Real Madrid squander advantage provided by McManaman double
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Your support makes all the difference.Steve McManaman scored twice in the first half but finished the night frustrated after AEK Athens struck twice in the final 16 minutes to clinch a 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in their Champions' League Group C match at the Bernabeu last night.
Real were strolling towards the win they needed to be sure of a place in the second phase as McManaman scored two well taken goals in the first half. Real, who had to battle back to snatch a 3-3 draw in Athens in their previous European outing, appeared to think they had done enough and became sloppy after the break and Costas Katsouranis reduced the arrears with a header from a corner after 74 minutes. The home side were becoming increasingly uncomfortable and the substitute Walter Centeno pounced four minutes from time to earn the Greeks a point, converting smartly after Ilija Ivic had turned the Real defence down the left.
Real remain top of the group with eight points from four games. Roma have five after a 0-0 dour draw with Genk last night. The Belgians have two, with AEK on four.
Borussia Dortmund were held to a 1-1 draw at home by the Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in their Group A game. The Czech striker Jan Koller opened the scoring for the German champions with a header from a Tomas Rosicky free-kick after 10 minutes. But the striker Arnold Bruggink put the visitors level with a superb volley from the edge of the box two minutes into the second half.
Dortmund, the 1997 Champions' League winners, stay second in the group and are now two points behind the leaders Arsenal. Eindhoven are bottom in the group on two points from four games and have lost almost all hope of making the second stage.
Basle, who are in Liverpool's group, forced a 2-2 draw at home to Valencia when Ivan Ergic scored his second of the night in the final minute, just after the Spaniards had Roberto Ayala sent off. Ruben Baraja equalised in the first half and Curro Torres put Valencia ahead in the 72nd minute.
Ajax were held to a 1-1 draw at home in Amsterdam by Norway's Rosenborg Trondheim after they had the defender Jelle van Damme sent off in the 84th minute of the Group D match. He handled in the area to set up Dagfinn Emerly's equaliser from the penalty spot after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had put the Dutch outfit ahead late in the first half.
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