UEFA Cup Group Stages

Bayern takes revenge at Belgrade's Marakana

Ozren Podnar

Over sixteen years ago, in April 1991, Red Star entertained Bayern Munich in the European Cup semifinals second leg. In Germany, the Serbs had won by 2-1, but found themselves trailing by the same score with 20 minutes to go. Bayern even hit the post when another goal would have killed off the tie, but in the 90th minute Klaus Augenthaler attempted to clear a cross by Sinisa Mihajlovic, deflecting the ball in an incredible looping trajectory whose end was right behind keeper Raimond Aumann's back. The strangest, the most unlikely own goal ever scored caused an explosion of joy from the 95,000 capacity crowd at Belgrade's Marakana stadium (spelt just like this, with a 'k'). Red Star would win that European Cup in a dreary final in Bari, just before the bloody desintegration of Yugoslavia, but would never again have such an amazing team that conquered Europe and the world.

Bayern, of course, fielded many great teams after that sad date, but never got a chance of a rematch against Red Star until this season. In the first round of the UEFA Cup the Bavarians found themselves trailing to the Serbs by 2-1 with seven minutes to go, but this time the roles were reversed. Miroslav Klose drew Bayern level after 83 minutes and deep into added time the young Toni Kroos deceived the home keeper with a fortunate free kick from 25 meters out. That was the scoreline that would have seen Bayern through in 1991 but it was not to be then. It wasn't a bad consolation either, as Red Star stand at the verge of elimination, and Bayern close to qualifying for the next round.

Group G also features Bolton Wanderers, who bravely held Bayern in the Allianz Arena in the second match, the point compensating for an initial slip-up at home against Sporting Braga.

Elsewhere, things are looking just fine for Everton, on top of Group A with six points after two games, and slightly less so for Tottenham, who lost to Getafe in their opening match in Group G, but regained hope after an emphatic 2-0 winat Hapoel in Tel-Aviv. The Spurs might just qualify along with Anderlecht and Getafe themselves thanks to that fortunate scoreline.

GROUP A

Everton 6
Zenit St. Petersburg 4
AZ Alkmaar 1
Nuremberg 0
Larissa 0

1. day
Zenit vs. AZ Alkmaar 1-1
Everton vs. Larissa 3-1

2. day
Larissa vs. Zenit 2-3
Nurnberg vs. Everton 0-2

3. day
Zenit vs. Nürnberg
AZ Alkmaar vs. Larissa

4. day
Everton vs. Zenit
Nürnberg vs. AZ Alkmaar

5. day
Larissa vs. Nürnberg
AZ Alkmaar vs. Everton

GROUP B

Panathinaikos 6
Lokomotiv Moscow 2
Atletico Madrid 1
Aberdeen 1
Copenhagen 0

1. day
Panathinaikos vs. Aberdeen 3-0
Lokomotiv Moscow vs. Atletico Madrid 3-3

2. day
Kobenhavn vs. Panathinaikos 0-1
Aberdeen vs. Lokomotiv Moscow 1-1

3. day
Lokomotiv Moscow vs. Kobenhavn
Atletico Madrid vs. Aberdeen

4. day
Panathinaikos vs. Lokomotiv Moscow
Kobenhavn vs. Atletico Madrid

5. day
Aberdeen vs. Kobenhavn
Atletico Madrid vs. Panathinaikos

GROUP C

Fiorentina 4
Villareal 4
AEK Athens 1
Elfsborg 1
Mlada Boleslav 0

1. day
Elfsborg vs. AEK 1-1
Villarreal vs. Fiorentina 1-1

2. day
Mlada Boleslav vs. Villarreal 1-2
Fiorentina vs. Elfsborg 6-1

3. day
Elfsborg vs. Mlada Boleslav
AEK vs. Fiorentina

4. day
Villarreal vs. Elfsborg
Mlada Boleslav vs. AEK

5. day
Fiorentina vs. Mlada Boleslav
AEK vs. Villarreal

GROUP D

FC Basel 4
Hamburg 3
Dinamo Zagreb 1
Rennes 1
SK Brann 1

1. day
Brann vs. Hamburger 1-1
Basel vs. Rennes 1-0

2. day
Dinamo Z. vs. Basel 0-0
Rennes vs. Brann 1-1

3. day
Brann vs. Dinamo Z.
Hamburger vs. Rennes

4. day
Dinamo Z. vs. Hamburger
Basel vs. Brann

5. day
Rennes vs. Dinamo Z.
Hamburger vs. Basel

GROUP E

FC Zurich 3
Spartak Moscow 3
Sparta Prague 3
Bayer Leverkusen 3
Toulouse 0

1. day
Sparta Prague vs. Zürich 1-2
Bayer vs. Toulouse 1-0

2. day
Spartak Moscow vs. Bayer 2-1
Toulouse vs. Sparta Prague 2-3

3. day
Sparta Prague vs. Spartak Moscow
Zürich vs. Toulouse

4. day
Bayer vs. Sparta Prague
Spartak Moscow vs. Zürich

5. day
Toulouse vs. Spartak Moscow
Zürich vs. Bayer

GROUP F

Bayern Munich 4
Aris 3
Bolton Wanderers 2
Braga 1
Red Star Belgrade 0

1. day
Bolton vs. Sporting B. 1-1
Red Star vs. Bayern 2-3

2. day
Bayern vs. Bolton 2-2
Aris vs. Red Star 3-0

3. day
Bolton vs. Aris
Sporting B. vs. Bayern

4. day
Red Star vs. Bolton
Aris vs. Sporting B.

5. day
Bayern vs. Aris
Sporting B. vs. Red Star

GROUP G

Anderlecht 4
Getafe 3
Tottenham 3
Aalborg 1
Hapoel Tel Aviv 0

1. day
Anderlecht vs. Hapoel Tel Aviv 2-0
Tottenham vs. Getafe 1-2

2. day
Hapoel Tel Aviv vs. Tottenham 0-2
Aalborg vs. Anderlecht 1-1

3. day
Tottenham vs. Aalborg
Getafe vs. Hapoel Tel Aviv

4. day
Anderlecht vs. Tottenham
Aalborg vs. Getafe

5. day
Hapoel vs. Aalborg
Getafe vs. Anderlecht

GROUP H

Bordeaux 6
Helsingborg 4
Panionos 1
Austria Vienna 0
Galatasaray 0

1. day
Helsingborgs vs. Panionios 1-1
Bordeaux vs. Galatasaray 2-1

2. day
Galatasaray vs. Helsingborgs 2-3
Austria Vienna vs. Bordeaux 1-2

3. day
Helsingborgs vs. Austria Vienna
Panionios vs. Galatasaray

4. day
Bordeaux vs. Hensingborgs
Austria Vienna vs. Panionios

5. day
Galatasaray vs. Austria Vienna
Panionios vs. Bordeaux

Ozren Podnar

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