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Fernando Morientes grabbed
a late double to give Real Madrid a workmanlike 2-0 win over Wisla
Krakow in the first leg of their third round Champions League qualifier
on Wednesday.
Morientes, returning to competitve action for the club after last
season's loan spell at Monaco, struck when David Beckham sent in a
well-weighted cross in the 72nd minute.
He added a second on the stroke of full-time, converting a cross from
Roberto Carlos to take Real into the home leg of the tie with a
comfortable advantage.
Morientes started on the bench but his introduction after 68 minutes for
playmaker Zinedine Zidane seemed to pour cold water on media speculation
that Real were ready to let him go in part exchange for Liverpool
striker Michael Owen.
New Real coach Jose Antonio Camacho confirmed as much after the match,
saying: "There are no plans relating to Morientes leaving the club".
Regarding a move for Owen, he added cryptically: "I've heard that the
decisions have been made."
Until Morientes came on Real had looked sluggish and only threatened in
spells against a Krakow team desperate to be the first Poles to reach
the group stage since Widzew Lodz in 1998.
Real's best chances came in the first five minutes when Brazil's Roberto
Carlos hit a close-range shot straight at Krakow goalkeeper Radoslaw
Majdan and Raul was inches from reaching a Luis Figo cross at the far
post.
Zidane and Ronaldo also fluffed chances in the box later in the first
half, with Wisla's response limited to a scrambled half-chance for
Nigerian international Kalu Uche.
The Poles did better in the second half with a stinging 20-metre drive
from Argentine Mauro Cantoro and a mazy run and shot from Poland striker
Maciej Zurawski the closest they came to scoring from a series of
openings. |
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