Champions League - SS Lazio 1 Arsenal 1

Arsenal sealed their place in the second stage of the Champions League with an 88th minute goal from substitute Robert Pires.

Pires ran upfield on a break after a Lazio corner and he carried the ball a long way before curling his shot around Angelo Peruzzi into the far corner of the net to give Arsenal just what they wanted.

Lazio almost scored a winner when Sylvain Wiltord hit an own goal but it was ruled out for offside.

The game ended in violence with both sides clashing on the field in a bad tempered display.

Confusion surrounded the goal from Lazio.

A speculative ball by Veron saw all the Lazio strikers run into the goal area but Brazilian defender Silvinho challenged Pavel Nedved and the ball looped up over goalkeeper Lukic, off the cross bar and into the net.

The Czech star claimed the goal but the decisive touch seemed to come from the Arsenal defender in a goal that came from nothing after a quiet start.

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger said before the game that Lazio had a weak defence but it was not tested by his tactics which saw Thierry Henry play as a lone striker with little chance of success.

Lazio contributed little to the spectacle either in a dull first phase. Although a miskicked Giuseppe Pancaro pass caused panic in the Arsenal defence in the 15th minute Lazio did not threaten a goal. Marcelo Salas and Simone Inzaghi were poor all night and Inzaghi was replaced in the second half by Hernan Crespo.

Gilles Grimande came close with a header from a corner in the 6th minute but the night turned sour in the second half for the French defender.

He appeared to punch Diego Simeone at a set piece in the second half and UEFA have used television replays before to punish players in similar circumstances. The Argentine midfielder needed to leave the field with a bleeding head and came back onto the field with a large bandage on his head. He then tried to get vengeance on any Arsenal player for his pain and feuded with the opposition forgetting aqbout the game.

Arsenal's best player on the night was Silvino and he almost produced a great solo goal in the 36th minute after a run that cut inside past two defenders on the left but his finish went just wide.

Inzaghi dragged a good chance wide in the 46th minute when he huried a shot with the Arsenal defence nowhere in sight but goalkeeper John Lukic was not kept very busy by the Italian team. Lukic is 39 years of age and was making history as the oldest player to appear so far in the Champions League in his first appearance since 1997 in the Arsenal first team.

Salas diverted a corner onto a post in the 62nd minute but Arsenal almost equalised in the 82nd minute when substitute Lauren found Kanu in front of goal but the Nigerian produced a lazy shot when a forceful shot was needed to finish off the move.

The goal was coming though and Pires produced a brilliant finish to put Arsenal into the next stage.