Late goal delights Žilina
Wednesday, July 30, 2003
Article summary
MŠK Žilina 1-0 Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC Marek Bazik's 86th-minute strike gives the Slovakian team a slender lead.
Article body
Fortunate break
With four minutes left to play, Miroslav Barcik's cross deflected off team-mate Zdeno Štreba and fell kindly for Bazik, who made no mistake from close range. The home side could even have doubled their advantage ahead of the away leg, with Michal Gottwald's effort in the closing minutes forcing a good save from Maccabi goalkeeper Liran Strauber.
Even start
Both teams started the match cautiously, with the Israeli Premier League side enjoying marginally the better of the few chances there were, and Bruno Reis and Andrejs Prohorenkovs both going close for the visitors in the opening 45 minutes.
Žilina chances
The second half began in similarly tight fashion, although Barcik and Vladimír Staš might have scored for the home side, while Maccabi's Avi Nimny shot high over the crossbar when well placed after 71 minutes. It seemed the game would end goalless, until Bazik's dramatic late intervention.
