| Uefa Cup: Livorno and Parma say goodbye to Europe (English/Italian) |
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| Friday, 23 February 2007 | |
 Parma crashed out of the UEFA Cup after being caught by a late sucker-punch from Braga's Costa Diego.
Attempting to overturn the Portuguese side's one-goal advantage from the first leg, Claudio Ranieri's side missed a hatful of chances in defeat. The game almost started perfectly for the home side when Daniele Paponi thought his superb drilled header had beaten Jorge Paulo Santos, only for the Braga goalkeeper to somehow tip the ball over the bar. Braga hit back with a good chance of their own shortly after, when Silva Ze Carlos' shot from 12 yards flew narrowly past the post. Parma went close with another headed effort, this time Zlatan Muslimovic nodded over from Damiano Ferronetti's cross, and then the Bosnian shot wide from the edge of the box. An Andrea Pisanu corner found Fernando Couto's head, but Santos palmed it over. Vincenzo Grella's 30-yard piledriver called upon Santos to pull off a fantastic flying save as the half drew to a close. Needing a goal to get them back into the tie, Parma started the second half in disappointing fashion. Parma's Luca Cigarini blocked a goal-bound Alberto Ricardo Chaves shot and Fernandes Luis Filipe might have done better from 20 yards. Time was ticking down and Andrea Gasbarroni brought the best out of Santos from 25 yards as the hosts pressed for a goal. It nearly came when Gasbarroni fed Antonio Bocchetti, but his power header flashed across goal and wide. The wick was being turned up and Gasbarroni, Daniele Dessena and substitute Giuseppe Rossi all went close before Nuno Frechaut was dismissed for a second bookable offence.
As Parma continued to press, they were caught out when Filipe crossed for Diego to volley home from six yards in the 89th minute, to set up a last-16 meeting with Tottenham. in Barcelona Espanyol cruised past Livorno to advance to the last 16 of the UEFA Cup in style on Thursday.
Goals from Jesus Maria Lacruz and Coro gave the Barcelona-based side a 2-0 victory at the Montjuic which sets them up for a last-16 meeting with Maccabi Haifa of Israel. ESPN |
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