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1. Leeds United 1-0 AC Milan
Elland Road, England, 19 September, 2000
Leeds United stunned Milan in rain-lashed Yorkshire, and in so
doing re-ignited their Champions League campaign. David O'Leary's
spirited side had produced a cracking performance but looked like
having to settle for a goalless draw and a point in this first
group stage encounter - until a calamitous howler by Milan's
Brazilian goalkeeper Dida two minutes from time handed them a vital
victory on a sodden Elland Road pitch.
Dida made a hash of Lee Bowyer's speculative 30-yard drive and
suddenly Leeds had the victory they deserved. The win was all the
more remarkable because Leeds had been thrashed 4-0 by Barcelona in
their first Group H game, and went into this clash against the
highly-fancied Rossoneri depleted by a lengthy injury list.
But fears that the Whites might be given a footballing lesson
proved unfounded: Oliver Bierhoff was shackled and only the
electrifyingly fast Andriy Shevchenko offered much of a goal threat
for Milan, while O'Leary's patched-up side played above themselves.
The fact that on the same night Barcelona lost to Besiktas was a
bonus, keeping alive Leeds' hopes of qualification to the second
group stage.
Injuries had opened the way for Dominic Matteo to make his
debut following a £4.25 million move from Liverpool, and he proved
to be one of the best performers in a white shirt, ably supported
by Olivier Dacourt and Bowyer in midfield.
Leeds set the tempo and had a penalty appeal dismissed when Alan
Smith went down under a challenge from Jose Antonio Chamot on 53
minutes. Paolo Maldini was booked for hauling Smith down, while at
the other end Nigel Martyn produced excellent saves to thwart
Shevchenko twice. But with time running out, Bowyer's speculative
shot was spilled by Dida, and the ball rolled over the line into
the net.
By the time the return at San Siro came around, Leeds needed one
more point to progress, and earned it with a 1-1 draw. They beat
Lazio in the second group and went on to reach the semi-finals,
eventually losing to Valencia. Now, as they struggle to secure a
play-off place in England's third-tier, those Champions League
exploits seem a long way away...
Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Harte, Duberry, Mills, Bowyer, Bakke,
Dacourt, Matteo, Bridges, Smith.
Subs: Robinson, Huckerby, Jones, Hay, Burns, Evans,
Hackworth.
AC Milan: Dida, Chamot, Costacurta, Maldini, Helveg, Albertini,
Giunti, Coco, Guglielminpietro, Bierhoff, Shevchenko.
Subs: Rossi, De Ascentis, Leonardo, Roque Junior, Sala,
Serginho, Saudati.
2. Lazio 0-4 Chelsea
Stadio Olimpico, Rome, 4 November, 2003
Claudio Ranieri's Chelsea routed Lazio with a clinical display
in Rome that saw them take control of Champions League Group G. The
Blues included former Lazio stars Hernan Crespo and Juan Sebastian
Veron in their line up, and it was Crespo who opened the scoring
after 15 minutes. Keeper Matteo Sereni should have dealt better
with Veron's cross but palmed it towards Crespo, who bundled it in
from close-range.
Then on 34 minutes, Lazio defender Sinisa Mihajlovic embellished
an already tarnished reputation among English fans - he'd been
banned by UEFA three years earlier for directing racist remarks at
Arsenal's Patrick Vieira.- by kicking Adrian Mutu and spitting in
his face. Shamefully, both incidents went unpunished by the Russian
referee, so he was allowed to stay on the pitch - but only until
the 52nd minute when he was sent off for a second yellow card
offence, a hack at Duff. Mihajlovic refused to leave the touchline
immediately and was eventually escorted down the tunnel by a UEFA
official.
By then Lazio had nearly equalised early in the second half when
Carlo Cudicini saved first from Dejan Stankovic and then superbly
from Bernardo Corradi. But with the Bancocelesti reduced to 10-man,
Chelsea went for the jugular.
Substitute Eidur Gudjohnsen slotted the ball home after Sereni
could only parry a Frank Lampard drive, then Duff jinked his way
through the Lazio defence before coolly converting for number
three. And when Sereni parried another effort, there was Lampard on
hand to capitalise and give the scoreline an emphatic look.
The Blues were reduced to 10 men themselves when Glen Johnson
collected a second yellow card in the final minute, but by then
they were home and hosed, and well on their way on a journey that
was to take them to their first Champions League
semi-final.
Lazio: Sereni, Zauri, Couto, Mihajlovic, Favalli, Stankovic,
Liverani, Albertini (Muzzi 71), Fiore (Negro 58), Corradi, Inzaghi
(Lopez 71).
Subs not used: Casazza, Dabo, Giannichedda, Sergio
Conceicao.
Chelsea: Cudicini, Johnson, Gallas, Terry, Bridge, Veron (Cole
76), Makelele, Lampard, Duff, Crespo (Gudjohnsen 67), Mutu
(Gronkjaer 57).
Subs not used: Ambrosio, Huth, Geremi, Hasselbaink.
3. Manchester United 7-1 Roma (aggregate
8-3)
Old Trafford, Manchester, 10 April, 2007
Manchester United needed to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the
first leg of this quarter-final in Rome, a game marred by crowd
disturbances and accusations of heavy-handed policing. There were
further scuffles between rival fans outside Old Trafford before
kick-off, but what was memorable was what unfolded on the pitch,
United turning on a dazzling display that blew the Giallorossi out
of the water.
Francesco Totti went close for Roma with a powerful shot
narrowly wide, but it was a false dawn for the visitors, who soon
found themselves three goals down in the space of eight first-half
minutes as United seized control of the tie.
Michael Carrick opened the scoring after 11 minutes, taking a
pass from Ronaldo and curling a shot past Doni. Within six minutes
it was 2-0, Gabriel Heinze and Ryan Giggs combining before the
Welsh winger picked out Alan Smith, who finished in style to record
his first goal for United since November 2005. Then Wayne Rooney
completed a superb move that opened up Roma's right flank, timing
his run just right to meet a Giggs cross and slide the ball
home.
Philippe Mexes headed a David Pizarro free-kick wide as Roma
tried to come to terms with United's ruthless verve, but they were
leaving themselves exposed at the back and Cristiano Ronaldo was in
the mood to exploit it. Ronaldo made it 4-0 before half-time with a
low shot into the bottom corner as Roma backed off, effectively
inviting him to have a go.
The Portuguese star slid home a Giggs cross for number five,
before Carrick let fly with a stunning shot to make it 6-0 on the
hour, the Red Devils having shown no willingness to ease off the
gas.
Roma halted the flow temporarily when Daniele De Rossi turned
and shot deftly to restore a touch of pride, but Patrice Evra
responded with a shot that stayed low to beat Doni. It was a
thrilling performance by United, on of their most compelling in
Europe. It brought them a remarkable 8-3 aggregate victory - their
biggest in Europe since they thrashed Irish side Waterford en route
to winning the 1968 European Cup - and a place in the semi-finals
against Milan. That proved to be an altogether tougher Italian Job,
which was scant consolation to humbled Roma.
Man Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Heinze, O'Shea (Evra
52), Ronaldo, Fletcher, Carrick (Richardson 73), Giggs (Solskjaer
61), Rooney, Smith.
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Dong, Cathcart, Eagles.
Roma: Doni, Panucci, Mexes, Chivu, Cassetti, Wilhelmsson (Rosi
88), De Rossi (Faty 86), Vucinic, Pizarro, Mancini (Okaka Chuka
90), Totti.
Subs Not Used: Curci, Defendi, Ferrari, Taddei.
4. Inter 1- 5 Arsenal
San Siro, Milan, 25 November, 2003
Having beaten Arsenal 3-0 at Highbury in mid-September - when
Julio Ricardo Cruz, Andy van der Meyde and Obafemi Martins all
scored before the break and Thierry Henry had a penalty brilliantly
saved by Francesco Toldo - nothing could have prepared Inter for
the pace and panache with which the Gunners dismantled them in
Milan two months later.
Indeed, even Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger remarked after the
Gunners' super show at the San Siro, "Not in my wildest dreams
could we have predicted that sort of result." His side had at last
reproduced their Premier League form on the European stage to
avenge the earlier defeat at Highbury with interest.
Henry was in inspired mood, and it was the Frenchman who swapped
passes with Ashley Cole midway through the first half before
picking his spot and side-footing the ball into the bottom corner.
Yet the Nerazzurri levelled eight minutes later when Christian
Vieri received a pass on the edge of the area and his first-time
shot took a decisive deflection off Sol Campbell, looping over Jens
Lehmann and in off the bar.
Undaunted, Arsenal hit back four minutes into the second half
through Freddie Ljungberg, whom Henry found unmarked in the area
with a left-wing cross, the Swedish midfielder turning the ball
into the net from close range. Henry would have increased the lead
had he not tried to square the ball to a team-mate with only Toldo
to beat. Jens Lehmann saved a Fabio Cannavaro header and Andy van
der Meyde sent a free-kick narrowly over the bar, but Arsenal
clinically exposed growing gaps in the Inter defence.
Henry sprinted clear and beat Javier Zanetti before shooting
beyond Toldo from a tight angle for the Gunners' third. Then Edu
and Robert Pires added further goals as Inter committed men
forward, to ensure an emphatic victory. Wenger's side moved above
Inter in the group and were firmly on course for a place in the
knockout phase. In fact they proceeded to the quarter-finals where
they were beaten by fellow-Londoners Chelsea.
Inter Milan: Toldo, Cordoba, Javier Zanetti, Cannavaro (Pasquale
59), Materazzi, Brechet, Cristiano Zanetti, Lamouchi (Almeyda 57),
Van der Meyde (Cruz 69), Martins, Vieri.
Subs not used: Fontana, Luciano, Adani, Gonzalez.
Arsenal: Lehmann, Cole, Campbell, Toure, Cygan, Ljungberg,
Parlour, Edu, Pires, Kanu (Gilberto Silva 73), Henry (Aliadiere
89).
Subs not used: Stack, Keown, Clichy, Papadopulos, Hoyte (J).
5. AC Milan 3-3 Liverpool (aet) - Liverpool win 3-2 on
penalties
Ataturk Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey, 25 May,
2005
Steven Gerrard-inspired Liverpool staged one of the most
dramatic comebacks in European Cup history to claw back a
three-goal deficit, win a penalty shoot-out and snatch the coveted
trophy from Milan, who had appeared out of sight at half-time with
a 3-0 lead and a comfortable gap in class.
Milan captain Paolo Maldini had given the Rossoneri a
first-minute lead when when Andrea Pirlo's free-kick found him
unmarked, and he swept the ball high into the net past Jerzy Dudek.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez had surprisingly left Dietmar
Hamann and Igor Biscan on the bench and started with Harry Kewell.
The selection back-fired disastrously: Kewell had to limp off
injured on 23 minutes, replaced by Vladimir Smicer, and on 39
Hernan Crespo doubled Milan's lead when he turned in a cross from
Andriy Shevchenko. It got worse four minutes later when Milan
added a third. The outstanding Kaka, played a brilliant pass that
set Crespo free and the Argentine deftly chipped in over the
onrushing Dudek.
It looked all over at the break, Liverpool having been
thoroughly outplayed. Surely Milan, famed for a strong defence,
were in an impregnable position. Liverpool's midfield had been
overrun in the first half, but Benitez made a change, sending on
Hamman for Steve Finnan, who had sustained a thigh injury. Dudek
dived well to keep out a Shevchenko free-kick that would have made
it 4-0. And then the comeback began.
Gerrard headed home John Arne Riise's cross after 53 minutes to
give the Reds a lifeline. And incredibly, Dida fumbled Smicer's
25-yard effort into the net a minute later. The momentum was
suddenly all with Liverpool, And their comeback was complete on the
hour when Gennaro Gattuso brought down Gerrard in the box as
he was about to pull the trigger for the equaliser. Dida saved Xabi
Alonso's spot-kick, but the Basque midfielder followed up to net
the rebound as the Milan defenders looked
on disbelievingly.
Djimi Traore cleared off the line from Shevchenko after Dudek
spilled a Crespo cross, and it went to extra-time. Milan dominated
possession, but a sensational double save by Dudek from Shevchenko
three minutes from the end ensured it would need a penalty
shoot-out to find the winner.
Serginho and Pirlo failed with Milan's first two penalties,
while Hamann and fellow-substitute Djibril Cisse scored theirs for
Liverpool. Substitute Jon Dahl Tomasson scored for Milan and Riise
missed for Liverpool. Kaka and Smicer duly scored, but
Shevchenko's kick was saved by Dudek to clinch a stunning victory
that had seemed impossible at half-time, but which had revealed
great reserves of character and fighting spirit. Milan were broken;
but Liverpool, lifting the Cup for the fifth time, had earned the
right to keep the trophy at Anfield permanently.
AC Milan: Dida, Cafu, Maldini, Stam, Nesta, Gattuso (Rui Costa
112), Seedorf (Serginho 86), Pirlo, Kaka, Shevchenko, Crespo
(Tomasson 85).
Subs Not Used: Abbiati, Kaladze, Costacurta, Dhorasoo.
Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan (Hamann 46), Traore, Hyypia, Carragher,
Riise, Gerrard, Luis Garcia, Alonso, Kewell (Smicer 23), Baros
(Cisse 85).
Subs Not Used: Carson, Josemi, Nunez, Biscan.