AEK Athens 0 - Barcelona 1

Barcelona: Reina; Gabri, Abelardo, Frank De Boer, Sergi; Guardiola, Cocu; Luis Enrique (Petit 65'), Rivaldo, Zenden; Kluivert (Alfonso 65'). 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
0-1. 42. Luis Enrique. Close up when Zenden shot blocked after Rivaldo free kick.

Barcelona became the first Spanish team to win in Greece in 37 years after a single goal victory against AEK Athens. The atmosphere in the Nea Philadelphia stadium was as usual impressive, with thousands of flares and more toilet rolls thrown than one would expect in a Greek camp site the morning after a moussaka and retsina party. Barcelona's manager Serra Ferrer surprised everyone including Zenden in the starting line up, with wingers Overmars and Simao both unavailable through injury. Nobody was sure which Barcelona would turn up for this tie, having just lost their 18 match unbeaten run with a disastrous 4-0 defeat by Racing Santander, but they returned to their orderly back four against an Athens side who hardly created a scoring chance throughout the game. Barça's concerns about Tsartas, who had such a good season with Sevilla last season, were unfounded, and the midfield star was taken off early in the second half to be replaced by Argentina's Ruiz.

Only Nikolaidis caused any concern in the first half, and after the break a dangerous cross by Konstantinidis which went past everyone was the only effort which brought a reaction from the crowd. Barcelona went close twice in the first half before the goal, firstly from a Rivaldo free kick and then when Gabri headed into Atmatsidis's hands from a Zenden cross. Then a Rivaldo lofted free kick was headed back, and after Zenden's shot hit a defender, Luis Enrique picked up the rebound to shoot past the keeper. AEK's protests that Cocu was standing in an offside position fell on deaf ears as English referee Graham Poll awarded the goal. After the interval Barcelona sat back to defend their lead, and Serra Ferrer rested Luis Enrique and Kluivert already thinking of Saturday's vital league match with Deportivo. They had done their work well, and are in line for their first ever UEFA cup title. Their fans will not demand anything less.