Liverpool scored with a pair of early volleys to beat Juventus 2-1 in a Champions League quarterfinal match that commemorated the Heysel Stadium tragedy nearly 20 years ago.
Sami Hyypia scored the first goal from the left side in the 10th minute, and Luis Garcia added the second with a hard shot from well outside the area in the 25th. Defender Fabio Cannavaro replied for Juventus, scoring his first Champions League goal with a powerful header in the 63rd.
In another quarterfinal match, PSV Eindhoven came back to draw 1-1 with host Lyon. Florent Malouda sent a low shot past PSV goalkeeper Gomes in the 12th minute, but Phillip Cocu equalised for the Dutch leaders in the 79th.
The second-leg matches will be played next Wednesday.
In Liverpool, former stars Michel Platini and Ian Rush joined with thousands of fans in an emotional ceremony to remember the 39 people who were killed at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, before the start of the 1985 European Cup final. It was one of the worst soccer tragedies in history.
Platini and Rush, who later joined Juventus, played on opposite sides in that game, which Juventus won 1-0. Tuesday’s match was the first competitive meeting between the two European powerhouses since that day.
Juventus had only conceded two goals in its first eight Champions League matches this season, but the Serie A co-leaders allowed two in the first half on Tuesday.
”We did not play in the first 30 minutes. We allowed two avoidable goals and squandered our scoring chances,” Juventus coach Fabio Capello said.
Hyypia, recalled to the Liverpool defence because Mauricio Pellegrino is ineligible, opened the scoring when Steven Gerrard’s corner was flicked on by Luis Garcia to the Finland international.
Fifteen minutes later, Anthony le Tallec floated a ball into space midway in the Juve half. Luis Garcia then ran through to take control and lob a firmly struck 25m shot over the head of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and just under the crossbar.
”I am delighted with our performance in the first half but, against Juventus, it was very difficult to keep going like that for 90 minutes,” said Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, who led Valencia to a Uefa Cup triumph last season.
The result is likely to leave both sets of fans satisfied — Liverpool with their win and Juventus with an important away goal.
”It’s a good result after all,” Capello said. ”A 1-0 home win will do, but we will have to play with greater determination.”
The winner of the two-leg series will face either Chelsea or Bayern Munich in the semifinals. The English leaders host their German counterparts at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
In Lyon, the hosts dominated large portions of the match, but PSV did well to get an important away goal when Cocu drove forward from midfield and sent a deflection off a Lyon defender past goalkeeper Gregory Coupet.
”We said before the game the most important thing was, we had to score. Fortunately it happened,” Cocu said.
Lyon exerted continuous pressure after Malouda’s goal. Mahamdou Diarra sent a blistering shot just past the left post and Michael Essien’s shot from 20m bounced off the right post.
Lyon, who need just three more wins to clinch their fourth straight French league title, improved their scoring record to 28 goals in nine matches — tops in this year’s Champions League.
”We played with a lot of rhythm in the first half, but they broke our rhythm after the break,” Malouda said. ”We have to stop them being comfortable playing at their own pace.”
A visit to Milan awaits the winner. AC Milan and crosstown rival Inter play on Wednesday in the first leg of the fourth quarterfinal.
The semifinals are scheduled for April 26 and 27 and May 3 and 4, with the final set for May 25 in Istanbul, Turkey. — Sapa-AP