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Osasuna offer Bayer a bitter UEFA Cup pill
LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AFP) - Spanish side Osasuna all but booked their place in the UEFA Cup semi-finals here on Thursday as they trounced 1988 winners Bayer Leverkusen 3-0, their heaviest ever European home defeat, in their first leg match.
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.
Disappointed Leverkusen coach Michael Skibbe said afterwards: "At 0-3 down, we are a long way from a place in the semi-final. Our chances of going through are about one percent."
Osasuna coach Angel Ziganda however was predictably delighted: "It's a great day for Osasuna," he said. "We are proud to have won 3-0 on the pitch of a big side like Leverkusen because we are only a small team."
He added however there was still work to do. "We must pay attention in the return match to make sure we go through."
Cuellar gave the mid-table Spanish side, who put Scottish giants Rangers out in the previous round, the perfect start and caught Leverkusen asleep with a header from a Lopez corner.
The omnipresent Cuellar went desperately close to adding to his tally in the seventh minute as he escaped Bosnian Sergej Barbarez again and met Lopez' corner with a firm header but fortunately for the hosts it went wide.
Osasuna were dominating play and could easily have been up as much as 4-0 after 12 minutes but the Spaniards could not finish it off.
Cuellar it was again who thwarted Leverkusen's soon to be departed Ukrainian striker Andrej Voronin as he got back to force the Liverpool-bound forward to shoot over the bar, after he had received a superb through ball from Swiss playmaker Tranquillo Barnetta.
Roberto Soldado should have made it 2-0 in the 17th minute but his downward header went straight at Bayer's 'keeper Rene Adler, though, he was fortunate that when he parried it it didn't fall to veteran Serbian striker Savo Milosevic.
Down the other end the ball went and veteran German international Bernd Schneider put in an excellent cross to the unmarked Barbarez but he waited too long and his shot was cleared.
Bayer had the last worthwhile effort of a frenetic half when Voronin was at the end of a beautifully orchestrated move, inspired by the tireless Schneider, but his rasping effort went past the left hand post.
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."
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