I Efa, Uefa, We all Efa Cup: Paris and Lens are in like Flynn

By: Sam | February 22nd, 2007

In the end, two of four French clubs have progressed to the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup. Not bad, considering that some of these clubs are experiencing some rough patches in Ligue 1, but the way they went out was a tad depressing. Videos are below.

The good news first: Paris Saint-Germain and Lens are through to the next stage, after the former club continued in their happy streak and duplicated the first leg, blowing past AEK Athens 2-0. Lens held their Greek counterparts, Panathinaïkos to a draw that kept the aggregate score at 3-1.

The bad news: Bordeaux and Nancy were cruelly eliminated by Osasuna and Shaktar Donetsk respectively. Bordeaux surrendered the only goal of the series in the last minute of extra-time, which meant that after 209 minutes of goalless football, the one was scored. Nancy could have gone through with a scoreless draw, but a really really really crappy goal by Fernandinho that keeper Damien Gregorini should have stopped killed off the good guys.

The kinda bad, I guess news: The two victors have tall orders now: Paris will play Benfica in the round of 16, and Lens will play Bayer Leverkusen.

Lightning struck twice for PSG defender Bernard Mendy, who scored (albeit less spectacularly) like he did in the first leg, this time on a penalty in injury time. The first scorer, Pierre-Alain Frau, had the prettier goal when Pegguy Luyindula flicked him on and he gingerly beat the Greek keeper Sorrentino. AEK were all but invisible in this one, which PSG deservedly won, and look good going into the last 16.

Lens, after their solid showing last week at home, didn’t have the flair that put them two goals ahead this time. Pana came close to pulling back thrice, and barring a goal-line save, a slight touch from Itandje and one dependable crossbar, Lens could have been in for a fright, or even an elimination. An unusual performance for the offensively yummy RCL, but who go through all the same to challenge the Germans of Bayer Leverkusen.

Bordeaux’s match failed to deliver excitement, as is the story of their life. The match seeming destined for spot kicks after scoreless draws all around, it was Iranian international Javad Nekunam who slotted it into the corner with less than a minute left in extra-time. Man, that just sucks for Bordeaux, who aren’t enjoying their season as they’d like to.

Before and after Damien Gregorini sorrily conceded the match’s only goal, nothing much happened besides a few shots wide and a decent showing from Nancy’s newly acquired keeper early in the game. But Shaktar’s Fernandinho got a wee bit lucky when his meh shot dribbled past Gregorini and into the net after hitting him on the leg. Bad break for the young upstarts who’ll turn to Ligue 1 to try and merit another European spot for next season.

Paris 2-0 AEK Athens
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Paris S.G. 2 - 0 AEK Athens
envoyé par tzonner

Nancy 0-1 Shaktar Donetsk

[Nancy-Donetsk] 0-1 Fernandinho
envoyé par matfoot