Gunners win, Leeds lose

Turkish police were out in force at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium to prevent a repeat of the ugly scenes that had led to the double tragedy in Istanbul 24 hours earlier.

David O’Leary’s team, facing the most extreme circumstances they have probably ever had to, were outplayed by a full strength Galatasaray in the first half and were deservedly two goals behind at the break.

Hakan Sukur, known as the Bosphorous Bull, got the first and Brazilian Carlos Alberto Capone the second to post Leeds’ fourth consecutive defeat, after losses to Slavia Prague, Chelsea and Leicester, the worst run for O’Leary since he took over 18 months ago.

Sukur deservedly put Galatasaray ahead. In the 12th minute a cross from Arif Erdem on the left sailed straight to his teammate and he headed in just inside the right hand post.

Capone put Galatasaray 2-0 up in the 44th. A ball came into the box from the left, no one connected and it fell nicely for Capone, who fired the ball home from six metres.

Arsenal had Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp to thank for their slender win over French First Division outfit Lens, missing influential midfielder Olivier Dacourt through injury.

The Gunners, without their French international striker Thierry Henry, suspended for one game after his sending-off against German side Werder Bremen in the quarter-finals, got off to a perfect start.

Just two minutes had passed when Frenchman Emmanuel Petit played a searching through ball for Bergkamp to chase. And as Lens keeper Guillaume Warmuz came rushing out of his area, the Dutch international took one touch round the advancing keeper before burying the ball into the back of the net with a powerful shot.

The goal visibly rattled the visitors who struggled to come to terms with the Gunners movement and pace with Dutchman Marc Overmars causing havoc down the left wing.

At the Ali Sami Yen stadium, Leeds supporters were confined to their hotels and were taken under police escort to the ground half an hour before kick-off.

Once inside, they were surrounded by a buffer of about 400 officers to keep both sets of supporters, numbering 25,000 in total, apart, and then escorted away after the whistle.

There were no reported incidents of crowd violence at the tense fixture. Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale had earlier said his team was very upset and had not wanted to go through with the game.

Michael Bridges, wearing a black armband like all the Leeds players, was back in the side in place of Alan Smith though, as expected, England midfielder David Batty was still out with a long term calf injury.