MILAN 3-1 LYON
Date: 07-04-2006 21:54
Late goals from Filippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko took Milan through to the Champions League semi-finals in a thrilling win over Lyon. Carlo Ancelotti was able to welcome Jaap Stam back from injury to take up a position at right-back while Alessandro Nesta and Kakha Kaladze continued their partnership in the centre of defence. Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko, who between them had scored 106 goals in Europe, were reunited in attack, with Alberto Gilardino dropping to the bench.
There was a charged atmosphere inside the San Siro as a 83,000-capacity crowd bellowed out their support while out on the pitch the two sides continued where they had left off from the Gerland stadium - playing the ball around confidently in midfield. However, the challenges were sharp and timely and the first half-chance did not come until the 12th minute when Inzaghi turned away from Cris but scuffed his left-footed shot. Two minutes later, Seringho escaped down the left to deliver a low cross but Inzaghi could not turn his effort goalwards from a narrow angle. The Rossoneri fans then had their hearts in their mouths when Dida completely mis-cued a simple clearance, but Wiltord could not take advantage of the mistake. Moments later, a misunderstanding between Dida and Kaladze saw the ball drop to Malouda who put his lob over the bar from the edge of the area. Ancelotti was forced into a reshuffle on 24 minutes as Stam limped off and Alessandro Costacurta came on, but Milan were ahead a minute later when Inzaghi rose in the area to meet Clarence Seedorf's cross and dispatch a header into the far corner of the net. However, the lead was only to last six minutes and it was that dangerman Juninho who delivered a wickedly-dipping free-kick that cannoned-off Cris' back as Dida came to punch the ball and Diarra leaned over everyone to head into the empty net. The tension was rising with every passing moment and Dida had to back-peddle to push a Juninho cross-shot over the bar and from the resultant corner Fred flashed a header just wide of the upright.
Milan's first attack of the second half produced a free-kick which Pirlo curled into the area only for Nesta to head over. However, the French champions began to emerge as the more adventurous, with Juninho beginning to gain a foothold in midfield although Rino Gattuso was equally combative in winning back possession on countless occasions. Seringho found space on the left again but Coupet was able to paw away the effort and then Seedorf slammed a drive just wide as Milan searched for that all-important second goal. Massimo Ambrosini was introduced for Pirlo for the final twenty minutes and soon after Kaką looked to have found the breakthrough, but the Brazilian's goalbound header was cleared off the line by Wiltord. The final throw of the die came with Paolo Maldini coming on for Gattuso, enabling Seringho to push further forward. Just when it looked as if Milan were exiting the competition, and with two minutes remaining on the clock, Inzaghi arrived to force the ball home after Shevchenko's shot had ricocheted off both posts. Then deep into added time, the Ukrainian latched onto a weak Clerc back-pass to round the goalkeeper and put the result beyond doubt.
Milan 3 - 1 Lyon (3-1 on agg)
Goalscorers: Inzaghi 25, 87 (M), Diarra 31 (L), Shevchenko 93 (M)
Milan: Dida; Stam (Costacurta 24), Nesta, Kaladze, Serginho; Gattuso (Maldini 77), Pirlo (Ambrosini 71), Seedorf; Kaką; Shevchenko, Inzaghi
Lyon: Coupet; Clerc, Cris, Caēapa, Abidal; Govou (Reveillere 82), Diarra, Juninho; Wiltord, Fred (Carew 71), Malouda
Referee: Hauge (Nor)
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