UEFA Cup, Bayer Leverkusen 0-3 Osasuna

Osasuna Crush helpless Leverkusen!

Osasuna moved to the brink of a place in the last four of the UEFA Cup with a 3-0 win away to Bayer Leverkusen in their quarter-final first leg on Thursday. Goals by Javier Cuellar - his within 60 seconds of the start - David Lopez and Pierre Webo - with his first touch of the match after coming on as a substitute - leave Bayer requiring a miracle to get into the last four.

The Bundesliga side suffered the worst possible start at a packed BayArena as a David López corner found Cuéllar and the defender beat René Adler with a powerful header to give Osasuna the advantage only seconds into the match. Leverkusen sought an immediate reply as Stefan Kiessling broke down the right wing but Cuéllar was first to his cross with Andriy Voronin lurking just behind.

The home side's best chance of an equaliser came in the 18th minute. Tranquillo Barnetta, picking up the ball on the edge of the area, threaded through a pass for the in-form Bernd Schneider. He controlled well only to see his shot blocked by goalkeeper Ricardo.

Barbarez was also close with a header that glanced just wide but Leverkusen generally found it difficult to break down the visiting defence, with a couple of long shots providing the only other opportunities in the first half.


The second-half started off at a more tranquil pace but came alive shortly before the hour mark when Bayer centreback Juan was left in acres of space but his well-timed shot just inside the box was well saved by former Manchester United goalkeeper Ricardo.

However, Osasuna deservedly took a 2-0 lead in the 71st minute as the outstanding Lopez shot home after a great layback by Milosevic as Bayer went to sleep at another corner. Indeed Lopez had set up the corner as he slipped clear just inside the Bayer half and ran on one-on-one with Adler but the German 'keeper did well to turn it away for a corner.

However the tie was all but ripped from their grasp two minutes after Lopez' goal as Milosevic set up Cameroon striker Webo and with his first touch the substitute lobbed it over the stranded Adler. Leverkusen coach Skibbe added: "The quick goal really put us on the back foot, though Osasuna remained very solid in defence. After the break, we were not able to convert our chances and lacked concentration. It was infuriating to lose 3-0."

UEFA Cup, Bayer Leverkusen 0-3 Osasuna goals video:

Champions league, PSV 0-3 Liverpool

Ruthless Liverpool hammers PSV

Liverpool powered to a resounding win over PSV Eindhoven to all but book their place in the semi finals of the Champions League.

Captain Steven Gerrard, John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch bagged the goals to silence the Phillips Stadium. It was no less than Liverpool deserved against a surprisingly negative PSV, whose season is beginning to unravel before them.

Rafa Benitez opted to stick with the central midfield of Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso, with Gerrard out on the right. Dirk Kuyt partnered Crouch up-front. Diego Tardelli was paired with Jefferson Farfan in attack for PSV but the two operated as wide players all too often in the first-half, meaning the Dutch lacked a focal point in attack.

PSV set their stall out in defensive fashion and would have gone behind after 15 minutes but for a fine save by Heurelho Gomes after Jamie Carragher’s header. The home side became a little more adventurous and Mika Vayrynen came close when he saw his effort deflected over the bar after a cross from former Liverpool full-back Jan Kromkamp.

The Reds took the lead after 26 minutes when the unmarked Gerrard headed a right-wing Steve Finnan cross low into Gomes’ bottom left corner. This was Gerrard’s 15^th goal in the European Cup and he is now Liverpool’s all-time record scorer in the competition.

Liverpool comfortably kept their out-of-form rivals at arm's length and were nearly gifted a second straight after the break. After two lucky escapes, PSV shot themselves in the foot on 49 minutes when a wayward clearance from Belgian centre-back Timmy Simons fell to Riise 25 yards out.
Risse needed no second invitation to dispatch a dipping volley into the top corner of the net.

Liverpool extended their lead and virtually finished the tie as a contest on 62 minutes when Crouch rose to head home another Finnan cross. In an act of frustration PSV substitute Patrick Kluivert was quickly booked for a cynical lunge on Mascherano, who cut an impressive figure in the Liverpool midfield.

On an otherwise perfect day for Benitez, Fabio Aurelio was stretchered off after suffering a suspected ruptured achilles.

Kuyt picked up his third booking of the competition late on for not retreating on a free-kick. He will now serve a suspension in the second-leg.

This as a dreadful performance from Ronald Koeman's side who barely created a chance in the game.

PSV: Gomes, Kromkamp (Feher 68), Da Costa, Simons, Salcido, Mendez (Kluivert 51), Vayrynen, Cocu, Culina, Farfan (Sun 46), Tardelli.
Subs Not Used: Moens, Addo, Marcellis.

Booked: Kluivert, Feher.

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise (Zenden 65), Gerrard, Mascherano, Alonso, Aurelio (Gonzalez 75), Crouch (Pennant 85), Kuyt.
Subs Not Used: Dudek, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Bellamy.

Booked: Mascherano, Kuyt.

Goals: Gerrard 27, Riise 49, Crouch 63.

Champions league, PSV 0-3 Liverpool highlights and goals: