Real Madrid 3 - Lazio 2

Real Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Hierro, Karanka, Roberto Carlos; Figo, Iván Helguera (Solari 90'), Makelele; McManaman (Guti 75'); Raúl, Morientes (Munitis 65'). 4-4-2.

Goals:
0-1. 03. Crespo. Controlled pass by Castroman, beat Karanka and scored.
1-1. 32. Morientes. Shot across keeper after Raúl laid back Helguera's pass.
2-1. 81. Iván Helguera. Tapped in after Simeone missed Roberto Carlos cross.
2-2. 83. Gottardi. From close range after Casillas dropped Pancaro's cross
3-2. 89. Figo (penalty). After Munitis ruled to have been fouled by Gottardi.

Group D league table:
Real Madrid........ 9 points
Leeds United...... 6 points
Anderlecht........... 3 points
Lazio...................... 0 points

Real Madrid virtually booked their ticket for the quarter final stage of the competition with their third win out of three at the Bernabeu stadium on Tuesday night. The game was won and lost in the final ten minutes, with Figo finally giving the Merengues victory with a penalty two minutes from the end after referee Gilles Vessière ruled that Gottardi had fouled substitute Munitis. Lazio had taken the lead in the third minute with Crespo's first goal in the competition, a well taken strike with the outside of his foot after he had left Karanka for dead. Figo hit the far post with a centre-come-shot from the right with a quarter of an hour gone, and Morientes levelled the scores fifteen minutes later after Raúl cleverly switched play, pulling the ball back across the area for the striker after taking a through pass from Helguera. Just before the interval McManaman, now playing his best football, hit the crossbar with a shot after beating a couple of players on the edge of the area. Oddly, his boot flew off as he shot and followed the trajectory of the ball, striking the crossbar a second or two later. As the players left the field there was a clash between two old enemies, Helguera and Simeone, with the Spaniard pushing the Argentinian in the back in retaliation for a horrendous tackle minutes earlier which left Helguera with a nasty gash on his leg. Helguera's push earned him a yellow card, and Real Madrid's delegate, their ex defender Chendo, got himself a red one with a heated protest.

Only two good saves by Casillas from Crespo early in the second half saved Madrid from going behind, and at the other end Peruzzi stopped a shot by Figo at full stretch, Raúl sending the rebound into the side netting. Then with ten minutes to go a glorious chipped pass by Makelele left Roberto Carlos free on the left, and although Simeone got a foot to his cross, the ball fell to Helguera who only had to push it into the net. But as the crowd were still celebrating Pancaro swung the ball over from the left and Casillas, with one eye on the advancing Salas, let the ball through his hands. The ball dropped to Gottardi, who gratefully stuck it in the empty net, but then the goalscoring hero turned villain, handing victory back to his opponents right at the end. Lazio fell to their third defeat in a row, and now need to beat Madrid in Rome next week to have any chance of qualifying. They will however be without the suspended Nesta and Verón for that match. Madrid can rest a few key players next week if they like, knowing that a point from their last three games will probably be enough to see them into the quarter finals. An important victory for the reigning champions, this one.