UEFA Champions League

Newcastle United vs Bayer Leverkusen, 2002/03 UEFA Champions League, 2002 Second Phase

· UEFA Champions League
  • 5': Alan Shearer
  • 11': Alan Shearer
  • 36': Alan Shearer (P)
FT
3 - 1
  • 73': Marko Babic

About

Newcastle United are hosting Bayer Leverkusen at St James' Park, , England, starting on . The match is a part of the UEFA Champions League.

Match Commentary

  • 0': Newcastle know that nothing less than a victory will do if they are to stand any chance of making the quarter-finals. Join us from 19.45 GMT
  • 0': Alan Shearer returns to the side for the must-win clash - but with Craig Bellamy still suspended, Shola Ameobi partners the skipper. Defenders Aaron Hughes and Andy O'Brien are rested as Steve Caldwell and Olivier Bernard are given their chance.
  • 0': Leverkusen make five with changes Boris Zivkovic, the suspended Hanno Balitsch, Thomas Brdaric and Bernd Schneider making way. Christoph Preuss, Cris, Thomas Kleine, midfielder Yildiray Basturk and striker Oliver Neuville are recalled
  • 1': Newcastle get the game under way
  • 2': Free-kick to Newcastle after a foul on Dyer, 20 yards from goal in a central position. Shearer strikes...
  • 3': ...but Shearer can only hit the wall and Leverkusen clear
  • 4': Robert's low cross into the box is poor and easy for Butt
  • 5': Robert goes down under a challenge from Kaluzny, but the referee waves play on
  • 5': Speed finds a bit of space just outside the box. He sees the run of Shearer and puts in a curling ball...
  • 5': GOAL!!!!!
  • 6': An easy header for Shearer, powering the ball past the helpless Butt. The striker ghosted in behind Placente to give Newcastle the lead early doors
  • 7': Newcastle on top in every department, controlling the game
  • 8': Bernard brings down Neuville
  • 9': Newcastle on the front foot again. There's acres of space on the right, Dyer cuts the ball back to Griffin inside the box...
  • 10': ...Griffin's powerful drive is palmed round the post by Butt. Good effort
  • 11': Cris plays an abysmal ball, it's intercepted by Shearer and he plays a fine ball through to Ameobi. He gets to the byline and plays the ball across the face of goal...
  • 11': GOAL!!!!!
  • 12': ...the defender failed to cut out the cross at the far post, the ball looped up and Shearer had a simple task to nod the ball into the empty. It's a cruise for the Magpies, 2-0
  • 13': Leverkusen had enjoyed a bit of possession before that goal, but Cris' pass was so woeful it's hard to put into words. A gift
  • 14': Free-kick to Leverkusen. Neuville floats the ball in from the right...
  • 15': ...Franca can only produce a flicked header, which drifts out to the left flank and the danger is gone
  • 16': Kerr crosses into the box, it's a poor effort and easily cleared
  • 17': Bernard tries to nip past Ramelow and goes down, again no free-kick given
  • 18': Poor defending sends Franca through on goal, and surely he must reduce the deficit....
  • 19': ...Franca looks to go round Given and is sent crashing. It's a penalty! Referee Bo-Larsen opts to not even book the goalkeeper - it could easily have been red!
  • 20': Neuville steps up to take the spot-kick....
  • 21': Given dives low to his right and saves Neuville's penalty. A poor effort from the spot, it lacked power and Given guessed correctly
  • 22': Placente receives the ball on the left. He looks up and crosses into the box, well that should be 'the stand'. An appalling attempt at a cross
  • 23': Basturk looks to send Neuville through, but the flag goes up for offside
  • 24': This is better from Leverkusen, they look to have been given a boost despite the missed penalty
  • 25': Simak finds Basturk on the edge of the box, he looks to be blocked by Caldwell but again it's play on by the referee and Griffon plays it behind for a corner
  • 26': Neuville's corner from the right is headed clear by Shearer
  • 27': Ameobi tries to find Dyer, it's a poor pass but the rebound comes back to him. Ameobi opts for the shot...
  • 28': ...Ameobi's effort takes a deflection and goes behind for a corner
  • 29': Robert takes the corner from the right but Speed can only head over the bar from 10 yards out
  • 30': A change for Leverkusen as Cristiano Gomez Cris, who handed Newcastle their second, is replaced by Boris Zivkovic
  • 31': Shearer can only head into the hands of Butt after a right-sided cross from Speed
  • 32': Simak gets the bal on the edge of the box, twists inside Bernard and fires way, way over the bar
  • 33': Ameobi is high on Preuss, free-kick
  • 34': Kerr pushes Simak now, another free-kick for Leverkusen
  • 35': Dyer is dragged back in the box. Clear penalty for the Magpies
  • 36': Shearer for the hat-trick...
  • 36': GOAL!!!!!
  • 37': Shearer rifles the ball into the roof of the net, its a treble for Newcastle and a treble for the skipper!
  • 38': Griffin does well and finds Kerr in the box. The defender slips, allowing Kerr to play the ball across the face of goal for Ameobi...
  • 39': ...somehow Ameobi misses the ball, it should have been 4-0
  • 40': Robert tries a shot from 30 yards, it's wayward - a few scornful faces from his team-mates
  • 41': 'Are you watching Sunderland' is the chant from the home fans
  • 42': Leverkusen look completely dejected. Do Newcastle want more, that's the only question?
  • 43': Dyer tries to go round Placente, but the Newcastle man is penalised for a push on the defender
  • 44': Butt spils Robert's cross from the left, but he claims at the second attempt
  • 45': One minute to be added on for stoppages
  • 45': The half-time whistle is blown
  • 45': It's been a stroll for Newcaslte after striking twice in the early 11 minutes. Alan Shearer's spot-kick, his third goal of the game, has surely finished off the German outfit
  • 45': It could have been so different had Neuville scored from the spot with the score at 2-0, but it was a poor effort. Newcastle in complete command
  • 46': Newcastle start the second period
  • 47': Leverkusen pass the ball around the back, a slow start to the second half. They've brought Marko Babic on for Carsten Ramelow
  • 48': Goalless between Inter Milan and Barcelona, the other game in this group
  • 49': Dyer can't get on the end of a long ball from Griffin - goal kick
  • 50': Will Sir Bobby Robson look to give some fringe players a run-out, the likes of Carl Cort?
  • 51': Griffin's ball to Ameobi is intercepted by Placente
  • 52': Neuville comes forward, put his touch is poor and it allows Bramble to get a challenge in
  • 53': Kazluzny shoots from the edge of the box, but it's well off target
  • 54': Very little happening, a poor spectacle now
  • 55': Ameobi receives the bal and comes forward on the burst. Dyer makes the run but goes too far, into an offside position, so Ameobi keeps going. Space opens up for the shot...
  • 56': ...Ameobi's shot whistle's inches wide of But's left-hand post. So close, what a great goal that woudl have been
  • 57': Robert finds Shearer just inside the box but Kleine does well to clear the danger
  • 58': Dyer runs down the right flank and gets to the byline before cutting back a low cross. Placente is there to hoof away
  • 59': Preuss intercepts Speed's through ball to Robert as the Frenchman looked clean through
  • 60': Ameobi's neat and cleaver footwork has the Leverkusen defence floundering once again. Ameobi gets into the box and cuts the ball back to the unmarked Shearer...
  • 61': ...somehow Shearer drags his shot wide of the left post, that really should have been number four
  • 62': Oliver Neuville, who has a groin injury, is replaced by Thomas Brdaric
  • 63': Corner to Newcastle. Robert takes from the right, straight into the hands of Butt
  • 64': Bramble goes in hard and wins the ball off Brdaric. He gets the man as well, it's a free-kick and the substitute needs treatment
  • 65': Simac cuts across the edge of the box trying to create space for the cross before Kerr gets in with a good tackle
  • 66': Kerr pulls back Babic on the left flank, free-kick
  • 67': Babic takes the free-kick and Shearer is there to head away
  • 68': Dyer outpaces Placente and gets to the byline, and crosses into the arms of Butt
  • 69': Bramble gives the ball away to Simak, he feeds in Franca and Caldwell gets a foot to the ball. There's a sigh of relief as the ball just rolls past the post - almost an own goal!
  • 70': The first change for Newcastle as Nolberto Solano is introduced in place of Kieron Dyer
  • 71': Free-kick to Newcastle 35 yards out after Ameobi is pulled back. Robert winds up the shot...
  • 72': ...Butt has to push the ball around the post with a strong hand.
  • 73': Newcastle win back-to-back corners. Robert delivers the second from the right and Butt just gets there ahead of Shearer
  • 73': Basturk plays a sublime chipped ball over the top for Babic.....
  • 73': GOAL!!!!!
  • 74': Babic stroked the ball into the top of the net to grab what is surely no more than a consolation for Leverkusen. A well worked goal for the German side
  • 75': Bernard is sent spralling by Brdaric, getting his own back for that tackle a few minutes earlier
  • 76': Good run into the box by Bernard, but he loses his footing and Leverkusen can bring the ball away
  • 77': Zivkovic pushes Shearer in the back and it's a free-kick 20 yards out - a real chance for a fourth. Robert strikes.....
  • 78': ...Robert's attempt is well off target as he tried to curl the ball into the top left-hand corner of the net
  • 79': Basturk twists and turns and wins a corner. Simak crosses in from the right Kleine meets it with his head...
  • 79': ...the ball comes crashing back off the bar, alomst a second. It breaks back to Preuss and he goes for the first time effort only to be closed down by Bernard
  • 80': Preuss takes a bad knock in that challenge, he looks in some pain and in strechered off. Leverkusen down to ten at the moment, and have no subs left
  • 81': Now Bernard is felled by Brdaric's late challenge, and the Leverkusen substitute is cautioned
  • 82': A second change for the Magpies, hat-trick Alan Shearer goes off to a standing ovation to be replaced by Lomana Tresor LuaLua
  • 83': Preuss comes back on after treatment
  • 83': Babic does well down the right, turns back inside but Solano is tracking back and steals the ball off his boot
  • 84': Hugo Viana returns from injury, comnig on for the impressive Brian Kerr
  • 85': Viana fools the Leverkusen defence and sets LuaLua free in the box, he tries a shot...
  • 86': ...LuaLua can only drag his effort wide of the left post, no worries for Butt
  • 87': Brdaric tries to set himself up for the shot, but Bramble does well to close him down and win the ball
  • 88': Ameobi is offside after Robert tried to play him in through the middle
  • 89': Leverkusen's late probing has come to nothing more, and Newcastle look home and dry
  • 90': Babic's long ball into the box is headed wide by Brdaric
  • 91': Three minutes to be added on
  • 92': Newcastle simply playing out time
  • 93': And there goes the final whistle, Newcastle win 3-1
  • 93': Leverkusen were blown away by Alan Shearer's first half hat-trick, it was a stroll for the home side and they now travel to Milan to face the might of Inter

Game Information

Competition: UEFA Champions League

Venue: St James' Park
Location: , England
Attendance: 40,508

UEFA Champions League Standings

# TEAM GP GD PTS
1 Ajax Amsterdam 0 0 0
2 Arsenal 0 0 0
3 Atalanta 0 0 0
4 Athletic Club 0 0 0
Full Standings

Line-Ups

NEW Newcastle United

No. Name
1 Shay Given (GK)
12 Andy Griffin
30 Steven Caldwell
19 Titus Bramble
35 Olivier Bernard
25 Brian Kerr
8 Kieron Courtney Dyer
11 Gary Speed
32 Laurent Robert
23 Shola Ameobi
9 Alan Shearer

B04 Bayer Leverkusen

No. Name
1 Hans-Jörg Butt (GK)
47 Thomas Kleine
7 Cris
35 Diego Placente
2 Christoph Preuss
21 Radoslav Kaluzny
28 Carsten Ramelow
8 Jan Simak
10 Yildiray Basturk
27 Oliver Neuville
11 Francoaldo Franca

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