of their fabled comebacks, leaving Marseille top of the pool.

Marseille led the previous encounter between the two teams in Manchester only for United to prevail with two late goals.

This time, Marseille, the only French winners of the competition in 1993, did not yield. Marseille took the lead in the 69th minute when William Gallas worked a delightful one-two with Stephan Edalmat and lashed a shot past Bosnich.

Austria’s Sturm Graz chalked up their first points of the campaign with a 1-0 win over Croatia Zagreb. The goal was claimed by Tomica Kocijan although Zagreb player Edin Mujcin seemed to get a touch.

LAZIO SUPREME: In Group A, Lazio confirmed their supremacy, winning 4-0 in Slovenia against Maribor. Yugoslav dead ball specialist SinisaMihajlovic put the Roman club on course with a trademark free-kick after 36 minutes.

And five minutes into the second period, Simone Inzaghi — brother of Juventus striker Filippo made it 2-0. Further goals from Yugoslav Dejan Stankovic and another from Inzaghi ended the scoring.

Coupled with defeat in the Ukraine for Bayer Leverkusen, this victory leaves Lazio five points clear of the Germans.

It only took Dynamo Kyiv four minutes to take the lead when Vitaly Kossovsky turned in Serhiy Rebrov’s cross from close range.

After 12 minutes, the Germans equalised when German international striker Ulf Kirsten notched a rebound also from point blank range. But nine minutes before the interval, Maksim Shatskikh ensured it was 2-1 to the home team.Four minutes after the break, Oliver Neuville equalised again for Leverkusen but just after the hour mark Olexander Holovko restored Kyiv’s lead and a late goal from Vladislav Vaschuk made it 4-2 to the team that reached the semi-finals last season.

ADVANTAGENORWAY: It was also a bad day for Germany in Group C. Norwegian visitors Rosenborg Trondheim took a 17th minute lead at Borussia Dortmund. But the Norwegians, who had been top of the standings on goal difference, took the lead in controversial circumstances.

Jan Derek Sorensen appeared to be well offside when he put the visitors ahead.

But it was Sorensen’s night and he made it 2-0 with a superb strike after 58 minutes with Frederik Guttormsen Winsnes grabbing a third. Dortmund’s cause was not helped by the sending-off of Lars Ricken.

Holland’s Feyenoord shared the spoils against Portugal’s Boavista in the other Group C match with Jon Dahl Tomasson’s 76th minute strike putting the Dutch side ahead only for a penalty seven minutes later from Romanian Ion Timofte to square the match. (AFP)

RESULTS

GROUP A: At Kyiv, Ukraine: Dynamo Kyiv (Ukr) 4 (Kosovsky 4, Shatskikh 36, Holovko 61, Vashchuk 89) Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) 2 (Kirsten 12, Neuville 49)

At Maribor, Slovenia: Maribor(Slo) 0 Lazio (Ita) 4 (Mihajlovic 36, S.Inzaghi 50, Stankovic 63, S Inzaghi 74)

GROUP B: At London: Arsenal (Eng) 2 (Bergkamp 44, Overmars 84) Barcelona (Spa) 4 (Rivaldo 15-pen, Luis Enrique 15, Luis Figo 56, Cocu 69)

At Florence, Italy: Fiorentina (Ita) 3 (Batistuta 5, Chiesa 36, Balbo 86) AIK Solna (Swe) 0

GROUP C: At Dortmund, Germany: Borussia Dortmund (Ger) 0 Rosenborg (Nor) 3 (Sorensen 17, 58, Winsnes 70)

At Rotterdam, Netherlands: Feyenoord (Ned) 1 (Tomasson 76) Boavista (Por) 1 (Timofte 83-pen)

GROUP D: At Marseille, France: Marseille (Fra) 1 (Gallas 69) Manchester United (Eng) 0

At Graz, Austria: Sturm Graz (Aut) 1 (Kocijan 40) Croatia Zagreb(Cro) 0n