Frankfurt back to their best
Monday, August 25, 2003
Article summary
Group 7 round-up: 1. FFC Frankfurt's bid to regain the UEFA Women's Cup got off to a fine start.
Article body
1. FFC Frankfurt's bid to regain the UEFA Women's Cup had a good start as the German champions won Group 7 with a decisive 8-1 victory against Spanish hosts Athletic Club Bilbao.
Frankfurt in control
Both teams won their first two fixtures against Portugal's SU 1. Dezembro and Austrian qualifying Group 2 victors SV Neulengbach but it was Frankfurt - winners in 2001/02 but beaten semi-finalists last season - who always controlled the group.
Opening win
They began with a 4-0 win against 1. Dezembro. Renate Lingor, Patricia Barucha and Sandra Albertz all scored in the first half, with Ana Gomes scoring a 66th-minute own goal.
Hosts leave it late
Athletic, meanwhile, left it late to secure a 2-0 victory against Neulengbach. Irantzu Castrillo's 70th-minute penalty broke the deadlock, with Gurutze Fernandez swiftly doubling the lead.
Clear advantage
Frankfurt were even more comfortable against Neulengbach, winning 7-1 having scored their first six goals before half-time. It gave them a clear goal difference advantage over Athletic, who beat 1. Dezembro 5-2 - after scoring twice in the final minute after seeing a 3-0 lead pegged back to 3-2.
Decisive victory
Neilengbach ended by clinching third place with a 1-0 victory against 1. Dezembro, but all eyes were on Bilbao as the top two aimed for the quarter-finals. And in the end it was decisive as Frankfurt led 4-1 at half-time and added four more after the break, Louise Hansen, Albertz and Barucha all scoring twice in the game.