Spain win a thriller but Yugoslavia scrape past

It was a stunning finish to a match which saw Spain punished for slack defending in the 31st minute as Savo Milosevic headed home – the Real Zaragoza striker’s fourth goal of the tournament making him Euro 2000’s top scorer. Spain were stung into action by the goal and levelled eight minutes later when Real Madrid star Raul fed the ball across the area and Alfonso tucked a left-foot shot past ‘keeper Ivica Kralj into the right-hand corner.

Two goals by substitutes in as many minutes then made for a flying start to the second half at the Jan Breydel Stadium. Ljubinkjo Drulovic, who had provided the earlier cross for Milosevic, squared the ball from the right and Dejan Govedarica had time to place a shot with his instep into the roof of the net. The highly vocal Yugoslav supporters burst into song but were silenced a minute later. Substitute Joseba Etxeberria ecaped down the right, picked out Pedro Munitis and the forward’s shot clipped the inside of the left-hand post and flew in.

But the red flares were being brandished again by the Yugoslav fans again in the 75th minute when the ball flew loose in a goalmouth scramble and Kaiserslautern defender Slobodan Komljenovic stretched out a boot to poke it home. It was not Yugoslavia’s first revival at Euro 2000. They were 3-0 down against Slovenia after Sinisa Mihajlovic had been sent off before rallying to a 3-3 draw during a six-minute spell in the second half.

Against Norway, they had also finished with 10 men after substitute Mateja Kezman was sent off for a lunging challenge just 45 seconds after coming on. But this match was anything but finished as it headed into injury-time.

Spain skipper Abelardo was tripped in the area by Govedarica and Mendieta cracked home the spot-kick. Two minutes later, Alfonso swivelled round for a waist-high half-volley into the back of the net through a packed goalmouth.

Spain players celebrated at the final whistle, while several Yugoslav men looked devastated before realising that Norway’s 0-0 draw with Slovenia meant that they too were through to the quarter-finals.

— (AFP)