Alkmaar Villarreal
1 - 1
(Aggregate: 3 - 2)
8' Perez
72' Lucho
Quarter-finals - 14 April 2005 20:30 (local time)
Alkmaarderhout - Alkmaar
Good evening and welcome to the Alkmaarderhout for the second leg of the UEFA Cup quarter-final between AZ Alkmaar and Villarreal CF. The home team go into the game with a narrow advantage after a late strike from Robin Nelisse sealed a hard-fought 2-1 victory at El Madrigal last week - the Spanish side's first-ever home UEFA Cup defeat. It takes Alkmaar to within four matches of emulating their side of 1981, who reached the final, but coach Co Adriaanse will be aware that his side spent much of the first leg on the back foot, with Juan Román Riquelme, who equalised and then missed a penalty, posing a constant threat.
Alkmaar's 1981 run was married with domestic success that saw the side claim the Eredivisie title for the first and only time in the club's history. But any hopes of repeating the feat this season have been dashed by a disastrous run of form that has left them facing a battle just to claim a UEFA Champions League qualification berth. Two defeats and a draw from their last three league matches mean Alkmaar now sit just one point above in-form AFC Ajax, against whom they lost 4-2 on Sunday. It was a disappointing day all round for Adriaanse, who also saw a number of his defenders pick up niggles. However, Jan Kromkamp (ankle), Tim de Cler (concussion) and Barry Opdam (muscle strain) have all recovered to join fit-again Joris Mathijsen in a full-strength back-line tonight. Nelisse will once again lead the line alone.
Villarreal must score at least two goals this evening but like his Alkmaar counterpart, it is in defence that coach Manuel Luis Pellegrini has had his biggest selection headaches of late. However, right-back Javi Venta and centre-half and captain Quique Álvarez have recovered from recent injuries, although they are only fit enough to take places on the substitutes’ bench as Pellegrini makes just one change to the side that lost in Spain seven days ago – Juan Manuel Peña replacing César Arzo. It is a cruel blow for the youngster, after he salvaged a 1-1 draw with a late strike against RC Deportivo La Coruña on Sunday that saw the side slip down a place to fourth in the Primera División. Midfield players Roger García, Sebastián Battaglia and Javier Calleja are all still absent.
The match is under way.
The home side, wearing red shirts and white shorts, get the game under way. Villarreal are dressed in their familiar all-yellow kit.
Román dominated the first leg and threatens to do so again here as he earns an early free-kick.
3' Alkmaar, who have never lost a UEFA club competition match at home, are looking to defend in numbers every time they lose possession tonight but Mathijsen is a little over-eager and is penalised for a foul on halfway.
5' Tarik Sektioui scored at the weekend and almost works an opening to make it two in two games when he works an opening after a flowing counterattack by Alkmaar, but his firmly-struck shot is blocked.
7' Luciano Figueroa could and should have given the Spanish side the lead after Román whips in a right-wing free-kick. But with the defence by-passed and goalkeeper stranded, the Argentinian striker blazes over the crossbar.
8' (1 - 0) Perez (Alkmaar) scores!
No sooner does Lucho miss his gilt-edged opportunity than the home side finally break out of their own half and take the lead. Perez receives the ball 30 metres out and holds off the challenge of Marcos Senna before hitting a crisp drive low to the goalkeeper's right.
9' Gonzalo (Villarreal) is cautioned by the referee.
The 21-year-old defender is penalised for raising his foot in a challenge with Barry van Galen.
12' Villarreal have been rocked by that early strike and since the goal they have struggled to break out of their own half as Alkmaar's offensive 3-4-3 formation looks to be taking them by surprise.
14' De Cler misses a terrific opportunity to make it 2-0 and leave Villarreal requiring three goals when Sektioui and Nelisse combine on the right flank before the Moroccan, who is enjoying a lively match on the right flank, crosses to the back post. But with time and space, the Alkmaar left midfield player blazes over the crossbar.
16' Mathijsen falls awkwardly whilst challenging - and fouling - José Mari Romero, and is carried off.
17' Jaliens (in) - Mathijsen (out) (Alkmaar)
The loss of the Netherlands defender is a blow for the home side as Kew Jaliens, who started the first leg, comes on.
19' Opdam (Alkmaar) is shown a yellow card.
The 29-year-old, now in his ninth season at the Alkmaarderhout, becomes the second player to enter referee Gonzalo Rodrígo's book. He will now be banned for the semi-finals should Alkmaar reach it.
21' Opdam (Alkmaar) is shown a second yellow card and is sent-off.
The Alkmaar centre-back collects a second yellow card seconds after his first, and the home team are down to ten men.
21' José Mari (Villarreal) is dismissed.
Following Opdam's dismissal a melee ensues on the edge of the Alkmaar penalty area, which results in Van Galen being sent crashing to the floor and José Mari following Opdam down the tunnel.
26' Both sides are down to ten men now and holes are bound to emerge in both defences. Lucho almost exposes one, when he receives a pass from Román and fires between Jaliens's legs but straight at goalkeeper Henk Timmer.
28' Kromkamp has adopted a more central position since Opdam's dismissal, but even without his support on the right flank, Sektioui is still finding space.
30' Guayre (in) - Josico (out) (Villarreal)
An attacking substitute by Pelligrini as an attacker comes on for a holding midfield player.
31' José Manuel Reina is force into a decent save at his near post when the waspish Sektioui fires in a low free-kick following a foul on Perez.
33' Somewhat perplexingly given the situation, Alkmaar are playing a formation similar to that of the Netherlands side of the 1970s, with players taking it in turns to defend and attacking at will. It has been very effective so far but the flaw in the thinking is almost exposed here and only a last-ditch tackle from Olaf Lindenbergh deprives Lucho a shot.
36' Goalscorer Perez has had an excellent game so far, spraying the ball out to the wings and leading a number of attacks with his mazy runs. But he is on defensive duty now and his desperate lunge after Armando Sá ghosts around the back of the Alkmaar defence, appears to do just enough to put the Portuguese defender off and his shot balloons into the arms of Timmer.
39' Villarreal are beginning to exert a little pressure at the moment but the home side diffuse the situation with a series of percentage passes in midfield before Perez earns a free-kick.
42' The Spanish side are dominating possession but their attackers have not been displaying the same guile as their Alkmaar counterparts and even the talismanic Román has looked out of sorts.
43' Kromkamp makes good ground up the right flank and threads a terrific pass in to the path of Perez on the edge of the box. The Danish midfield playmaker has a lot of time, but still delays too long and his effort is eventually blocked.
45' Van Galen is much blunter when the rebound falls to him, however, firing a first-time shot that Reina catches by his right-hand post.
45'+1' There will be three minutes of added time.
45'+1' That could extend to four or five minutes now, as Perez receives treatment following a hefty challenge by Armando Sá.
The referee blows for half-time.
The remaining 20 players walk off for half time and it is Adriaanse who will be the happier coach. His side Alkmaar have one foot in the semi-finals after Perez's eighth-minute strike left Villarreal requiring three goals to remain in the competition. The odds on them doing so were reduced when José Mari was sent off on 21 minutes, moments after Opdam had been shown his second yellow card for the home side.
The second half begins.
46' Quique Álvarez (in) - Gonzalo (out) (Villarreal)
46' Villarreal get the second half under way knowing that they require two goals to take this tie into extra time.
46' Huysegems (in) - Van Galen (out) (Alkmaar)
47' Román sees an early long-range effort deflect off Kromkamp and into the arms of Timmer.
49' Lindenbergh almost scores an own goal as he blocks a near-post cross but Timmer saves his blushes, though only at the expense of a corner.
51' Perez could, and perhaps, should have sealed the win for his side when he beat the offside trap to collect a chipped pass. But without a defender is sight he hits a tepid volley straight at Reina.
52' Román (Villarreal) is booked.
The playmaker sees yellow after an untidy lunge inside the Alkmaar half.
57' The Spanish side have looked a different team since the interval and Timmer is forced into a good save to keep out Lucho's header.
58' Sektioui leads a rare attack for the home side, who have struggled to break out of their own half since the interval.
59' Nelisse strikes a shot just over the crossbar after Sektioui cuts the ball back to the edge of the box.
60' Quique Álvarez (Villarreal) is cautioned by the referee.
The substitute is penalised for an untidy challenge on Perez.
62' Sektioui has revelled in the space afforded to him on the right wing tonight and almost capitalises on a similar courtesy in the penalty box when he rises, unmarked to meet a corner. He gets underneath the ball, however, and his effort sails over.
66' Alkmaar look content to sit back, allow Villarreal to slowly build an attack - slow being the operative word - before launching a counterattack.
67' Buskermolen (in) - Nelisse (out) (Alkmaar)
Former Feyenoord player Nelisee has scored 47 goals in 150 games for Alkmaar but is reportedly leaving the club at the end of the season. The crowd display their opinion on where they want him to be with a standing ovation as he limps off.
70' Moroccan international Sektioui cuts in from the wing and fires in a low drive that only just goes the wrond side of Reina's left-hand upright. The goalkeeper looked to have it covered, however.
71' Lindenbergh (Alkmaar) is shown a yellow card.
The 31-year-old is penalised for a tackle from behind on Román.
72' (1 - 1) Lucho (Villarreal) scores!
The Argentinian striker has been Villarreal's biggest threat all game and caps his performance with a tap-in from close range, converting Román's fierce cross.
77' Villarreal have not given this game up yet. There is still enough time to win the tie and deal the Dutch side their first European defeat at the Alkmaarderhout.
78' Román almost gives his side the lead with a wonderful curling free-kick The UEFA Intertoto Cup winners are still in this match.
81' Sektioui is still looking to add a goal to the one he scored at the weekend but he has failed to really test Reina so far, with the exception of the troublesome jogging required to retrieve his wayward shots. This time his long-range effort is only five metres wide of the upright.
86' With just one goal needed to take this tie into extra-time, Villarreal are throwing everybody forward for the final five minutes. But Alkmaar are simply pulling everybody back.
88' Armando Sá misses a golden opportunity to make it 3-3 on aggregate and take this tie to extra-time when he receives a cut back from Guayre. But unmarked and just six metres out, he blazes over the bar.
90'+1' There will be two minutes of added time.
The final whistle is blown.
After a frenetic finish, Alkmaar hold on and will take their place in the semi-finals against the winners of the tie between Newcastle United FC and Sporting Clube de Portugal. Lucho's strike with 18 minutes remain dragged Villarreal back into the match and Román almost drew the scores level with a free-kick six minutes later, only to see his effort come back off the woodwork as the Spanish outfit fall a hurdle short of emulating their performance last season.
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