Standard leave it late
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Article summary
VFL Bochum 1848 1-1 R. Standard de Liège (agg: 1-1, Standard win on away goals) Jorge Wiston wins it.
Article body
Late drama
With time fast ebbing away, Standard winger Sérgio Conceição - the match's most impressive performer - ran at the German side's defence down the left, and his cross went through Edu's legs and into the path of substitute Wiston, who beat Bochum goalkeeper Rein van Duijnhoven with a superb left-foot drive. The strike sent the Belgian side through on away goals after a scoreless first leg.
Portuguese masterclass
Conceição was a threat throughout, first causing Bochum problems as early as the the 12th minute. The Portuguese winger broke down the right flank and produced a low cross that Mohamed Tichte, the visitors lone striker, side-footed just wide.
Runje fortune
Bochum looked at their most dangerous from set pieces, with the impish Dariusz Wosz's delivery consistently threatening. On 18 minutes, the slightly-built captain lofted in a free-kick that Standard goalkeeper Vedran Runje almost punched into his own goal.
Standard counter
Standard looked increasingly dangerous on the counterattack, with the experienced Conceição patrolling the right flank with menace and causing havoc in the home side's defence with his old-fashioned wing play.
Conceição again
On the half-hour mark, the same player struck a low right-foot shot from 20 metres that Van Duijnhoven spilled and had to gather at the second attempt. Eleven minutes later, continuing his show stealing performance, Conceição powered a header over the Bochum bar from a corner before reappearing down the left flank to swing in another dangerous cross.
Bochum goal
With play swinging from end to end, on the stroke of half-time Wosz floated in another free-kick from the right and Marcel Maltritz stole into the Standard penalty area to give the Germans the narrowest of leads.
Standard press
Without quite hitting the heights of their first-half performance, the Belgian side pushed on in search of an equaliser after the restart. A series of Conceição corners culminated in van Duijnhoven pushing a close-range strike from Standard defender Onyewo Oguchi, onto the post.
Last-gasp equaliser
However, with the final whistle imminent, a couple of Standard corners seemed to unsettle the Bochum defence, setting the stage for Wiston's dramatic final intervention.