[Trim]

UEFA Cup, Round of 16, First Leg
Bayer Leverkusen 1 - 0 Hamburger SV

77' [1 - 0] T. Gekas

Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Hamburg

A second half goal from Theofanis Gekas saw Bayer Leverkusen edge out Hamburg in a rather uneventful game.

Bayer Leverkusen will take a one-goal lead into the second leg after a Theofanis Gekas goal decided a rather dull game at the Bay-Arena.

The second half was much improved on a first half where goal scoring chances were at a premium.

Michael Skibbe chose to make a change, playing striker Theofanis Gekas from the start with Arturo Vidal missing out. HSV made two changes from the weekend win over Frankfurt. Benjamin came in for Boateng and with Kompany moving up into midfield to replace Trochowski.

First Half

A cautious start to the game saw five minutes go by before the first chance of the game. Barnetta played the ball through to Barbarez, but the Bosnian was unable to reach the ball.

Both defences were looking solid and chances were few and far between. A long distance effort from Barbarez on 13 minutes was dealt with easily by Frank Rost.

It seemed as though neither side wanted to make a mistake and caution was the order of the day.

With half an hour gone the match hadn’t really changed from it’s set predictable pattern. Hamburg had not really had a single attacking moment with practically no action in either penalty area.

Second Half

Both sides came out unchanged at the start of the second half and the game got off to a brighter start.

Hamburg created the first chance of the half when Guerrero played a great ball to Jarolim, but the Czech fired his shot over the bar. Leverkusen responded almost immediately with Schneider crossing and Gekas heading over from inside the six yard box.

Van der Vaart then had a chance after good work from Jarolim as the second period stood in stark contrast to the first. On the hour mark, Frank Rost was called upon to make a great save from a Gekas effort following another inviting cross from Bernd Schneider.

On 77 minutes the breakthrough finally came with the increasingly threatening Gekas on hand to convert. Barnetta swung in a corner from the right and the Greek striker was in the right place to head home.

There were a few more long range efforts from Vidal and Kompany, while Gekas had another headed effort, but the game ended with the solitary goal all there was to show for either side’s efforts.

Bayer Leverkusen: Adler, Castro, Friedrich, Haggui, Sarpei, Rolfes, Schneider (Vidal 75), Barbarez (Freier 67), Barnetta, Kießling, Gekas (Callsen-Bracker 88)

Hamburg: Rost, Demel (Boateng 56), Reinhardt, Mathijsen, Benjamin, de Jong, Kompany, Jarolim, van der Vaart, Olic (Trochowski 76), Guerrero (Zidan 79)

Goal.com - UEFA Cup - Gekas Sees Leverkusen Edge HSV