1st leg reports from
uefa.com
Penalty gives Middlesbrough hope
Yakubu Ayegbeni's early penalty gave Middlesbrough FC a slender but precious advantage to take into the second leg of their
UEFA Cup last-16 tie against AS Roma.
Crucial advantage
The Nigerian striker scored the only goal of the game from the spot in the 12th minute as Middlesbrough ground out a vital first-leg lead ahead of Wednesday's reverse fixture at the Stadio Olimpico. The English side's
UEFA Cup campaign last season was effectively ended by a 3-2 home defeat against Sporting Clube de Portugal at the same stage, but a repeat never looked likely as Steve McClaren's team produced a resilient and disciplined defensive display to hold Roma in check.
Crucial intervention
McClaren had said that an English-style approach would unsettle the visitors and his side duly started at rapid pace, harrying and pressurising their opponents at every turn. Nevertheless it was the Italian team who created the first clear opportunity as Philippe Mexes' long pass found Simone Perrotta advancing beyond the Middlesbrough back line, but although the Italian international slid his shot beyond Mark Schwarzer, Gareth Southgate was on hand to clear.
Nerveless Yakubu
Minutes later, the home team took the lead. Gianluca Curci had already palmed away Yakubu's cross under pressure from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and when Gaizka Mendieta's pass split the Roma defence the 20-year-old goalkeeper was again quick to react, only to mistime his challenge on the Dutch striker. Yakubu duly sent Curci the wrong way with the resulting penalty.
Mendieta influence
Thereafter both sides struggled to pierce their opponents' defence, although Mendieta – who had an unhappy spell with Roma's city rivals S.S. Lazio in 2001/02 – was a tireless influence and involved in most of Middlesbrough's better moves. The two goalkeepers had only routine saves to occupy them, however, with Schwarzer dealing competently with Damiano Tommasi's low right-wing cross and Curci gathering Hasselbaink's effort from long range.
Notable absentees
Missing forwards Francesco Totti, Vincenzo Montella and Shabani Nonda through injury, and with Italian international midfielder Daniele De Rossi suspended, the visitors struggled to replicate the form that had taken then on an eleven-match winning run in Serie A, although Mancini did curl one effort fractionally wide after an incisive move. At the other end, Curci scooped away an awkward bouncing effort from Hasselbaink and Mendieta might have given his team a two-goal cushion to take to Rome, but shot over after being put through by substitute Mark Viduka.
Blunder hands Lille the advantage
Geoffrey Dernis scored an astonishing goal direct from a corner as LOSC Lille Métropole secured a narrow advantage against Sevilla FC in the first leg of their
UEFA Cup last-16 tie.
Misjudged corner
Sevilla goalkeeper Antonio Notario misjudged the flight of Dernis's corner after 24 minutes, allowing the ball to creep under his crossbar, but the home team were grateful for their opponents' profligacy in front of goal as the match wore on. Indeed, the Primera División side started the game in determined mood with David Castedo trying his luck from distance as early as the first minute, and Malian striker Frédéric Kanouté went even closer four minutes later when his long-range effort rattled the crossbar.
Moussilou efforts
Between those early chances, Matt Moussilou had already tested Notario, and the striker then hit the frame of the goal after 12 minutes. Goalkeeper Tony Sylva then denied Kanouté with a terrific save after 20 frenetic minutes before Notario's blunder handed Lille the lead. Still, Sevilla pressed and Kanouté twice came close to getting Sevilla back on level terms before half time, forcing Sylva to make another fine intervention to tip one shot around the post and putting another narrowly wide.
Kanouté chances
Lille almost doubled their advantage just before the interval as Bodmer's curling free-kick tested Notario but it did little to stem the Sevilla tide. The Spanish side continued to press after the restart, and the lively Kanouté was guilty of a poor miss when he failed to capitalise on a Sylva error. The former Tottenham Hotspur FC forward was to have the final chance of the night, but his header was saved, completing a frustrating outing for Sevilla, but with the amount of chances they created, they will feel confident of redressing the balance on home soil.
Rapid double downs Hamburg
AFC Rapid Bucuresti secured a surprisingly comfortable first-leg victory against Hamburger SV in a bad-tempered
UEFA Cup last-16 encounter at the Giulesti stadium.
Red cards
In-form Daniel Niculae opened the scoring for the hosts just before the interval and Mugurel Buga doubled the lead two minutes from time to leave Rapid with one foot in the quarter-finals. Both sides ended the match with ten men after Nigel de Jong, Hamburg's goalscoring hero against FC Bayern München at the weekend, and Vasile Maftei saw red in the second half.
First chances
After a slow start to the game, with the teams content to weigh up their opponents, the first chance did not come until midway through the opening period, when Niculae saw his left-footed drive well held by Stefan Wächter in the visitors' goal. Constantin Stancu and Lucian Burdujan went close for the home side in the minutes that followed, but both efforts were blocked.
Niculae strikes
Hamburg's first effort came after 35 minutes when Dutch playmaker Rafael van der Vaart hit a right-footed attempt from 20 metres, bringing a fine stop from Rapid keeper Danut Coman. However, Rapid moved in front on the stroke of half-time, Niculae firing in a 20-metre shot that left Wächter grasping at thin air.
De Jong dismissed
Hamburg looked to reply after the break but substitute René Klingbeil was off target from 15 metres just after the restart, and their hopes of getting back into the match evaporated on 67 minutes when De Jong was red-carded for a second bookable offence after a foul on Valentin Marian Negru.
Buga strike
Rapid were also reduced to ten when Maftei was dismissed three minutes into added time, but by then Rapid had a two-goal advantage as Buga had converted a fine right-wing cross from Niculae five minutes earlier.
Schalke fail to shackle Palermo
An early goal from stand-in striker Franco Brienza proved enough to give US Città di Palermo a narrow advantage in their
UEFA Cup last-16 tie against FC Schalke 04 at the Renzo Barbera stadium.
Rost busy
The Italian forward struck after just 15 minutes, applying a clinical left-footed finish to Paul Codrea's right-wing cross. The home team piled forward in search of further goals as a Schalke side shorn of the influential Kevin Kuranyi struggled to show much attacking endeavour of their own. But Palermo could find no further way through the iron resistance of goalkeeper Frank Rost, whose imperious performance left the Bundesliga team with a fair chance going into the second encounter in Gelsenkirchen.
European form
Poor in Serie A, Giuseppe Papadopulo's team seem to save their best for the
UEFA Cup and continued where they left off against SK Slavia Praha in the last round. Brienza, playing in place of the ineligible David Di Michele, soon broke the deadlock and Mario Santana could easily have made it two three minutes later only to be denied by Rost from close range. That set the pattern for a game in which the German side struggled to stem a tide of Palermo attacks.
Poulsen denied
The visitors did have chances, most notably through Ebbe Sand, whose acrobatic effort went narrowly wide of goalkeeper Mariano Andujar's far post. Søren Larsen's header on the half-hour mark required a goalline clearance from Andrea Barzagli but they proved rare moments of respite. Brienza could have scored his second four minutes before the break but Rost intervened with a fine save and Pietro Accardi, Cristian Terlizzi and Denis Godeas all had further chances but a second goal proved elusive. Schalke rallied towards the end, with Christian Poulsen hitting the post with a header but they were forced to settle for a narrow defeat.
Udinese give Levski initiative
Udinese Calcio's lacklustre run of form continued as they could only earn a goalless draw against PFC Levski Sofia in the first leg of their
UEFA Cup last 16 tie.
Long-range shots
After both sides were largely restricted to long-range shots during a disappointing night of football in Italy, Levski will feel that they have gained the upper hand as they prepare to welcome their opponents back to the Bulgarian capital for the second leg next week.
Cautious start
Eleven games without a win in Serie A, the home side got off to an understandably cautious start with Levski content to sit back and allow their hosts to come at them. However, it was Levski who had the first chance of the night with Cédric Bardon testing Udinese goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis's nerves with a drive that flashed just wide.
Optimistic effort
A minute later, Damiano Zenoni tried his luck at the other end with a strike from a similar range, but also saw his effort fly wide. Chances were few and far between for the remainder of the half with an optimistic 30-metre effort from Udinese's Fernando Tissone after 35 minutes briefly raising the temperature at the Friuli stadium.
Increased pressure
Udinese upped the ante in the second period, putting their guests under more concerted pressure as they looked to grab an advantage in the tie. Five minutes after the restart, Roberto Baronio drew a decent save from Levski goalkeeper Georgi Petkov, while Christian Obodo tried his luck from range and only just missed seven minutes later.
Levski calm
Antonio Di Natale was next to chance his arm for the Italian side, blazing over the bar from just outside the penalty area. Levski, meanwhile, were happy to sit back in the second period, and may well feel optimistic about their chances of clinching victory on home soil in the second leg.
Betis secure Steaua stalemate
Real Betis Balompié came away from the Romanian capital with a goalless draw after a host of chances in the first leg of their
UEFA Cup last-16 tie against FC Steaua Bucuresti failed to produce any goals.
Frantic opening
A frantic opening few minutes seemed to promise a hatful of goals at the Lia Manoliu stadium, but in the end neither side could break through, although Betis will be happier as they now head back to Spain for the return fixture.
End-to-end stuff
Steaua goalkeeper Carlos Alberto Fernandes had to be alert after just four minutes to fend off an 18-metre drive from Edu but moments later it was Betis who were on the back foot as Antonio Doblas saved a Sorin Paraschiv header from Banel Nicolita's cross.
Tighter affair
However, after those opening salvos, the two sides seemed to get the measure of each other, and the game had become much tighter by the time Brazilian striker Robert shot narrowly wide from 15 metres out for Betis.
Steaua chances
Steaua tested Doblas again shortly afterwards as the goalkeeper was forced to tip Dorin Goian's header over the crossbar as a Gabriel Bostina free-kick floated into the area, and later, defender Juanito Gutiérrez had to clear a right-footed effort from Nicolita.
Betis respond
Nicolita was the danger man again at the start of the second period, firing narrowly over the crossbar before team-mate Paraschiv stung Doblas's palms with a fierce shot. Steaua looked to be taking command but Betis stepped up a gear, and Juanito was not far wide from a Joaquín Sánchez corner.
Dipping shot
Joaquín then tried his luck with a long-range shot which dipped just over Fernandes's crossbar, but the last chance of the game fell to the home side as substitute Daniel Oprita managed to direct Nicolita's corner over the Betis goal.
Delgado drives Basel to the brink
A stunning early free-kick from Matías Delgado set FC Basel 1893 on course for a commanding 2-0 victory against RC Strasbourg at St. Jakob-Park as the Swiss side took the initiative in their
UEFA Cup last-16 tie and avenged their group stage defeat.
Late second
Strasbourg ran out 2-0 victors when the sides met earlier on in the competition, with early goals from Amara Diané and fellow Ivorian Arthur Boka proving sufficient in Basle, but any hopes of a repeat were soon vanquished. Just eight minutes had elapsed when Argentinian midfielder Delgado picked himself up after a Gnoleba Edgard Loué foul and curled a superb free-kick around the wall to break the deadlock. The French team fought back in the second half before Zdravko Kuzmanovic secured a healthy two-goal lead to take to La Meinau next week.
Eduardo miss
It was a big blow for the visitors, who spent much of the first half on the back foot as Christian Gross' team sprinted out of the blocks. Only a timely intervention from Loué prevented David Degen from doubling the lead on 16 minutes, while goalkeeper Nicolas Puydebois did well to hang on to efforts from Papa Malick Ba and Mladen Petrić. The initiative firmly with the home team, Eduardo spurned a gilt-edged opportunity on the half-hour mark, turning David Degan's cross the wrong side of the post.
Strasbourg recovery
Strasbourg coach Jacky Duguépéroux brought on Yacine Abdessadki at the expense of Loué at the interval, and the change rejuvenated the French team. Diané headed Alexander Farnerud's 67th-minute free-kick just wide and that proved a sign of things to come in the closing stages as Basel were forced to defend. Kuzmanovic was brought on to help the midfield deal with the deluge and he surpassed expectations, heading in Delgado's left-wing free-kick from close range to double the advantage and give Basel added breathing space.
Zestful Zenit silence Marseille
FC Zenit St. Petersburg continued to confound expectations as they took a significant step towards a place in the last eight of the
UEFA Cup with an impressive 1-0 win against ten-man Olympique de Marseille at the Stade Vélodrome.
Ribéry dismissed
Andrei Arshavin scored his third goal of the competition six minutes after half-time, curling a fine shot from the edge of the penalty area beyond Fabien Barthez after a clever lay-off by Aleksandr Kerzhakov. Marseille looked set to recover in a fractious spell after the deadlock had been broken, but their hopes were all but ended when Franck Ribéry was dismissed for a second yellow card with 20 minutes left, and in the end Jean Fernandez's team were relieved not to concede further goals.
Fine fettle
Zenit had never been in European action post-Christmas before this season but have quickly found their feet in the knockout stages. A 4-1 aggregate victory against Rosenborg BK saw them through to the last-16 and they picked up where they left off tonight. Aleksandr Anyukov carved out a fine fifth-minute chance for Radek Šírl but the Czech midfielder failed to take advantage. Kerzhakov then forced Barthez to parry but Marseille gradually gained a foothold, with Ribéry, as usual, providing momentum on the wing.
Trifonov chance
The mercurial France Under-21 international created chances for Samir Nasri and Sabri Lamouchi, but neither were converted and Zenit capitalised through Arshavin after the restart. The Russian side immediately retreated and a spate of fouls resulted in Ribéry seeing red on 70 minutes. With him went all Marseille's hope and substitute Oleg Trifonov could, and should, have doubled the advantage late on but saw his finish crash back off the crossbar before Barthez pulled off two superb saves to give the French team hope for the second leg.
Uefa Cup: 15th/16th March
seems like their main goal is to finish in the top 4 of the league for champions league place. mmmmm boro however are really up for it and will make 9 changes from the team that played charlton at the weekend. i might just have an interest bet on 2-3 goals in the game at 10/11 with 
shit it sounds a bit like me..GIF "Thumb(1)")
