Belgrade, August 13 (AFP/uefa.com) - Peruvian international Nolberto Solano struck the only goal of the game as Newcastle United clinched a vital 1-0 victory against Partizan Belgrade in their Champions League third qualifying round first leg clash.
Solano hit the target seven minutes before the interval when he was on hand to poke the ball over the
line after a cross from Laurent Robert had eluded skipper Alan Shearer who was celebrating his 33rd
birthday.
The result was also sweet revenge for Newcastle's veteran boss Bobby Robson over Partizan coach
Lothar Matthaus.
At the 1990 World Cup, Matthaus captained the then West Germany to a penalty shoot-out win in the
semi-finals over Robson's England.
Robson also had another reason for revenge as Partizan knocked them out of the 1998 Cup Winners Cup on away goals but as with most of the big club managers his biggest motivation is the financial clout a qualifying round win will provide.
Earlier in the first half, England international midfielder Keiron Dyer had the best opportunity for Newcastle but his first touch let him down with the goal gaping.
Partizan had dominated large parts of the opening period but Newcastle defended doggedly limiting the home side to just a handful of chances and they will be confident of finishing the job in the second leg in England in two weeks time where a passage into the lucrative group stage awaits the winner.
They had to endure a few nervous moments at the end.
As Partizan pressed in the closing stages, goalkeeper Given made a fine save to deny Ivica Iliev from grabbing an equaliser.
After the match
"Congratulations to the Newcastle players and to our supporters", he said. "The crowd were on top form, but we were not. My players were unhappy, Given did impossible things in the last minutes. Football is strange, we will try to do everything right in the second match and maybe, I said maybe, find a way to a miracle." (Lothar Matthaus, Partizan coach).
"I think Partizan are still very much in the game and I think it will be something similar in Newcastle. It was always close - the difference between the two sides was minimal and Partizan in the last second missed a big opportunity. Maybe we were a little bit lucky, but it was also a very good save by the goalkeeper, and because we won 1-0, it gives us an advantage." (Sir Bobby Robson, the Newcastle manager).
UEFA Champions League, Third round, first leg, Belgrade, SERBIA-MONTENEGRO, August 13
Partizan Belgrade (SERBIA-MONTENEGRO) - Newcastle (ENGLAND) 0-1 (HT: 0-1)
Partizan Stadium in Belgrade. Attendance: 30,000. Referee: Vladimir Hrinak (Slovakia). Booked: Nadj, Djordjevic, Malbasa, West (Partizan), Bellamy, O'Brien, Ameobi and Shearer (Newcastle). Scorer for Newcastle: Nolberto Solano '38.
PARTIZAN: Kralj - Cirkovic, West, Bajic, Djordjevic,
Malbasa - Duljaj (Drulovic), Ilic, Nadj - Delibasic
(Stojanovski), Iliev.
NEWCASTLE: Given, Grifgin, Solano (Jenas), O'Brien, Dyer,
Shearer, Bellamy, Speed, Woodgate, Robert (Ameobi), Bernard.
