A Uefa Cup exit is not a Given for City

Shay Given's heroics gave Manchester City a glimmer of hope after they were dominated by an impressive Hamburg side on Thursday night in their Uefa Cup quarter-final first leg. The City keeper produced a series of saves in Germany to keep the score at 3-1 and earn praise from his manager Mark Hughes. Hughes is convinced his side can still turn the results around in the second leg at Eastlands next week. He said: "Given is an outstanding goalkeeper, who is there to make crucial saves.

"When you are up against a quality side like Hamburg, who are at home, they will have chances. "We have to defend them and Shay to save them but that situation happens in every game." Hamburg coach Martin Jol's only complaint was that his side did not win by a bigger margin. "I would have preferred it if we had got another goal," said the former Tottenham manager. "We know it will be difficult if they score first next week but overall I am very happy."

City got off to a wonderful start, Stephen Ireland making the breakthrough in the first leg after only 35 seconds following a delightful build-up with Robinho. But that resulted in an onslaught from Hamburg with goals from Joris Mathijsen, Piotr Trochowski - via a penalty - and substitute Jose Guerrero handing the Bundesliga side a two-goal cushion. Eric Gerets has not given up hope of progressing at the Stade Velodrome next week when his Marseille team aim to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk.

Gerets said: "I knew they were a good team and they have eliminated some big teams already in the Uefa Cup [Tottenham and CSKA Moscow]," said Gerets. "So we had been warned. And when you lose without scoring, you know you are going to have to take some risks in the return leg.But it will not be impossible." Werder Bremen's coach, Thomas Schaaf, still found room for complaint after his side's excellent 3-1 defeat of Udinese. The Germans were cruising at 3-0 only to concede a goal to Fabio Quagliarella in the 87th minute.

"It was a totally unnecessary goal," said Schaaf. "We were not just nonchalant, we were sloppy." The fourth tie is poised after French side Paris St Germain drew 0-0 with Ukraine's Dynamo Kiev. * With agencies