Soccer: Emotions run high as Liverpool qualify

Former European champions Real Madrid and Liverpool scored vastly contrasting victories to reach the knockout round of the Champions League yesterday.

Real, European champions nine times, ended any doubts about their progression to the last 16 when they coasted to a 3-0 win over AS Roma in a deserted Olympic Stadium in Rome on the final day of group matches to finish behind Bayer Leverkusen in group B.

Liverpool, European champions four times, went behind to a Rivaldo free-kick after 27 minutes, but came back to beat Olympiakos Piraeus 3-1 in a sensational match at Anfield where a typically passionate home crowd ran the full gamut of emotions.

Despairing at the break, their spirits rose throughout the second half as goals from substitutes Florent Sinama Pongolle (47) and Neil Mellor (80) and a thunderous 25m strike from skipper Steven Gerrard (86) turned a day that threatened to end in despair into one of joy, evoking memories of Liverpool's glory days of the 1970s and 80s.

The mathematical possibilities involving qualification from group A meant that the result in the match between Deportivo Coruna and AS Monaco was crucial to events at Anfield.

In the end Monaco's easy 5-0 victory at Coruna meant the French side (12 points) went through with Liverpool (10), who pipped Olympiakos (10) due to a better head-to-head record against the Greek side, who drop into the Uefa Cup.

Deportivo, semifinalists last season, became the first team to go through six Champions League qualifying matches without scoring a single goal in any of them.

In Rome's empty stadium - closed on Uefa orders following crowd trouble earlier in the competition - a goal from Ronaldo after nine minutes, a 61st-minute Luis Figo penalty when Ronaldo was tripped and Figo's second after 82 minutes gave Real the win they needed to advance from group B.

Real coach Mariano Garcia Remon said afterwards: "It was behind closed doors and could have been tricky, but I think we handled it in the right way."

Star midfielder David Beckham was less prosaic about the environment.

"It was horrible playing without a crowd," he said. "You could hear what the players watching on the bench were shouting at you, we're not used to that."

Real went through with Leverkusen, who beat Dynamo Kiev 3-0 to send the Ukrainians, group leaders at the start of play, crashing down to third place and into the Uefa Cup.

Juventus and Bayern Munich were already sure of their places in the last 16 after securing first and second positions in group C, and both failed to win.

Ajax Amsterdam drew 2-2 with Bayern and Maccabi Tel Aviv drew 1-1 with Juventus, which meant Ajax claimed the Uefa Cup berth.

Olympique Lyon finished top of group D after thrashing bottom-placed Sparta Prague 5-0 and Fenerbahce beat a Manchester United shadow team 3-0 to inflict a first defeat on Alex Ferguson's side, who finished second.

Fenerbahce will be in the Uefa Cup after finishing third. They ended their campaign in some style, with Tuncay Sanli scoring a hat-trick.

Manchester United and Liverpool join English rivals Chelsea and Arsenal in the last 16, the first time four clubs from the premier league have advanced to the knockout stage.

Italy and Germany have three teams each in the next phase, with AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus advancing as Serie A's representatives and Bayern, Werder Bremen and Leverkusen flying the Bundesliga flag.

THE LAST 16

Chelsea (England), Manchester United (England), Arsenal (England), Liverpool (England), AC Milan (Italy), Inter Milan (Italy), Juventus (Italy), Bayern Munich (Germany), Werder Bremen (Germany), Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), Olympique Lyon (France), AS Monaco (France), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain), Porto (Portugal), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands).

Draw for first knockout round will take place on December 18.
FIRST KNOCKOUT ROUND
First leg - February 23-24, Second leg - March 9-10
QUARTER-FINALS
First leg - April 6-7, Second leg - April 13-14
SEMIFINALS
First leg - April 27-28, Second leg - May 4-5
FINAL
May 26, Istanbul

- REUTERS