Group G round-up

Last updated: 17th December 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Group G round-up

Yovov: On target for Sofia

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Salzburg win in Spain while Sofia pick up first points

Villarreal go through to the knockout stages of the Europa League despite going down 1-0 at home to Red Bull Salzburg.

Both sides had already qualified for the last 32 and the other game in Group G was a dead rubber - Lazio losing 1-0 to Levski Sofia in Rome.

Dusan Svento's early goal was enough for Salzburg to win at Villarreal and they finish the group stage as the only team with a 100 per cent record.

Slovakian Svento scored the game's only goal in the seventh minute as Huub Stevens' side bagged all 18 points on offer.

Just like Salzburg, Villarreal also were already qualified for the knockout rounds going into the game. The Primera Division side finished second in the pool on nine points.

The Austrian outfit, who conceded just two goals in their six group victories, showed their attacking intent from the outset in Spain and took the lead after just seven minutes.

Simon Cziommer sent a long ball over the Villarreal back-line for Svento, whose left-footed shot beat Xabi Oliva at his far post.

Stevens' team controlled the game for much of the next 20 minutes. The Spanish side did muster a good chance on the half-hour mark, but Joseba Llorente could not lift the ball over Salzburg goalkeeper Eddie Gustafsson.

The home team got the better of Gustafsson six minutes later but Cziommer cleared a dangerous ball into the area from Jonathan Pereira.

The visitors had an opportunity to go two up after the break but Robin Nelisse's shot did not have the pace to beat Oliva.

Ernesto Valverde's team continued to push forward looking for the equaliser and nearly found it in the 61st minute. Damian Escudero's corner from the right was misjudged by Gustafsson, but the goalkeeper was rescued by the crossbar.

The Yellow Submarine appeared determined to inflict a first loss on the Austrian side, but Salzburg stood firm defensively over the final half-hour. Giuseppe Rossi found himself well positioned with 11 minutes remaining but shot well wide from 12 yards.

Salzburg, however, almost made it 2-0 on the counter-attack in stoppage time. Admir Vladavic struck narrowly off target but the away team had done enough.

Levski Sofia claimed their first win in the competition with a 1-0 victory over Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico.

Hristo Yovov struck on the hour mark for his team's first goal of the competition and was good enough to secure the triumph.

Both sides went into the final group game having already fallen out of contention for a place in the next round and had only pride to play for.

Antoni Zdravkov's Levski dominated the encounter in Rome and deserved the win.

Lazio coach Davide Ballardini, with his team's last Serie A game of the 2009 coming up this weekend at Inter Milan, made wholesale changes to the team that beat Genoa 1-0 at the weekend and his young side mustered little.

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