UEFA Cup

Rijeka (0) 0 - Celta (0) 1 a.e.t.

Celta: Cavallero; Velasco, Djorovic, Cáceres, Juanfran; Doriva, Vagner; Karpin, Mostovoi (Jesuli 70'), Manolo (Giovanella 83'); Catanha (McCarthy 70'). 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
0-1. 111. Djorovic. From a spectacular free kick into top corner of net.

Celta struggled more than expected to beat the Croatian side, and in the end it took a free kick from a Serbian maestro to finish off the resistance of the home team and put Celta through to another tie in the Balkans, this time against Red Star Belgrade. Víctor Fernández has been rotating his players in these European matches, and once again he brought in keeper Cavallero and midfielder Manolo to give Pinto and Gustavo López a rest. Karpin returned after a bout of flu and Benni McCarthy arrived from Sydney in time to take a place on the substitutes' bench.

Catanha started up front with Camacho keeping a close eye on the recently nationalised striker, who is expected to join the Spanish squad for the next World Cup qualifiers. However this was not his night, and after only managing two shots at goal he was replaced by McCarthy with 20 minutes to go. That didn't mean that Celta didn't attack though, and the sports paper that counted 36 shots in the first leg counted the same number in this one to total 72 in all. Once again Tafra was superb in goal, stopping shots from Karpin, Doriva Mostovoi amongst others, and Doriva also hit the post near the end of the 90 minutes.

The game went into extra time, and when it looked as if it would end in penalties, Djorovic finally beat the keeper with his free kick. It had taken 201 minutes for the first and only goal, but it was enough to see Celta to their fifteenth game in a row without defeat. They were unhappy about the draw for the next round though, and with the current unrest in Yugoslavia, they are appealing to UEFA to change the venue for their first leg in Belgrade. Djorovic wouldn't mind though, as he came from Red Star in the first place, and would surely be welcomed by the home supporters. Unless he gets another goal like this one, that is.