UEFA Cup, second preliminary round, first leg (11/8)
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Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel) - Strømsgodset 1-0 (0-0)
Bloom Field stadium
Att: 7000
1-0 Asi Tubi (75)
Referee: Marcel Lica, Romania.
Yellow card: Rune Hagen, Ousman Nyan, Erland Johnsen, Strømsgodset,
Moti Ohaion, Hapoel.

- SIF defended well throughout te game, but eventually lost to a
  late Israeli goal. However, the home side were not better than that
  a turn-around is still very much possible in the return leg in Drammen.

Brann - Zalgiris Vilnius (Lithuania) 1-0 (0-0)
Brann stadion
Att: 2028
1-0 Raymond Kvisvik (pen. 75)
Referee: Miroslav Liba, Czech Republic.
Yellow card: Stefan Paldan, Brann, Igoris Morinas, Arturas Stesko,
Zalgiris.

- Brann scored an important win, and without conceding a goal at home.
  The winning margin should have been bigger, but the home strikers
  missed some good opportunities. Zalgiris defended well, and the return
  leg in Lithuania is a very open issue.

Molde - CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria) 0-0
Molde stadion
Att: 2243
Referee: Jacek Granat, Poland.
Yellow card: Ivajlo Ivanov, Martin Petrov, Krassimir Tsjomakov,
CSKA Sofia.

- A disappointing night for Molde, which were unable to penetrate 
  a tight Bulgarian defence despite plenty of posession. In fact CSKA
  could easily have scored themselves on a couple of occations. This
  was the first time in a competitive game this season Molde left the
  field without scoring a goal, and the return leg in Sofia will be
  difficult, as Molde will have to score an away goal to go through.


UEFA Cup, second preliminary round, second leg (25/8)
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CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria) - Molde 2-0 (1-0), agg. 2-0
CSKA stadium
Att: 10 000
1-0 Milen Petkov (38)
2-0 Valentin Stantsjev (61)
Referee: Alain Hamer, Luxembourg.
Yellow card: Stefan Lovtsjen, Martin Petrov, Valentin Stantsjev,
Vladimir Andolov, CSKA Sofia, Karl Oskar Fjørtoft, Pål Lydersen,
Trond Andersen, Petter Chr. Singsaas, Odd Inge Olsen, Molde.
Red card: Pål Lydersen, Molde.

- Disappointing Molde were once more contained by CSKA (the only two
  matches they have failed to score this season), and as the Bulgarians
  scored twice themselves, Molde go out. The Norwegians couldn't even
  score from the penalty spot at 0-2, which could have resulted in 
  a more interesting final half hour.

Zalgiris Vilnius (Lithuania) - Brann 0-0, agg. 0-1
Zalgiris stadium
Att: 1000
Referee: Stewart Douglas, Scotland.
Yellow card: Roy Wassberg, Svante Samuelsson, Brann.

- A well-disciplined performance by Brann, which restricted the home
  side to very few chances throughout the game. The Norwegians have
  obviously started to get a grip on how to play in Europe, based on their
  prior experience. Now, the first round awaits.

Strømsgodset - Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel) 1-0 (1-0) aet, agg. 1-1, 4-2 on pen.
Marienlyst stadion
Att: 2160
1-0 Anders Michelsen (42)
Referee: Ivan Dobrinov, Bulgaria.
Yellow card: Kenneth W. Karlsen, Tor Arne Sannerholt, Strømsgodset,
Shimon Gerson, Shavit Elimlech, Yaniv Yaron, Asi Tobi, Moti
Ohaion, Hapoel.
Red card: Yaniv Yaron, Hapoel.

- Strømsgodset are also through to the first roudn after winning on 
  penalties against their Israeli opponents. The win should really have
  been achieved in normal time, but despite a lot of posession the 
  ball was to end up in the net only once. A nice header from Michelsen,
  after a pass from Olsen. In the penalty shootout, the Norwegians were
  in a class of their own. Perhaps practicing penalty kicks in training
  all season did the trick?