Game report : NE Xamax - FC Basel    3 - 0    (0 - 0)  Attendance : 8'100
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Goals : 64' Lesniak, 83' Martinovic, 90' Kunz.


In the first half we saw a quite calm game, where Xamax doubtlessly showed
more ability than Basel in leading the play, but did it with much
awkwardness in the game, and in the few times they faced the net. Basel had
though one opportunity right before the break but Corminboeuf could deviate
Frick's shot outside his goal.

The second half has been a bit boring to begin with, but the rythm
gradually rised, until that 64th minute when Lesniak took advantage of
Olivier Stoeckli's first mistake and scored the 1-0. Basel's ersatz goalie
has been until then really good though. Around 10 minutes after that
Sandjak lousily missed a penalty shot; though Stoeckli fell right on the
opposite side, Sandjak sent the ball right on the pole. That miss gave
-finally- Joerg Berger's team much offensive emphasy for a good 10 minutes
period, but they weren't even close to make it for the tied.

Later on Martinovic - who played for the first time quite well - scored on
a cross pass from Kunz. Kunz who scored again later on after a quite nice
individual effort within Basel's box.

Still it was Neuchatel's luck they could use Rothenbuehler once more before
having to stay 5 weeks off the field, as Jeanneret might be back for the
forthcoming Xamax-FCZ.

After having feared this game because of Xamax' lack of experienced
defenders, I know fear a bit for Basel's future for they really were unable
to bring on enough offensive weight to create danger around Corminboeuf. So
much that I wonder how come they scored thrice tonight against Luzern.
I hope, despite their loss, that those goals will help them finding the
right track to the net; it'd be too bad that a team with such a playing and
public potential had to starve again under the fatal bar.


You certainly all know about Xamax's next UEFA opponent; well I'm an
almost-pleased fan already owning his tribune ticket for the game in
Neuchatel. Almost pleased for Neuchatel played it cleverly but surely not
popular-minded with their price strategy. The only kind of sitting places
for sale cost no less than 120 bucks... As a matter of comparison the trip
to Milan and the game ticket cost that much...

Keep enjoying football.

Laurent Weber, Zurich, Switzerland --- lweber@worldcom.ch ---
http://home.worldcom.ch/~lweber
                             --- The truth is elsewhere ---