1860 Munich	2 - 3	Newcastle United
Half time:	0 - 1
Score Sheet:
Agostino (56) Tapalovic (67)		Solano (11) Solano (pen) (55) Hughes (82)
	Teams
Jentsch Zelic Mykland Riseth Hassler Tapalovic Weisinger Agostino Weissenberer Schroth Dheedene		Given Barton Elliott Hughes Dabizas Quinn Solano Speed Bassedas Ameobi Bellamy
Substitutes:
Max for Schroth (62) Ipoua for Dheedene (70)		S.Caldwell for Bassedas (85) LuaLua for Ameobi (85) Bernard for Quinn (85)
Subs not used:
Ehlers Pfuderer Bierofka Passlack Hofmann		Harper McClen Griffin Gavilan
Bookings:
Tapalovic (44)		Bassedas (55)  Ameobi (78)  Speed (90)
Sendings off:
n/a		n/a
Referee: S Bre (France).
Attendance: 15,000 (some sources gave the crowd as 12,000.) Approx 300 toon fans.

11 mins. Nolberto Solano picked the ball up well inside his own half and exchanged passes with Gary Speed before running at the Munich defence. He beat two more defenders as he charged into the box running across keeper Jentsch, chipping it back across him as he advanced into the empty net. What a goal. 1-0

Half time: 1860 Munich 0 Newcastle 1

55 mins. Craig Bellamy ran towards the byline and was tripped by a mis-timed tackle. Nolberto Solano tucked the ball just inside the keeper's right post and just eluded Jentsch's right hand. 2-0

56 mins. Hero Solano lost the ball badly and Agostino thumped in the cross with a spectacular falling volley. 2-1 

67 mins. A shot from the right squirmed across our six yard box and fell to Tapalovic whose effort went in off the the underside of the bar, above the head of Warren Barton covering on the line. 2-2

82 mins. Wayne Quinn looped a ball back over to the far post, to where Solano hit a volley back across the six yard box and Aaron Hughes dipped at the far post to head home. 3-2

Full time: 1860 Munich 2 Newcastle 3

Bobby Robson said:

"The end of the game was frenetic on both sides. We clinched the winner and three goals away is good going, I think, considering we've trained for two and a half weeks."

About Monsieur Bre: 

"This wasn't just bad refereeing it was dismal. It was as clear a red card as there can be. And what it means is that instead of missing the second leg at St James's Park the Mykland will now be able to play."

Two goal Solano commented:

"That first goal was the greatest goal of my life.

"I think it's the best I have ever scored and one I will remember for the rest of my life. To score a goal like that in such a fantastic stadium is something I will never forget.

"Gary Speed did well to get the ball to me but don't underestimate the part played by both Craig Bellamy and Shola Ameobi.

"They set off on runs and took defenders with them which opened up some space for me so I just kept running and running and when I got up to the keeper I knew all it needed was the right touch and fortunately it all worked out for me.

"I know I missed a penalty against Middlesbrough at St James's Park last season when I hit the bar but this has not stopped me wanting to take them.

"And I have always said that I am happy to take our penalties when Alan Shearer and Kieron Dyer are not in the side." 

"I must admit I thought about going for goal myself but when the Munich keeper came running out to try and close me down I thought the best thing to do was to hit the ball across the goal and see what happened and Aaron was there to score our winner.

"It was a tremendous result for us but we must not now fall into the trap of thinking the tie is already won. 1860 Munich are a very good side and we must show them the same respect in the second leg at St James's Park next Wednesday."

Speaking the morning after the United game, a defiant 1860 trainer Werner Lorant said:

"It's normal that a game in the preparation can be lost. Some players just weren't up for it. The target for my training programme now is the game on Saturday and not next Wednesday against Newcastle. The game yesterday was preparation for the Bundesliga.

"Anyway, I am not of the opinion that we've been knocked out. Why shouldn't we win 2-0 away next Wednesday? Yesterday was the first half, in England we'll play the second half!" 

Counting all qualifying games, and matches in the Fairs, UEFA, Cup Winners, Anglo Italian, Champions League and Intertoto cups, this was our 72nd European tie, and our 37th victory. Our competitive record against German teams now reads: played one, won one.

We had faced 1860 before, in October 1958 at Gallowgate, when the Germans were beaten 3-0 in a friendly encounter (Ivor Allchurch, George Eastham, Gordon Hughes on target, 20,530 in attendance.)

Nobby joined the ranks of those who have netted twice in a European tie, an exclusive club with some star members: Pop Robson, Bobby Moncur, Wyn Davies, John Tudor, Tommy Craig, Alan Gowling, Gavin Peacock, Bez and Lokeren hero Shola Ameobi. 

Out in front though remain hat trick heroes Tino, Andy Cole and Bobby Lee.

After the phony war that was the Lokeren interlude, our Intertoto Cup campaign came alive in the wide open spaces of the Olympic Stadium. The meagre attendance were treated to five goals, the obligatory dodgy ref and more incidents than the channel 5 TV coverage could keep pace with as United put on something approaching a show.

The fan-unfriendly format of the competition meant that a small turnout of Newcastle fans were present, having overcome the twin obstacles of a midweek away fixture and the short time available to organise tickets and transportation.

Nevertheless, most of the usual faces were in evidence at the imposing if slightly antiquated Olympic Stadium. 

The fine weather may have tempted many Bavarians into the great outdoors, but few of those who wandered around the Olympic Park bothered to come through the turnstiles.

Indeed, the casual observer would have been hard pressed to realise that there was a match on at all. 

One look at the occasional mullet-sporting, denim jacket- clad and scarves-on-wrist 1860 fans wandering out of the U-bahn station could have led one to believe Deep Purple were tonight's star attraction, not Bobby Robson's boys.

A relaxed police and stewarding presence at the ground and an open sale of tickets for all sections meant that the biggest hurdle for toon fans was buying something from the one catering hut open. Some of our number had taken the opportunity to stock up on schnitzels and frites at a cafe outside the ground, only to find that the foaming beers they were being served were of the non-alcoholic variety....

Inside, what little semblance of atmosphere there was from the crowd was drowned out by enormous speakers planted at pitchside, through which were pumped various soft rock tunes and dreadful euro disco "classics". 

No doubt the gathering of 1860 fans at the far end of the ground enjoyed shaking loose their dandruff to ZZ Top and Van Halen. 

And in keeping with the slightly camp slant on proceedings, the Newcastle players emerged for their warm up to the strains of YMCA by the Village People - obvious popular over here, having colloborated with the German squad on their 1994 World Cup Final anthem.

Steve Harper looked singularly unimpressed.

The game itself was far more entertaining than even the most optimistic TV scheduler could have asked for, and after a nervy start, United relaxed into an effective style, aided by the fantastic early Nobby goal and a man to man marking job by Hughes on the vastly experience Hassler. The first half was reasonably level, with the visitors shading possession, and justifiably going in with the single goal advantage.

Following the break, Shay Given then earned his money with a fingertip stop from a Hassler free kick and saw the rebound slap back off his crossbar. 

Seconds later the referee correctly punished a trip on Craig Bellamy by Riseth with a penalty, converted by Nobby in front of the toon fans (pictured), and that seemed to be that.

However seasoned toon watchers knew better than to relax at that point, even though one or two allowed themselves to be duped into openly discussing the cheapest way to get to the away game in the next round - highly dangerous talk. 

Sure enough the home side roused themselves with a great strike from Agostino, thus presenting Newcastle with the classic dilemma of a team one goal in front - to hold out or attack. 

Thankfully our lads were realistic enough to know that the only policy that stood a chance of working was to get forward. However, before they did so in coherent fashion, they had to weather a mini storm from 1860, which culminated in an equaliser midway through the second half. 

The fantastic chance that then fell to Speed and was spurned looked mighty costly at this point..... 

The officials, who up until now had only been moderately irritating, now proceeded to play their joker in true "Jeux sans frontieres" style, not only penalising United frequently for fabricated decisions (a suspiciously high number of which involved Ameobi) but then stirring proceedings still further by allowing the home side to prosper through blatant diving that developed into strong challenges and ultimately, open warfare.

As the referee lost control, so the nastier side of the Germans came to the fore, with Given being laid out with a forearm smash as the two sides came together in one of a number of melees. Warren Barton also played a full part in the latter stages of the game, and showed the facial marks and bruises afterwards to prove it. 

Giving a bit back was Shola, who appeared to flick his boot towards a Munich player when the latter was grounded, and who was booked following another mini set-to.

The final ten minutes saw the game descend into virtual anarchy, especially once United had got the vital third goal, and the home side were growing ever more desperate to get back on level terms. A blatant body check on Bellamy went unpunished, presumably as the referee was afraid to send off the offender, and further breakaways led by Bernard and LuaLua broke down just as it seemed we could even grab a fourth. 

By this time 1860 appeared to have around 17 players on the pitch, 11 to play and another half dozen to chase the referee around, berating his every move. And they said Bayern were the Manchester United of Germany.....  

Well after the ninety had elapsed, an astonishing four minutes of overtime were conjured up by the fourth official, presumably from another match. Despite a few more aerial attacks on our defences by Munich, we held out and after further posturing unpleasantness more akin to a WWF wrestling bout the home side skulked off and Barton led the lads over the advertising boards to applaud the travelling contingent.

The ground then quickly emptied (no great surprise, being less than 25% full) and a few beers of the alcoholic variety were raised by toon fans in jubilation, both in nearby alehouses and back in the beer halls and hofbraus of the city centre. Marvellous stuff.

Another record crowd for this competition will doubtless roll up to SJP next week, but they'll do well to beat this game in terms of entertainment and incident. Those mackems on their way back from pre-season games at Mansfield Town and Exeter City must be starting to get a little twitchy at their glorious leader's refusal to lower himself and the rest of the planet of the apes to play in such scruffy European venues.
   
Our European involvement this season may yet end in the UEFA Cup and even if we fail in that objective, the events of this evening will occupy a small but significant passage when our European history is written. 90 minutes of engaging football may have only been witnessed by a scattering of fans, but for this observer at least, the Intertoto Cup gained a semblance of credibility in the Olympic Stadium.

PS: Channel 5's very poor coverage included the following howlers:

"The black and white half of Tyneside"
(the other half being...???)

"Solano, who'll be taking all the set-pieces tonight"  
(two minutes after Quinn had taken a corner)

"If Ameobi fulfils just one quarter of his potential, Newcastle will be absolutely delighted..."  
(Bobby may beg to differ) 

"Newcastle's last domestic trophy was 32 years ago - the Fairs Cup". 
(32 years ? we weren't even in the common market then...!)

"If you're going to St. James' next week and see a match half as good as this, it'll be worth the entrance fee alone".
(no, we go for the DJ and the hot chocolate, not the match) 

Our Substitute Lua

Biffa (with thanks to Skip for the photos)

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