Aston Villa's UEFA Cup campaign ended in glorious failure as Atletico Madrid survived a second half battering to earn a place in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup on the away goals rule.
Villa looked dead and buried when Jose Caminero grabbed the first half goal
which put Atletico 2-0 ahead on aggregate and left Villa needing to score three
times in 90 minutes to turn the tie around.
The Spanish international had also been his side's hero in the previous round
when he scored in both legs of the win over Croatia Zagreb - and his 28th minute
strike at Villa Park was like a dagger into the heart of John Gregory's side.
As in the Calderon Stadium a fortnight ago Villa failed to fire on all
cylinders in the first 45 minutes as Madrid looked dangerous on the break and
hardly gave the home side a sniff of a chance.
But in a pulsating second half Villa came close to completing a memorable
comeback as two goals in three minutes from Ian Taylor and substitute Stan
Collymore brought the aggregate score level.
Villa created a host of chances and Madrid were left hanging on by the skin of
their teeth with goalkeeper Jose Molina having to pull off a splendid save to
keep out a late effort from youngster Lee Hendrie.
However, in the cold light of day the significance of failing to score an away
goal in the first leg, when Dwight Yorke and Julian Joachim squandered golden
chances, became increasingly apparent.
It was the third time in five seasons that Villa had fallen victim to the away
goals rule in Europe after previous exits at the hands of Trabzonspor and
Helsingborgs.
Villa, who were beaten by a Christian Vieri penalty in the first leg, looked
nervous from the first whistle and conceded four corners in the first five
minutes.
The Spaniards started like a side with the knowledge behind them of never
having lost an away European tie under coach Raddy Antic.
They certainly showed no intentions of sitting back on the slender advantage
from two weeks ago and were a constant threat on the counter-attack.
The warning signals were there in the ninth minute when Caminero's left-wing
cross picked out Delfi Geli who should have done better with a header which he
looped over the bar.
Madrid were also tight at the back and it was 20 minutes before Villa created
anything resembling a chance - and then Ugo Ehiogu fired well wide after
advancing into the penalty area.
Savo Milosevic found some rare space 20 yards out after a neat pass from Lee
Hendrie but, when it seemed there was an open invitation to shoot, he opted to
try to find the overlapping Julian Joachim and the chance went begging.
In the 28th minute Villa Park was reduced to virtual silence when Caminero
poached the goal which left the home side an almost insurmountable mountain to
climb.
Kiko picked out Carlos Aguilera who outpaced Ugo Ehiogu and, as Mark Bosnich
came out to block his resulting effort, the ball span away into the path of
Caminero.
He had time to steady himself and cooly picked his spot before drilling a shot
into the corner of the net.
The goal arrived just when Villa were threatening to put their game together
and they responded to the setback by producing their best attempt of the half.
Midfielder Mark Draper tested Jose Molina with a low drive which the Atletico
goalkeeper needed two attempts to hold onto.
Villa opened the second half like a side on a death or glory mission and they
should have equalised within two minutes of the restart.
Dwight Yorke picked out Joachim completely unmarked on the right in the area
but he screwed his shot across the face of the goal.
Yorke then powered an Alan Wright cross against the woodwork but Atletico
should have killed the tie stone dead when Chrtistian Vieri and Jordi Lardin
dragged shots across goal with only Bosnich to beat.
However, the pressure on the Atletico goal became relentless and in the 71st
minute Taylor gave Villa a ray of hope when his shot from 20 yards was deflected
past Molina after Joachim had laid the ball back in his path.
Then three minutes later the Holte End erupted with a goal to remember from
Collymore. Hendrie found him on the left of the area and he cut inside a
defender before curling an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net.
Villa surged forward in search of the goal which would have turned the tie
around and Molina had to produce a fine low save to keep out a curling effort
from Hendrie which seemed destined for the corner of the net.
Aston Villa: Bosnich, Staunton, Southgate, Ehiogu, Taylor,
Draper (Nelson 54), Milosevic (Collymore 54), Yorke, Joachim,
Wright, Hendrie, Nelson (Charles 86).
Subs Not Used: Oakes, Grayson, Collins, Davis.
Booked: Hendrie.
Goals: Taylor 72, Collymore 74.
Atletico Madrid: Molina, Frascarelli (Provan 59), Santi,
Vizcaino, Vieri, Pantic (Lardin 58), Aguilera (Toni 81), Kiko,
Geli, Caminero, Bejbl.
Subs Not Used: Futre, Jose Marie, Jaro, Paunovic.
Booked: Caminero, Kiko.
Goals: Caminero 28.
Att: 39,163
Ref: M Van Der Ende (Holland).
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