Bolton Wanderers 0 Marseille 0: Marseille returned home last night thankful to have retained parity in a tie likely to prove more explosive at the Stade Velodrome next week.

Bolton were left bemoaning a refereeing oversight which denied them the lead they deserved. Portuguese officials missed Frederic Dehu's handball in the first half, the sweeper palming away as Jared Borgetti threatened at the far post. The visitors might have gone on to score an away goal but Wanderers resisted.

Taye Taiwo did force Jussi Jaaskelainen to sprawl and gather a low drive from distance; the wing-back's spiteful shot just before the interval carried more threat but was well turned away.

Bolton's Kevin Davies was an unsettling presence and Stelios Giannakopoulos buzzed effectively at the tip. Indeed it was the Greek's lay-off which Jay-Jay Okocha battered from the edge of the area to force Fabien Barthez to tip aside.The sight of Barthez almost pawing Davies' feeble looped attempt into his own net had the locals chuckling at memories of his occasional lapses while at Old Trafford.

True to form, he also tumbled theatrically when Okocha's cross reached Borgetti at the far post late in the first half, and Dehu palmed the ball away as he heaved to spring up to the Mexican's height.

Bruno N'Gotty surrendered possession just inside the Marseille half and Mamadou Niang burst through only to be thwarted by Jaaskelainen, who pawed the ball away as the Senegalese attempted to round the goalkeeper. At the end it took Barthez's smart reactions to deny the substitute Ricardo Vaz Te from close range.

BOLTON: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Ben Haim, N'Gotty, Gardner, Nolan, Faye, Okocha (Speed, 60 mins), Davies, Borgetti (Vaz Te, 67 mins), Giannakopoulos. Subs not used: Walker, Hunt, Perez, Fojut.

MARSEILLE: Barthez, Ferreira, Beye, Dehu, Cesar, Taiwo, Nasri (Gimenez, 73 mins), Cana, Oruma, Ribery, Niang (Cantareil, 90 mins). Subs not used: Carrasso, Delfim, Meite, Civelli, Deruda.

Referee: Olegario Benquerenca (Portugal).