Uefa Cup Round of 32: Zulte Varagem vs Newcastle

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Date: 15 February 2007

Venue: Jules Otten, Gent

KO Time: 2045 CET

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Old ties renewed for Zulte Waregem

Two sets of former team-mates will be reunited as rank outsiders SV Zulte Waregem take on Newcastle United FC in their UEFA Cup Round of 32 tie.

Zulte Waregem qualified for this stage as the third-placed side in Group F. Newcastle finished top of Group H.

The two sides have never met in European competition.

Neither Zulte Waregem, nor their predecessors KSV Waregem, have ever met English opposition in European competition.

Newcastle have been drawn against Belgian sides on two occasions, winning a two-legged 1994/95 UEFA Cup tie 10-2 against R. Antwerp FC and beating KSC Lokeren OV 5-0 on aggregate in a 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup tie.

They have won all four individual games, averaging 3.75 goals in each.

Zulte Waregem goalkeeper Geert De Vlieger will be up against former RSC Anderlecht team-mate Celestine Babayaro in this tie. Both players represented the Brussels club in the 1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons, and were in the starting XI that lost the 1997 Belgian Cup final 4-2 to ZVC Germinal Ekeren.

Zulte Waregem defender Frédéric Dindeleux and Newcastle striker Antoine Sibierski are former team-mates, having played together at LOSC Lille Métropole in 1993/94. Lille finished 15th in Ligue 1 that season.

The second leg will be played on 22 February. The aggregate winners will face Fenerbahçe SK or AZ Alkmaar in the Round of 16, playing the home leg on 8 March and the away second leg the following week.

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Away goals boost Newcastle
Thursday, 15 February 2007

Newcastle United FC took a giant stride towards the next stage of the UEFA Cup after an impressive 3-1 victory away to SV Zulte Waregem in their Round of 32 first-leg tie in Ghent.

Difficult task
An own goal by Frédéric Dindeleux, a penalty by Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins and a superb individual effort by Antoine Sibierski settled the issue in Newcastle's favour, leaving the Belgian side with an extremely difficult task when they visit St James' Park on 22 February.

Glaring miss
The hosts held their own in the first half but were lucky not to be trailing at the break after a glaring miss by Martins, who struck his shot from three metres out against the leg of Zulte Waregem goalkeeper Pieter Merlier and the ball skimmed just past the post for a corner.

Own goal
Newcastle had the lion's share of possession and eventually took the lead in the 47th minute when Dindeleux turned a low cross by Kieron Dyer into his own net. With just under an hour played, the Magpies doubled their advantage when Merlier brought down Damien Duff in the penalty area and Martins scored from the spot.

Revival hopes
Hopes of a Zulte Waregem revival were kindled when defender Karel D'Haene was left unmarked to glance a header just inside the post and reduce the deficit on 69 minutes, but Newcastle restored their healthy lead with their third strike of the night. Frenchman Sibierski skipped past two defenders and rounded Merlier to tap in his fourth UEFA Cup goal of the season after 76 minutes and leave Newcastle in a commanding position.

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MAGPIES EASE THROUGH TO LAST 16

Newcastle United finished off stubborn Zulte Waregem with a 1-0 second-leg win to ensure their place in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup.

Obafemi Martinss 68th-minute strike, his 14th goal of the season, was all they had to show for a performance which at times threatened much more, but too often failed to deliver.

A 4-1 aggregate victory handed the Magpies a trip to AZ Alkmaar in the next round after the Dutch side fought back from 2-0 down on the night to claim a 5-5 aggregate draw and a win on the away goals rule against Newcastle's erstwhile group rivals Fenerbahce.

But a crowd of 30,083, including England boss Steve McClaren, might have expected more from the home side, who nevertheless kept a first clean sheet in 18 games.

Having returned from Belgium last week with a 3-1 win, there was never any real prospect of Glenn Roeders men surrendering their advantage.

But although they dominated for long periods, they never really looked like taking apart a team which included several semi-professionals.

Keeper Steve Harper had only two saves to make, the second at the death to preserve his sides lead, but manager Glenn Roeder will have been disappointed that his side did not cause more problems against a team lying 12th in the Belgian Jupiler League.

Zulte coach Francky Dury arrived on Tyneside flying the white flag after the first leg and with his sights set firmly on the weekends league clash with KAA Gent.

He made eight changes to the side which started at the Jules Otten Stadium, while Roeder fielded his strongest available team.

That meant a return to the starting line-up for £9.5million misfit Albert Luque for the first time since November 30 as Antoine Sibierski sat out with a tight hamstring.

While Newcastle started at a lively pace to put the Belgians under intense pressure, the sides left the pitch at the break with no change in the aggregate scoreline and with Roeder having shuffled his pack in an attempt to find the breakthrough.

It might have been so different had Stijn Meert not cleared Steven Taylors thumping header off the line, or had James Milners blistering sixth-minute drive crept under rather than over the crossbar.

Sammy Bossut was tested for the first time on 22 minutes when Kieron Dyer fired in a stinging long-range effort which the keeper needed two attempts to claim.

With skipper Nicky Butt spraying the ball around the field and Milner tormenting full-back Bart Buysee, it seemed only a matter of time before the home side added to their tally.

However, as long as the opening goal failed to appear, the visitors knew their slim hopes were still alive, and they might have made things interesting had it not been for two excellent interventions by Newcastle defenders.

Titus Bramble timed his 30th-minute tackle to perfection to dispossess striker Sebastien Siani after Meert had played him in.

And Taylor had to be just as alert six minutes before the break after Stijn Minne picked out Wouter Vandendriessches run into the box.

Roeders response was to switch Luque to the left wing, with Milner moving inside to accommodate Damien Duff on the right and Dyer joining Martins in attack.

Celestine Babayaro did not re-appear after the break and was replaced by Paul Huntington.

But, after a brief flurry by the visitors, it was Newcastle who took control, Bramble forcing a save from Bossut and Martins mistiming a header from six yards.

Vandendriessche forced Harper into his first save of the game on 53 minutes with a curling shot from distance, and the keeper was happy to see Ludwin van Nieuwenhuyzes skidding drive fly past his far post three minutes later.

Newcastle were labouring, and Roeder withdrew Butt and Luque for youngsters Matty Pattison and Andy Carroll in the search for fresh impetus.

But it was Duff who finally fashioned the opening goal on 68 minutes when he slid a pass into Martins run, and the striker calmly lifted a shot over the advancing keeper.

The goal seemed to sap Zultes remaining energy as the Magpies assumed control for the closing stages. Milner twice went close, the second a swerving 87th-minute free-kick which dipped just wide of the post.

The visitors might have snatched a draw at the death when, with Newcastle committed to an attack, substitute Tim Matthys evaded challenges from Nolberto Solano, Pattison and Bramble before the latter got back and combined with Harper to divert the shot behind.