Newcastle make history, joy for Lokomotiv, Deportivo
Bill Barclay
Newcastle United created Champions League history on Wednesday as they joined Deportivo Coruna and Lokomotiv Moscow in claiming the three remaining qualifying places for the second group phase.
A dramatic stoppage time winner by Welsh striker Craig Bellamy earned Newcastle a 3-2 victory at Feyenoord and second place in Group E after rivals Dynamo Kiev lost 2-1 at home to Juventus.
The English side therefore became the first team to qualify from the first phase after losing their opening three matches, though if Bellamy had not scored Kiev would have pipped them to second spot behind group winners Juve.
Lokomotiv Moscow beat Club Bruges 2-0 to steal second spot in Group H ahead of the Belgians and Turkish side Galatasaray, while Deportivo won 2-1 at AC Milan to confirm second place in Group G.
Bellamy made a sensational return to action after serving a three-game suspension and following the recurrence of a serious knee problem.
The speedy Welsh winger put Newcastle ahead at the De Kuip stadium on the stroke of halftime and when Portuguese teenager Hugo Viana doubled their lead soon after the break Newcastle were in command.
But Feyenoord, who would have qualified themselves had they won, roared back with goals by Mariano Bombarda and Anthony Lurling until Bellamy rammed a loose ball in from a tight angle in the dying seconds to settle an extraordinary match.
GALATASARAY WOE
Dynamo were on course to qualify when Maksim Shatskikh gave them the lead after 49 minutes in front of 75,000 fans in Kiev.
But Juventus, already sure of going through, hit back with strikes by Marcelo Salas and Marcelo Zalayeta to break Ukrainian hearts, although Kiev have the consolation of a place in the UEFA Cup third round.
Like Newcastle, Lokomotiv Moscow went through to the second phase for the first time.
The Russian outsiders leapt from bottom to second in Group H by beating Bruges with goals by Julio Cesar and Dmitry Loskov as Galatasaray's poor campaign ended disastrously.
The Turks crucially lost their previous game 2-1 at home to Lokomotiv and their 3-1 defeat at group winners Barcelona on Wednesday meant they finished bottom and therefore missed out on the UEFA Cup place, which went to Bruges.
Barcelona's comfortable triumph at the Nou Camp, thanks to goals by Dani, Gerard and Geovanni, meant the 1992 European champions became only the fourth team in Champions League history to win all six of their group games.
Deportivo could only have been denied second place in Group G if RC Lens had won at eliminated Bayern Munich, and in the event the French side could manage only a 3-3 draw.
MAKAAY WINNER
Deportivo nonetheless achieved a notable a success in Milan, coming from behind to triumph 2-1 thanks to Roy Makaay's winner.
Milan finished top and will therefore be seeded in Friday's second phase draw. Lens make do with a UEFA Cup spot.
Group F was already decided in terms of the two qualifying spots, but 1999 champions Manchester United ensured they finished as group winners by beating last season's losing finalists, Bayer Leverkusen, 2-0 at Old Trafford.
Argentine midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron and Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy scored the goals after Leverkusen's Jan Simak missed a penalty as United bounced back from last Saturday's 3-1 derby defeat by neighbours Manchester City.
Israeli side Maccabi Haifa claimed the UEFA Cup spot after a 3-3 draw at Olympiakos Piraeus in Greece.
