Leverkusen through to last eight

AFP - 12 March 2008 22:26

Leverkusen´s Theofanis Gekas from Greece (C) celebrates with Slovakian Vratislav Gresko after he scored past Hamburg´s goalkeeper Frank Rost (R) during their UEFA Cup round of sixteen football match against Leverkusen in Hamburg. Hamburg won 3-2 but Leverkusen qualified for the next round on away goals rule.

HAMBURG, Germany (AFP) - Bayer Leverkusen moved closer to their second UEFA Cup title by beating Bundesliga rivals Hamburg on Wednesday night despite losing 3-2 in their last 16, second leg tie.

Leverkusen took the lead twice - first after 18 minutes as Sergej Barbarez finished off Tranquillo Barnetta's 23-metre free-kick.

But Hamburg equalised through substitute Piotr Trochowski after 53 minutes, only for Leverkusen to pull ahead again two minutes later through Greek international Theofanis Gekas, scorer of the winning goal from the first leg.

Jose Paolo Guerrero equalised for Hamburg after 64 minutes with Rafael van der Vaart giving Hamburg the lead after 80 minutes to ensure that Leverkusen, UEFA Cup champions in 1988, had a nervous finish.

But it was not enough for the hosts as Michael Skibbe's side moved into the quarter-finals on the away goals rule after the 3-3 aggregate draw.