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