Schalke thrash ten-men Palermo
Date: 16-03-2006 23:05
Schalke 04 thrashed ten-men Palermo 3-0 in Gelsenkirchen to book their place in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday (3-1 on aggr). While two goals from Banel Nicolita and one from Victoras Iacob helped Steaua Bucharest triumph over Real Betis 3-0 to secure their place in the quarters.
The turning point came on 42 minutes when Palermo captian Eugenio Corini was sent off for handling the ball on his line. Levan Kobiashvili converted the penalty.
Soren Larsen and Mimoun Azaouagh added two more in the second half to qualify the German side for the quarter finals.
 A REAL NIGHTMARE
After a goalless first half Nicolita broke the deadlock when he held off a challenge 30 yards out, he turned his body round the travelling ball to cleanly place it with the inside of his right foot past Contreras.
Betis' nightmares were only just beginning when on the 78th minute Steaua doubled the score when Iacob latched onto a lovely lofted ball from Dica on the left channel to simply nod the ball into the back of the net.
Betis knew their fate with 8 minutes left when Nicolita notched up a brace with a Great individual effort.
Nicolita cut inside from the left channel beating two defenders then set himself up for the right-footed shot which he kept low and drilled past the keeper for three and the quarter-final berth for Steaua.
|
|
|
