Maribor soar as Villarreal crash out
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Article summary
NK Maribor 1-1 Villarreal CF (agg: 3-2)
The Spanish visitors had three sent off as the Slovenian side enjoyed a startling success.
Article body
Villarreal CF had three men sent off as they crashed out of European competition after drawing 1-1 with NK Maribor, whose superb defensive performance earned the unheralded Slovenian side a place in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup.
Three off
Last season's UEFA Champions League semi-finalists finished their UEFA Intertoto Cup third-round second-leg match with just eight men after Alessio Tacchinardi, Gonzalo Rodríguez and Diego Forlán were all dismissed in the final ten minutes with the Spanish side facing elimination. Trailing 2-1 from the first leg at El Madrigal, Nihat Kahveci's 85th-minute goal gave Villarreal some hope, but Goražd Zajc's last-minute equaliser made sure the night was Maribor's.
Resolute
Marijan Pusnik's side's chances were based on defence and Maribor were resolute in their approach in the first half at the Ljudski Vrt stadium. Villarreal looked dangerous but could not find a way through and Maribor's chances of pulling off a wholly unexpected result grew as they arrived at half-time with the scores still level.
Ranilovič superb
Villarreal upped the tempo after the restart but Maribor defenders Žikica Vuksanovič and Fabijan Cipot and goalkeeper Marko Ranilovič were outstanding as the Spanish side were repelled time and again. Maribor looked to strike on the break and Milan Rakič and Zajc both had chances but were unable to capitalise.
Nihat strikes
Villarreal were pushing Maribor further and further back into their own half but the Slovenian side earned some breathing space on 80 minutes when Tacchinardi was dismissed for a second bookable offence. Still Villarreal pressed and they finally broke through with five minutes to play when Nihat lashed in the ball from 20 metres.
Late equaliser
When Gonzalo Rodríguez was shown the red card with two minutes left it seemed Maribor would hold on and they made sure of a place in the UEFA Cup second qualifying round when Zajc fired in the equaliser on the break when in alone on goalkeeper Mariano Barbosa. Villarreal were beaten, and their defeat was compounded in the dying moments when Forlán too was sent off.
