Shearer hits treble top

Ajax 0-0 Arsenal

Ajax and Arsenal fought out a second successive draw in their Champions League Group B fixture in Amsterdam last night, leaving the table as it stood going into the match, with those two sides still leading the way on six points and two games remaining.

It was the Premiership champions who began the better of the two sides, not surprising considering their 5-1 mauling of Manchester City at the weekend as compared to Ajax, who lost 1-0 at Utrecht to fall seven points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven in their bid to retain the Eredivisie title and Thierry Henry could have opened the scoring early on following a good run, only to be denied by a smart save from Bogdan Lobont in the home goal.

The first period resembled a game of cat and mouse, with Ronald Koeman clearly concerned about Arsenal's speed on the counter-attack, although the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock not surprisingly came via a set-piece following a foul by Robert Pires on the left-hand corner of the visitors box.

Ajax's captain, Romanian international centre-back Christain Chivu, delightfully curled the ball up and over the wall, only for England left-back Ashley Cole to acrobatically clear his lines from right under the crossbar with a powerful header to keep the score goalless going into the break.

Unfortunately for those neutrals in the crowd and watching on television, the second half was virtually identical to the first, with neither side willing to risk losing a goal. However, were it not for a brave block by Lauren at the start of the second period to deny the dangerous Zlatan Ibrahimovic a certain goal, that situation may very well have changed.

As it was, both teams and coaches appeared happy with a point, leaving the tighest of the four groups still very much in the melting pot. In a fortnights time, Arséne Wenger's side entertain a rejuvenated Roma team who last night inflicted on Valencia their first ever Champions League defeat at the Mestalla, ending a run of 23 matches unbeaten at home. What's more, they did it in style, scoring three times before the break through captain Francesco Totti (2) and Brazil captain Emerson da Rosa on an evening when Fabio Capello's side knew that nothing other than a win would have sufficed and the Romans will no doubt be taking that attitude in with them to their must-win tie in north London.

After the draw, Wenger bemoaned the Dutch champions approach to the game. "Ajax were cautious and concentrated on their defence," he said. "They got what they wanted out of the game as we couldn't open them up.

"We couldn't find the spark we needed, but at least we stayed disciplined and concentrated for 90 minutes. We want to play with style, but when you play 60 or 70 games a season then that is sometimes hard to do. I am always frustrated when my team doesn't win. We are used to creating chances, but we were frustrated as they kept their discipline."

At the same time though, the Frenchman still believes that victory over the Italians at Highbury in a fortnights time should still see the Gunners through to the quarter-finals.

"Nine points should be enough to go through and we would be on that figure if we beat Roma. I still think the team have a very good chance of going through and there is a positive belief in the squad going into the Roma game. However, we now face two important Cup ties against Chelsea and Roma in the space of just a few days. But I'm still confident this team can go through and can go far in this competition."

Group B Standings
 

Newcastle United 3-1 Bayer Leverkusen

In Group A, Newcastle United won again to keep alive their slim hopes of also making it through to the knock-out stage of the competition, easily seeing off the challenge of Bundesliga strugglers Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 at St James' Park for a second consecutive victory over last season's European Cup runners-up.

Sir Bobby Robson and his team knew that if they were to have any chance of repeating their great escape from the first group stage, when they lost their first three games and still qualified, then they would need to follow up last week's 3-1 win in the BayArena with another three points and thanks to Alan Shearer, who was returning to the team following a two-game ban, that is exactly what happened.

Leverkusen, under new coach Thomas Hörster, had enjoyed a rare Bundesliga victory on the weekend, but the confidence gained from that success lasted all of five minutes. Gary Speed swung in a deep cross to the back post, where Shearer powerfully opened the scoring with a trade mark header.

At 32 years of age, it was the former England captain's first ever goal from open play in the competition, something that had taken him 14 matches to achieve and six minutes later, he had scored again with another back-post header.

The visitors soon had a chance to half the defict after Shay Given had pulled down Francoaldo Franca with the striker through on goal, but not only did the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper stay on the field to face the spot kick from Oliver Neuville, but he also repelled it and any hope Leverkusen had of getting back into the match.

And, ten minutes before half-time, the game was effectively over as a contest after Kieron Dyer had been pulled back in the box by Thomas Kleine and Shearer had no problems in dispatching the resultant penalty high past Hans-Jörg Butt in the Germans goal for an incredible 36-minute treble.

It was the 15th hat-trick of Shearer's illustrious career and his first for three-and-a-half years when, in Robson's first match in charge of the club, he netted three times in an 8-1 thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday. More goals could have been scored after the interval, especially by the skipper himself, who missed his easiest chance of the night, dragging a shot wide of the post six yards out having been set up by his energetic strike partner Shola Ameobi, who also went close with a mazy run and shot past the post.

Leverkusen did grab a consolation goal 17 minutes from time when Marko Babic stole in behind the home defence to lob Given and although they then hit the bar with a Kleine header following a corner, it was Robson's side who had played the better football and deserved the points.

And that win keeps Newcastle in with an excellent chance of progressing to the latter stages of the Champions League after Internazionale were held to a goalless draw by group leaders Barcelona, who subsequently lost their 100 per cent record in this season's competition having won their previous eleven matches in a row.

The Spaniards lead the way with ten points from four games played, followed by Inter on seven and Newcastle a further point behind with the two sides set to meet next in Milan before the second group phase is brought to a close by the visit of the Catalans to St James'.

A defeat at Inter in a fortnight though would spell the end of the road for the Magpies. "There's a sense of belief that we won't be afraid in Inter and we'll look forward to it and we'll go with a lot of confidence about it," said Robson after the match. "We know that if we don't get anything there, we might not qualify."

And as for man-of-the-match Shearer, Robson claimed that: "It upset him to be out of the side. He didn't like that. He's had a rest from it and he's enjoyed tonight. He's helped to make up for the two matches that he missed, and his disappointment."

Group A Standings