AC Milan’s Champions League Triumph

A walkthrough by Alessandro Benedetti

Qualifying• Before they could take their place in the group stages,

Milan had to overcome a dogged Red Star Belgrade team over two legs. Here’s how Alessandro Benedetti Offside saw it happen.• The first leg was played at home, in a tense game with both

teams refusing to make mistakes, the game was settled by Milan stalwart Filippo Inzaghi scoring on his 33rd birthday. • Coach Carlo Ancelotti set Milan up to play possession

football and they were rewarded when Kaka slipped a ball to Inzaghi at the edge of the box and he slipped the ball past the keeper. Milan had won the match, and perhaps more crucially, denied Belgrade the chance to score a precious away goal.

Qualifying – The Second Leg• At Belgrade’s home ground, Milan put on exactly the

performance they needed to ensure they would be competing in the group states of the champions league. • Despite a passionate crowd of 55,000 roaring their team on,

Belgrade were powerless to stop a strong Milan side. Inzaghi, their tormentor in the first leg, was the difference again here, as he scored in the 29th minute from a Gattsuo cross.• Seedorf doubled the lead in the 79th minute when he shot low

and into the corner from 15 metres. Belgrade Striker Djokic salvaged some pride and gave the crowd something to cheer but his goal was too little too late and the game ended 2-1 to Milan.

The Group Stages• When the groups were announced Milan fans all over

sighed with relief. The chance was there to be potentially drawn against some very, very tricky teams. The group wasn’t going to be easy, but there was definitely a good chance of progressing. • Milan’s group was comprised of AEK Athens, Anderlecht

and Lille. None of the Spanish or English big guns were in the group. • Milan’s first match was against AEK Athens, this turned

out to be a comfortable win for the side, with Inzaghi scoring for his 3rd Champions league game in a row, before Gourcuff added another shortly before half time and Kaka made sure of the victory with a penalty in the 76th minute.

The Group Stages• A drab 0-0 draw with Lille followed, with Milan’s impressive attack not

able to break down the spirited defence of Lille. Many expected Milan to win the game, but the Milan players were plagued with an inability to finish chances and the game was soon past them.

• Milan’s next game, against Anderlecht was a dramatic contest, with Milan pulling through despite being down to 10 men for much of the second half. Daniele Bonera picked up his second yellow shortly after the restart, Milan looked shocked but the attacking brilliance of Kaka saved the day, with a magnificent strike in the 58th minute denying Anderlecht a prized scalp.

• Kaka’s masterful hat trick was enough to see Milan through their return fixture against Anderlecht. He scored in 6th 22nd and 56th minute, cementing his status as one of the most dangerous players in the competition. Gilardino added a 4th late on after Juhasz scored a consolation goal for the well beaten Anderlecht.

The Group Stages• With Milan already through to the next round, only two matches

remained. With the first against AEK Athens, they knew that if the corresponding match in France finished as a draw, or Lille lost, they would go into the knockout stages as champions.• Milan were shocked in their first match as Cesar scored a

wonderful free kick to win the match 1-0 for Athens. The other match in France ended as a draw so Milan were certain to end the stage as winners.• The last match of the stage saw Milan slump to a 2-0 loss against

a plucky Lille side, who reached the champions league knockout stages for the first time in their history. Although they may have lose their last two matches Milan were into the knockout stages of the tournament as group winners.

Last 16

• In the last 16, Milan came across surprise package Celtic. The Scottish champions hosted the Italian team in Glasgow for the first match in this last 16 contest. • The match was a tense, defence orientated affair. The best chance came to

Gilardino, half way through the first half but Celtic keeper Artur Boruc made an unbelievable save to deny him. The match ended 0-0 and ensured the next leg would be an exciting affair.• After a rough, grinding 90 minutes it was that man once again, Kaka who

took a dagger to the heart of Celtic fans everywhere with a typically clinical finish in extra time. It was a heroic effort from the Scottish champions but in the end proved to be in vain as Milan’s talisman rescued them once again.

Quarter Final

• Milan drew the German Giants in the quarter final, and the first match was an exciting one, taking place at the San Siro, Pirlo opened the scoring with a looping header over the Munich keeper. However Van Buyten cancelled it out in the 78th minute, before Kaka scored a penalty. Van Buyten scored in the 90th minute to end the game 2-2 and ensure the German team held a slim advantage heading into the second leg. • In the second leg in Munich, Bayern began impressively with Mark

Van Bommel given the freedom to attack at will. However a momentary lapse was all it took for Milan to take the tie away as Seedof and Inzaghi scored in the space of 4 first half minutes to ensure Milan would reach the semi final in high spirits.

Semi Final• In a pulsating first leg at Old Trafford, Manchester took a narrow lead into

the San Siro. United were missing Gary Neville, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand and so resorted to bold attacking play to unsettle Milan. It seemed to work as Ronaldo scored in the 5th minute, heading past Dida. Kaka dented United hopes when he scored twice in the 22nd minute and the 37th minute. Man United’s star man, Wayne Rooney was there to save the day as he scored in the 59th minute, before scoring just before the end of the game in the 91st minute. The game ended 3-2 and Milan had it all to do in the San Siro.

• IF the first match was close, the second leg was a whitewash, Milan straight away seemed to be more confident and put away their chances to ease to a 3-0 win, goals from Kaka, Seedorf and Gilardino set up a final against 2005 winners and arch rivals Liverpool.

The Final• In a repeat of that fateful 2005 final Liverpool had once again made

it to the last stage. This was one of the most nerve wracking matches seen at Alessandro Benedetti Offside. Liverpool beat Chelsea in the Semi Final before meeting Milan in Athens. The match was a cagey affair, with Liverpool exerting spots of pressure on the Milan backline, however it was Milan that went into the break with the lead, after a Pirlo free kick hit Inzaghi on its way into the net.

• In the second half, chances were few and far between, with Liverpool having the definitive chance with Gerrard one on one with Dida, unfortunately his shot lacked the power required and he paid for this in the 80th minute when Inzaghi scored again to make it 2-0. Kuyt scored for Liverpool in the 89th minute but by then it was too late, and Milan were champions.

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