Parma drub Marseille for Uefa Cup

Argentine international Crespo took advantage of a poor headed back pass from French captain Laurent Blanc to put his team ahead with a lob over Marseille goalkeeper Stephane Porato in the 26th minute.

It was his sixth Uefa Cup goal of the season.

Just 10 minutes later Vanoli beat Porato with a powerful downward header after a cross from Diego Fuser.

Ten minutes into the second half Chiesa, showing no signs of the hamstring injury that had threatened to keep him out of the match, volleyed in an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net for his eighth Uefa Cup goal of the campaign.

Marseille, without the suspended Christophe Dugarry, Fabrizio Ravanelli, Peter Luccin and William Gallas as well as the injured Eric Roy, were outplayed by the Italians for long periods.

The French team, bidding to add the Uefa Cup to the European Cup they won in 1993, made little attacking impression on the match, failed to take advantage of any of the few chances that did come their way and left Parma as the deserved winners of a one-sided contest.

Marseille’s best chance came in the 70th minute when second half substitute Titi Camara shot wide after a neat pass from Jocelyn Gourvennec but the Liverpool-bound striker should have done much better with his angled effort.

Crespo, voted Man of the Match afterwards, went close to a fourth for Parma but failed to convert from close range when the ball bounced back into play after his fellow Argentine Abel Balbo hit the post with a rasping 81st minute free-kick.

The victory was Parma’s third European success of the nineties following their win in the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1993 and their earlier Uefa Cup win in 1995.