Prague, Tuesday 12th September 2000. kick-off 7.45 UK time
UEFA Champions League, stage 1, match 1
full reports to follow. see also list of reports on other sites, below.
Preview
- Arsenal team news
Looks like Silvinho might not make it, so Saturday's saviour
Ashley Cole may get to start. Arsene Wenger has let it be
known that this is not a problem: "I would have no
fears about him. He has the ability to become a top full-back and is a
naturally left-footed player which is very rare in England now."
Tony Adams is not being taken to Prague, but it is hoped that he
will be fit for the next match, at home to Coventry on Saturday.
Bergkamp's also not coming. He still has the leg injury but
wouldn't have been coming anyway because it's a long way for a
flight-phobic.
Lauren is away at the Olympics.
Patrick Vieira is available as his domestic suspension doesn't cover
Europena games. Wenger has said "His motivation and
hunger will more than compensate for the fact he's missed the last two
games. He has worked extremely hard in training."
- Sparta_Prague team news
Sparta are missing 2 players due to the Olympics.
Wenger has said "We have only been able to watch Sparta once
since the draw was made because they cancelled their fixture last Thursday
especially to stay fresh for tomorrow's game. "But the quality of football
is very high in the Czech Republic and Sparta win the championship every
year."
Wenger has described midfielder Rosicky as "a particularly strong influence".
Sparta have just singed Croatian midfielder Ivica Krizanac, who might get
his debut. Striker Jiri Jarosik is out injured, and Czech U21 defender Roman
Lengyel is on Olympic duty. Defender Milan Fukal has just moved to Hamburg
(great name, like an Inter slogan, let's sign his brother Spurswin). Fukal
has been replaced by Radek Mynar.
Let's not forget that the Czechs have a good international side, and
Sparta are easily their top team. This won't be easy.
- UK TV/Radio coverage
Live on OnDigital (OnSport 2). coverage starts 7pm.
- non-UK TV coverage
- Ireland: live on TV3 (terrestrial)
- Norway: live on TV3 (all first stage matches live on this channel)
- For details, and countries not listed above, see the
non-UK TV FAQ
- See also
Prague, Tuesday 12th September 2000. kick-off 7.45 UK time
UEFA Champions League, stage 1, match 1
scorers: Silvinho 33
Arsenal:
Seaman
Dixon(c) Keown Luzhny Silvinho
Ljungberg (Vivas 80) Grimandi Vieira Pires
Kanu Henry (Wiltord 76)
Ljungberg started in place of Parlour, who sustained a
slight injury at the weekend. Henry and Kanu were
preferred up front, with Wiltord on the bench. And there
was a late decision that Silvinho was fit enough to play.
Thank goodness!
What a game the little Brasilian had. Not only was he an
attacking threat down the left for the full 90 minutes
(in marked contrast to his opposite number at left-back,
who tired badly towards the end), linking up really well
with Robert Pires (who's made an excellent start to his
Arsenal career), but Silvinho appears to be maturing
defensively as well.
Luzhny did a good job as Adams' deputy again, and Seaman
made some good saves. It was very pleasing
to see an Arsenal team hanging onto a one goal lead for so
long, like in the old days :-), even if Wenger may have been
slightly frustrated at the fact that we sat back a bit
in the second half.
It has to be said, though, that if Sparta's strikers had
shown a bit more composure, the scoreline could have been
somewhat different. That's a positive note though, as one
can easily see Sparta taking points off of other teams.
Keown was lucky after a couple of minutes, when Vieira sold
him short with a cross-field pass and he was forced to bring
a man down. Only the fact that it was so early in the game,
and perhaps the fact that it was some way outside the box
(even if he was the last man), saved Martin from a card.
Could even have been red.
Ljungberg's nice first touch on the right wing played the ball
past his marker, and he turned to follow it only to be blocked.
Dixon swung the free-kick in and a defensive header ballooned it
up over the box. Pires hassled a defender into heading it out for
a corner. This came down for Henry just outside the penalty spot
but it came at him quickly and his first touch saw the ball get
away from him and cleared.
Then Sparta had a good chance on the right. The ball came across
to Kinsil (sp?) outside the box but, with acres of space to control
and/or run into, he chose to hit it first time and connected
awfully, sending the ball massively high and wide.
On 15 minutes Henry had a go from a long-range free-kick,
which bent well, and on target, but too slow so it was comfortable
for the keeper.
4 minutes later Pires intercepted in defence and started a swift
counterattack. He took the ball again near the half-way line, and fed
Ljungberg on the right whose cross was turned just wide by henry.
Sparta's quick-passing approach play was impressing though, and
they looked the more threatening. On half an hour a nice move
down their left saw the cross played just behind the number 9
and cleared for a corner before it could reach the other striker
who was clear on the far side of the box. A Sparta player got
an excellent header from the corner and Seaman reacted well to parry
it. We broke upfield again, Pires knocked the ball past the last man
and went down as he brushed past the defender - nothing given.
A few minutes later came the move of the game, rewarded with the only
goal. Very much a solo effort, although Pires's played his role
perfectly too. He gave the ball to Silvinho from near the left
corner flag, Silvinho being a bit infield and further back. As
Silvinho carried the ball along the edge of the penalty box, past
a defender or two, Pires made a run across the box in front of him,
so that when Silvoinho got to the edge of the D Pires was pulling
defenders in the same direction. Silvinho cut back to his left and
forward into that space, and as the keeper came out he chipped it
towards the far corner. It bounce agonisingly towards goal, and
Novotny got back just too late to stop it bouncing in off the
post.
A minute later, Henry tried an optimistic shot from the goal-line
(their goal-line that is - so not as optimistic as it could be!)
which was easily saved. Kanu was waiting in space in the box for the
pull-back.
Moments later Kanu turned well just forward of the centre
circle. He carried the ball forward and seeing that no-one
was closing him down hit a good shot from distnace which fizzed
wide of the left post.
Sparta had another good attack on 40, but Seman claimed the ball
forward just ahead of the striker, who seemed to have a decent
claim that Keown had obstructed him, at least.
A few minutes into the second half
a Sparta corner met an excellent run and glancing header, the ball
beating Seaman but going wide of the far post.
Vieira seemed to have a case for a penalty on 50 minutes. He was
fed by Kanu and looked to habe been brought down from behind.
the ball was already running well away from him though.
Then there was nearly a penalty at the other end. A great move across
the pitch to their right, then a diagonal cross towards Kinsil
near the spot. He moved forward to take it but his first touch
was poor, playing it back across the box. So he had to turn suddenly,
surprising Martin Keown who ran into him. Seaman was already onto the
loose ball and would have got there first anyway, but we've all seen
penalties given for less.
arsenal were clearly being a bit less adventurous in the second half,
although credit had to go to Sparta's good fast passing moves too.
They had another chance on 57 with another good break down the right
(Silvinho did have a good game, honest!) ending with a shit blasted
into the side netting from an angle.
15 minutes to go and Wiltord came on for Henry. Then Kanu showed great
skill turning his man by the left corner. But it was all too clever
for his Arsenal teammates too so when he crossed it there was
no-one in the box to capitalise.
10 minutes to go and nearly-forgotten man Nelson Vivas came on
for Ljungberg. It'll be interesting to see if we see him used
much more, especially in Premiership matches when Vieira's not
available. But perhaps Vivas and Grimandi as a central midfield
partnership is a bit too conservative.
Arsenal had to survive a few more scares in the last 10 minutes,
in particular an effort from near the goal-line on their left
which beat Seaman at the near post but climbed just clear of the
far top corner. We had another chance too after a great move worke ddown
the left by Pires Wiltord, and Silvinho. It ended with Wiltord slipping
the ball into the box for the left-back. Silvinho was clear on goal
but was waved offside. It must have been close.
A great win. perhaps not the best game of football ever but maybe
that's a good thing. Arsenal have played in some great games in the
last 2 years of the Champions League, but won all too few.
Lazio got a not-unexpected 3-0 win away to Shakhtar, who are our
opponents next Wednesday at Highbury.
report by Rupe.
Other reports
|