All-British finals still possible

Press, 13 April 1984, Page 36

All-British finals still possible

NZPA London The prospect of three allBritish finals in the European club soccer competitions next month flickered again last night from the northernmost outpost in Scotland to the shores of Portugal. Tiny Dundee United — roared on by 20,000 fans packed into Tannadice Park — led the way, upstaging the “old hands” Liverpool in the European Cup with an emphatic 2-0 win over Italy’s multi-million dollar side, Roma. The under-rated Scots might have been forgiven a touch of stage fright on their first appearance in a

European semi-final, but second-half goals from Davie Dodds and Paul Sturrock sealed the greatest night in the club’s history and left the Romans with a mountain to climb in the second leg if they are to run out at their own stadium on May 30 to contest the final. Liverpool, the winner of the Champions’ Cup in 1977, 1978 and 1981, have been through it all before and duly dismissed the Rumanian side, Dinamo Bucharest, 1-0, at Anfield in a bruising semi-final first leg clash. The England midfielder, Sammy Lee, grabbed his side’s twenty-sixth minute

winner before the Rumanians’ physical tactics disrupted Liverpool’s usual flowing style. But the English league leader often flourishes away from home and is unlikely to be denied another final appearance when it travels to Bucharest. The holder, Aberdeen, lost 0-1 to Porto in Portugal in the Cup Winner’s Cup but likewise the Scots should have few problems overturning the deficit in the return leg in two weeks time. England’s Manchester United will find things a little more tricky in Turin, however, after being held to

a 1-1 draw by Juventus at Old Trafford. United, without its England captain, Bryan Robson, and his fellow midfielders, Ray Wilkins and a Dutchman, Arnold Muhren, will surely rue what could have been had they been at full strength. The Italian World Cup hero, Paulo Rossi, shot Juventus ahead after 14 minutes but a United substitute, Alan Davies, playing his first game for nearly a year, equalised little more than 20 minutes later. The Irish striker, Frank Stapleton, should have netted United’s winner midway

through the second half but crashed his shot against the bar. Nottingham Forest, the European champion in 1979 and 1980, looks almost certain to reach its first U.E.F.A. Cup final after a convincing 2-0 win over the holder, Anderlecht, of Belgium. Two late goals by Steve Hodge secured Forest’s win but a fellow English side, Tottenham, crashed, 1-2, to Hajduk Split in Yugoslavia. Tottenham swept into a 10 lead through Mark Falco after 19 minutes but second half goals from Ivan Gudelj and Dusan Pesic carried the Yugoslavs to victory.