Frankfurt frustrate Moscow hosts

German champions 1. FFC Frankfurt achieved a goalless draw in icy Moscow as they frustrated WFC Rossiyanka in the first leg of their UEFA Women's Cup quarter-final.

Deadlock
The Russian title-holders were denied by the woodwork as they failed to take advantage of the game's better chances – with Olga Petrova rattling the post with a header and substitute Olga Kremleva then fluffing her lines late on. As it was, the teams will resume at 0-0 when the return match gets under way in Frankfurt on 21 November.

Rossiyanka pressure
Against a visiting side missing injured playmaker Renate Lingor and striker Sandra Smisek, Rossiyanka certainly had opportunities to warm up the 800-strong crowd who had braved temperatures of minus five. A home team full of Russian or Ukrainian internationals created the best moments of the first half as Elena Morozova and Tatiana Skotnikova both went close around the 30-minute mark.

Woodwork intervenes
There was no risk of complacency among the hosts once Petra Wimbersky's 50th-minute cross had bounced back off the crossbar and Birgit Prinz had just failed to turn in the rebound. Rossiyanka responded to that warning by striking the stranded Silke Rottenberg's right-hand post with a Petrova header on 68 minutes. Kremleva might also have done better nine minutes from time, although the locals were relieved that none of their defenders had touched a dangerous Kerstin Garefrekes cross into their own goal.