Arsenal too strong for Mallorca

2001-10-24 23:03

London - Thierry Henry fired Arsenal into the second round of the Champions League with the third goal deep into injury time on Wednesday as the Gunners downed Real Mallorca 3-1.

In a dramatic finish at Highbury, Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp fired two in two minutes to put Arsene Wenger's team 2-0 ahead.

With Schalke losing 2-0 at group leader Panathinaikos, the Gunners appeared to be on course to round two a game early after Pires struck in the 61st minute and Bergkamp made it 2-0 in the 63rd. But Alvaro Novo replied for Mallorca for a strike which would have proved vital if the two teams had finished level on points with no further goals head to head.

Pires missed an easy chance near the end and then had a goal disallowed for offside before Henry broke clear of a Mallorca attack and side-footed the third in the fourth minute of injury time.

Already with five players missing Mallorca suffered a further blew during the warmup when Vicente Engonga picked up an injury and had to be replaced Cristian Diaz.

Thierry Henry fired past each post in the first half and countryman Patrick Vieira's low, long-range shot was punched away by goalkeeper Leonardo Franco.

Bergkamp, who had been refused a penalty just two minutes earlier, almost game Arsenal just before half time when he dispossessed Miquel Soler on the right and chipped the ball over the 'keeper only for it to curl past the far post.

Pires shot wide of the near post after a cross spun to him 12 yards from goal but he finally hit the target in the 61st minute.

Henry failed to make contact with a rightwing cross from Fredrik Ljungberg but the ball dropped to Pires who side-footed it home first time to lift the tension.

Two minutes later the fans were jubilant again when Giovanni van Bronckhorst fired in a left wing cross and Bergkamp climbed well at the hear post to guide his header

But the Gunners were stunned in the 74th minute when Novo broke through a gap in the defence to collect a pass from Campano and, with 'keeper Richard Wright drawn off his line, slid the ball into an empty net.

- SAPA