Triumph in Moscow lifts Basle above Liverpool

Spartak Moscow 0 Basle

Basle leapfrogged Liverpool to go into second place in Champions' League Group B last night after beating Spartak Moscow to set up a thrilling decider next week.

The Argentinian internationals Julio Hernan Rossi and Christian Gimenez scored a goal apiece in the game which was postponed from 30 October because of the theatre hostage tragedy in Moscow.

Basle, who qualified for the Champions' League group stage by beating Celtic and are coached by the former Tottenham Hotspur manager, Christian Gross, now have eight points from five games, one point ahead of Liverpool. The two teams meet in Switzerland next Tuesday with Basle needing only a draw to qualify. Valencia are top of the group with 13 points and have already qualified for the second group stage.

Spartak, yet to win a game, or even gain point in the competition this season, dominated from the kick-off but were unable to produce any real scoring opportunities in a match played amid heavy security.

Basle's first counter-attack came after 18 minutes and it produced not only their first meaningful shot but their first goal. Hakan Yakin's long pass found striker Hervé Tum on the left of the Spartak Moscow penalty area and Rossi was first to anticipate a cross from the Cameroon international. He beat the statuesque Spartak defence to score the opening goal from close range after rounding the helpless goalkeeper Maxim Levitsky.

Tum then went close to extending the lead 10 minutes later but his powerful shot from the left hit the woodwork and bounced to safety.

Hakan Yakin then had his own chance four minutes before the half-time interval but his shot from 20 yards was saved by Levitsky.

Spartak, who have not won in 15 consecutive European games, were desperate to equalise and give their home supporters something to celebrate. They went on the offensive in the second half, but again poor finishing ruined all their good build-up play. The 18-year-old striker Alexander Danishevsky was the most culpable, missing several clear opportunities.

Gimenez, who came on a substitute for Rossi in the 67th minute, made the final score 2-0 in the last minute as he capitalised on Levitsky's mistake to beat him with a delicate lob.

Spartak Moscow: Levitsky, Kovtun, Moises, Abramidze, Danishevsky, Pavlenko, Kalinichenko (Torbinsky, 73), Khlestov, Bezrodny (Kudriashov, h-t), Kebe (Mitreski, 77), Beschastnykh. Substitutes not used: Cherchessov (gk), Da Silva, Sonin, Ogunsanya.

Basle: Zuberbühler, Zwyssig, Haas, M Yakin, Duruz, Esposito (Atouba, 16), Cantaluppi, H Yakin, Tum, Ergic, Rossi (Gimenez, 66). Substitutes not used: Rapo (gk), Huggel, Varela, Koumantarakis, Barberis.

Referee: S Dougal (Scotland).