Bayer Leverkusen vs Liverpool, 2001/02 UEFA Champions League, Quarter-finals

· 2nd Leg - Bayer Leverkusen win 4-3 on aggregate

Bayer Leverkusen

15': Michael Ballack
63': Michael Ballack
68': Dimitar Berbatov
84': Lúcio

FT
4 - 2
2nd Leg - Bayer Leverkusen win 4-3 on aggregate

Liverpool

42': Abel Xavier
79': Jari Litmanen

About

Bayer Leverkusen are hosting Liverpool at BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany, starting on . The match is a part of the UEFA Champions League.

Match Timeline

0': Keep it here for all the second leg action as Liverpool defend a 1-0 lead at the BayArena. Kicking off at 19.45 BST
0': The atmosphere's building nicely - Bayer boss Toppmoeller has urged his team to adopt an all-out attacking approach...
0': ...but then we've all seen how difficult Liverpool can be to break down away from home
0': The home side get us under way, but the ball is swiftly out of play and Liverpool take a quick throw
1': And it's almost a dream start for the visitors as John Arne Riise frees Heskey and the shot is deflected away for a corner
1': Murphy takes the kick, keeper Butt punches it away
1': Xavier puts a cross in, and Bayer get this one away. A very encouraging start for Gerard Houllier and Liverpool
2': Bayer have the ball now, and they'll just try to keep a little spell of possession going here
3': They could do better than that - Ballack hits one from the edge of the box and it's well blocked
4': Then Schneider is fouled, and Leverkusen can create more danger from a free-kick around 25 yards out
4': The ref is making sure the wall is back the required distance...
4': Ze Roberto curls it - over the wall and over the crossbar
5': Owen tries to free Riise, and he's fouled - Liverpool can swing this free-kick into the area. Bright start to the game
6': Riise takes the ball on after Murphy's cross is half cleared, and shoots over the top
6': Placente and Ze Roberto look to attack down the Bayer left, but Houllier's Reds force them back well
7': Nowotny swings a long ball forward, and Kirsten is hurt as he battles for it with Hyypia - the Byer man is soon back on his feet, though
8': Ze Roberto attempts to pull the ball back to Schneider on the edge of the area - it eludes him and Liverpool escape
8': Groans from the crowd as Bayer misplace another pass...
9': Then Gerrard goes through the middle, but can't find a colleague with his attempted pass
10': Xavier concedes a corner with Kirsten waiting... Liverpool get back in numbers
11': Dudek claims it confidently, and clears long downfield - to nobody
12': Heskey challenges Ferreira Lucio strongly: the ball, however, doesn't break for him
12': Thomas Brdaric chases a ball into the area, but it runs away from him and the visitors have another goal-kick
12': More good defending from Xavier - Schneider the man thwarted on this occasion
13': Leverkusen have the throw near the Liverpool area...
14': Again, though, they're forced back and Liverpool are showing all the defensive discipline we have come to expect
15': Kirsten gets into the area after a Brdaric flick - Hyypia stands his ground well
15': Then a bolt from the blue - Ballack picks up the ball 25 yards out, beats Gerrard and hammers the ball into the top corner. It's all square on aggregate!
16': A stunning goal, but Ballack seemed to get away from Gerrard's challenge a little easily
17': The visitors rocked after a comfortable and purposeful start
18': Liverpool try to hit back with Heskey, but he's easily ushered off the ball
19': Leverkusen are on the ball again and their fans, unsurprisingly, are the ones making all the noise
19': Kirsten gets a scrambled shot in after Henchoz half-blocks an effort... then play goes to the other end
20': Owen gets into the area but, one on one with keeper Butt, sees his shot blocked
21': A great chance for Liverpool to get back in control of this tie - but the normally reliable Owen couldn't make it count
22': Schneider twists and turns as Bayer threaten again - the visitors having to work hard in defence at the moment
23': Liverpool have a free-kick inside the Leverkusen half after a foul on Riise - it goes in towards Heskey, but he's easily beaten in the air
24': Suddenly, Liverpool are finding it hard to keep the ball and Leverkusen are taking control
25': As if to prove the point, Owen is easily dispossessed
26': Riise hurls a long throw into the area - again, though, Leverkusen deal with it with few real problems
27': Then a long Riise cross looks for Heskey - Butt is there to take an assured catch
27': Neat passing from Toppmoeller's men - Liverpool call a halt to it this time
28': Henchoz makes a vital interception as Kirsten lurks in the area...
29': ...and finally the ball drifts out of play for a goal-kick to the visitors
30': Riise embarks on another dash down the left for Liverpool, and again Bayer are swift to reclaim possession. Houllier won't be happy with this...
31': Placente fires in another cross from the left: the Leverkusen attacks are becoming more and more frequent
32': It seems like ages since Liverpool have managed to keep the ball for more than a few seconds
33': Ballack tries a long ball forward, but that proves an easy one for Dudek to claim
34': A poor pass to Murphy gives Bayer the chance to take control again - but Ze Roberto is flagged offside just when things are looking dangerous
35': Schneider drifts away from Hamann well, but the move only ends with a goal-kick to Liverpool
36': More good interpassing from the hosts - only one side seems to be playing. Liverpool are struggling to find any rhythm at all
37': Riise stabs the ball forward, to nobody in particular
38': A spell of possession from the visitors - Owen, though, is fractionally offside from Riise's dinked pass forward
39': Heskey looks to be struggling after some strong challenges, and it looks as though Jari Litmanen could be brought on
40': Schneider crosses, Brdaric hooks in a shot - Dudek makes an excellent stop to tip the ball around the post
41': The kick is dealt with, but again Bayer are first to a loose ball. Heskey is taken off, and Litmanen is into the picture for Liverpool
42': Owen does well, taking on Nowotny down the left and winning a corner...
42': Murphy takes the corner, and Xavier's downward header is into the far corner despite desperate efforts to stop it. It's 1-1!
43': A massive boost for Liverpool after what has often been a very difficult first half - they're back in control
43': Leverkusen win a free-kick as they try to hit back - Dudek catches well from Schneider's delivery
44': Owen gets away from Nowotny inside the Bayer half - the defender brings him down and gets a yellow card
45': Riise takes, Bayer clear, but suddenly Liverpool have a new spring in their step and win it back to force a throw
45': Into first half stoppage time, and that Xavier effort has made things look very bright indeed for the visitors
45': The half-time whistle goes - it's 1-1 at the BayArena
45': Liverpool start the second half, and they're in an excellent position here
45': Brdaric is fouled, and Bayer have an early free-kick as they look for a way back into this tie
46': Substitute Oliver Neuville looks to create a threat...
47': He crosses from the right, but that's easily dealt with
48': A Nowotny foul on Riise gifts possession back to Liverpool, who would surely be quite content with a slow second half here
48': Murphy crosses the ball in - Butt punches unconvincingly, but gets the ball away
49': Ze Roberto frees Dimitar Berbatov, the other substitute - this looks dangerous...
50': ...but it isn't, as Ballack's effort from the edge of the area is wild...
50': ...straight to the other end, and a Murphy touch puts Owen through. His shot beats Butt but bounces back off the post - that would have finished it
51': So close to a decisive moment after Owen had got away from the home defence
52': Ballack stretches on to a Neuville pass, but he can't beat Dudek. Bayer still hoping for an early second-half breakthrough
52': Lucio charges upfield but loses the ball and Riise tries to dart into the gap. He's booked for diving after crashing to the floor...
53': Then Henchoz flattens Basturk as he looks to motor into the area - another Liverpool yellow card follows
54': Schneider floats the ball in, but Liverpool deal with that well
56': Owen breaks and gives Riise the chance to cross - it floats behind and Bayer move forward, sending Brdaric into the area...
56': Dudek saves well, and Liverpool race away. Owen's in the clear again...
57': ...and again he fails to finish, dinking the ball wide. That's three excellent chances missed now
58': Xavier robs Placente down the Bayer left, and Toppmoeller's looking glum on the home bench
59': Free-kick to Leverkusen midway inside the Liverpool half - the visitors are defending with real purpose, and get it away
60': Ze Roberto fires another cross in, and Neuville flashes in a powerful volley which isn't too far over the top
60': Kirsten and Sebescen were substituted at half time for the two Bayer changes - and now Liverpool make a switch, with Smicer coming on for Hamann
61': Ballack swipes in another ferocious effort from distance, but it's over Dudek's crossbar
62': Ze Roberto pushes forward again, whipping in another cross...
63': Liverpool head it clear, and they're looking pretty comfortable with the situation
63': ...but that all changes as a fine cross finds Ballack and he heads superbly into the far corner. Leverkusen back in it - they lead 2-1 on the night!
64': More superb finishing from Ballack - and now Liverpool's advantage rests on their away goal
65': Schneider put the cross in - and his pinpoint assist has rekindled Leverkusen hopes
66': Nerves in the Liverpool area as Basturk causes problems. Riise then gives away a free-kick and Bayer can cross this in... the crowd turning up the volume
67': Schneider's effort, though, ends up in the side netting. Relief for Liverpool
67': Neuville gets into the area... he slams a shot in and it's cleared off the line...
68': Berbatov prods the rebound home and suddenly Liverpool's dream is on very shaky ground - it's 3-1 on the night!
69': Riise gets into the Bayer area as the stunned visitors try to hit back, but the ball is ushered to safety
70': Boris Zivkovic is on, Brdaric off as Bayer prepare for the last 20 minutes
71': All the momentum is with the home side - do the visitors have time to conjur up an answer?
72': Gerrard plays the ball forward, but Ze Roberto takes charge of the situation
72': Xavier is booked as he sends Basturk collapsing to the turf - signs of frustration at the turn events have taken...
73': Liverpool have a throw, but it's deep inside their own half. Placente blocks Smicer's path as the Czech tries to steer Houllier's side forward
74': Placente whips in a cross, but this time it doesn't find a Leverkusen head
75': Xavier is taken off and Patrik Berger replaces him as Liverpool look for more spark
76': Gerrard looks for the direct route through to Owen - Bayer calmly deal with the pass
77': Smicer fails to keep the ball in down the right, and time is trickling away for Liverpool. Things had looked so promising for them at half time...
78': Owen is fouled - it's a free-kick as Houllier watches on anxiously
78': Again, though, Bayer clear their lines with little fuss. Then Smicer crosses and the ball falls to Litmanen...
79': He shows admirable coolness to control the ball and steer it low into the corner. Brilliant finishing - Liverpool are back in charge!
80': A fantastic match - it's 3-2 to Bayer on the night, 3-3 overall - Liverpool are going through on away goals as things stand...
80': ...but given the nature of this game so far, who knows?
81': Ballack and Ze Roberto link, Carragher clears. The BayArena crowd - or most of them - stunned into silence
81': Lucio hits a skimmer from the corner of the area - Dudek saves well
82': Ballack fires over the top after some slick Leverkusen play. This isn't over yet...
83': Basturk overhits the ball when he has a great chance to set Ze Roberto flying down the left - a missed chance to put the pressure on
84': The offside flag stops Owen in his tracks... and Basturk comes forward to free Lucio inside the area
84': ...he keeps his cool to slide the ball low past Dudek and, unbelievably, it's 4-2 to Bayer on the night and they're heading through - at the moment...
85': Amazing game... ridiculously open, and Bayer have refused to give up even when things have looked at their bleakest
86': The Germans are 4-3 ahead on aggregate and the minutes are running out
87': Dudek has to come outside his area to cut out a long ball... Neuville follows up, but Dudek grabs the cross
88': Gerrard concedes a corner as Basturk races away... the home side, and their delirious fans, will be more than delighted with that
89': Basturk crosses and Neuville can't connect - a great cross and a great chance
89': Bayer are being very cool at the back - no aimless long balls clear, they're keeping possession and eating up the time
90': We're into the last minute of a truly amazing evening's football
90': Basturk is fouled by Gerrard, whose anger at the decision briefly threatens to get the better of him
90': Goal-kick to Liverpool - this could be the final chance for them. Virtually everyone's gone forward...
90': ...and Neuville can break and look for Ze Roberto. It's a Bayer throw, and that'll do for them
90': Neville on the ball: Leverkusen playing keep-ball inside the Liverpool half. A foul on Berger brings a free-kick - it's hit long and Bayer breathe again
90': The whistle blows, and the German side have a memorable victory after a thoroughly memorable game. It finishes 4-2 on the night, 4-3 on aggregate - the Liverpool Champions League dream is over

Game Information

Competition: UEFA Champions League

Venue: BayArena
Location: Leverkusen, Germany
Attendance: 22,500

Line-Ups

Bayer Leverkusen

No.	Name
1	Hans-Jörg Butt (GK)
5	Jens Nowotny
19	Lúcio
35	Diego Placente
8	Zé Roberto
10	Yildiray Basturk
13	Michael Ballack
25	Bernd Schneider
26	Zoltan Sebescen
9	Ulf Kirsten
23	Thomas Brdaric

Bayer Leverkusen Substitutes:

Frank Juric, Boris Zivkovic, Thomas Kleine, Marko Babic, Jurica Vranjes, Dimitar Berbatov, Oliver Neuville.

Liverpool

No.	Name
12	Jerzy Dudek (GK)
3	Abel Xavier
4	Sami Hyypiä
2	Stephane Henchoz
13	Danny Murphy
18	John Arne Riise
16	Dietmar Hamann
17	Steven Gerrard
23	Jamie Carragher
8	Emile Heskey
10	Michael Owen

Liverpool Substitutes:

Chris Kirkland, Igor Biscan, Vladimir Smicer, Patrik Berger, Nick Barmby, Gary McAllister, Jari Litmanen.

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