On this day 14 years ago, Milan came close to throwing away their Champions League quarter-final, only to win it in dramatic fashion.
The Rossoneri had drawn 0-0 at the Amsterdam Arena, and the prospect of an away goal at San Siro looked set to ensure a nervy evening.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side had lost at home to 10-man Empoli in their previous match, Antonio Di Natale scoring what proved to be the winner after eight minutes.
On this day 14 years ago, Milan came close to throwing away their Champions League quarter-final, only to win it in dramatic fashion.
The Rossoneri had drawn 0-0 at the Amsterdam Arena, and the prospect of an away goal at San Siro looked set to ensure a nervy evening.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side had lost at home to 10-man Empoli in their previous match, Antonio Di Natale scoring what proved to be the winner after eight minutes.
In addition, both Andrea Pirlo and Clarence Seedorf were absent, so Cristian Brocchi came into the midfielder and Kakha Kaladze was deployed in an unfamiliar role on the flank.
The home fans breathed a sigh of relief when Pippo Inzaghi put the Diavolo in front after half an hour, but with just over an hour on the clock, Zlatan Ibrahimovic slipped the ball to Andy van der Meyde, who put the ball on a plate for Jari Litmanen to equalise.
Andriy Shevchenko put Milan back in front, heading in after Inzaghi’s attempted shot looped into the air off a defender’s leg, but Steven Pienaar scrambled home after an Ibrahimovic knockdown to leave the Rossoneri staring at elimination with just 12 minutes to play.
Ancelotti reacted by throwing on Rivaldo and Jon Dahl Tomasson, with Fernando Redondo also making a rare appearance.
Shevchenko should have grabbed his second of the night, but he could only fire off the legs of future Roma goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont when played through. From the resulting corner, Massimo Ambrosini’s header was blocked on the line, and it appeared time would run out on the Rossoneri.
Inzaghi had other ideas though. In the 91st-minute Paolo Maldini’s deep cross from the left-wing was headed on by Ambrosini, and Super Pippo showed his trademark poacher’s instinct to poke the ball over the onrushing Lobont.
“Inzaghi again, always him!” cried commentator Sandro Piccinini, although as it turned out it wasn’t him, strictly speaking. Replays showed that Tomasson had got the final touch just as the ball crossed the line, and the goal was awarded to the Dane. An act of goal snatching Pippo himself would have been proud of.
“When they levelled it once again it felt like we had been knifed,” Inzaghi told Milan’s official website this week. “We couldn't cope with the thought that they had scored the goal for 2-2. But we bounced back, we showed the spirit of this team.”
Milan would go on to reach the final, beating Juventus on penalties at Old Trafford to secure their sixth title, but none of it would have been possible without Super Pippo’s late intervention.