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The Intertoto Cup finals have ended, revealing which clubs have qualified for the UEFA Cup. Surprisingly, the "Valencia" team, considered a favorite, failed to beat their opponent. In the next final, "Marseille" crushed another Spanish team, "Deportivo", 5-1, while in the third final, as expected, "Lens" emerged victorious.
"Valencia" stars struggled to break down the well-organized German defense. The Spanish club players only managed to create a few dangerous situations throughout the game. Despite several close counterattacks, the visiting team couldn't find the net due to the efforts of "Valencia" defenders.
The most dangerous moments of the match came early in the first half. At the start of the game, "Valencia" midfielder Pablo Aimar provided a great pass to Francisco Rufete, who found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper but failed to score. Later on, Patrick Kluivert's header hit the crossbar.
In the remaining part of the game, "Valencia" players failed to create more threatening attacks, as "Hamburg" secured their place in the UEFA Cup.
"Marseille" managed to overturn a two-goal deficit from the first leg in La Coruna. Just four minutes into the match, the hosts took the lead with a brilliant goal by F.Ribery. However, their situation became complicated after four minutes when "Deportivo" defender J.Andrade equalized. The first half ended level.
In the second half, the hosts dominated the game. S.Marlet and M.Niang scored to secure a 5-1 victory for "Marseille", ensuring their place in the UEFA Cup.
"Cluj" overcame opponents like Athletic Bilbao and Saint-Etienne, as well as defeated two Lithuanian clubs, "Vetra" and "Zalgiris", before stumbling in the final Intertoto Cup stage. Currently occupying the fifth place in the Romanian league, the club was defeated by former French champions "Lens".
The match started better for "Lens", but the visitors managed to defend well. Near the end of the first half, N.Gillet's accurate shot put the hosts in front. In the second half, "Lens" players scored two more goals to secure the victory. Despite a consolation goal by "Cluj" at the end of the match, it had no significant impact on the final outcome.
