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Electronic Telegraph


Thursday 11 December 1997
Issue 931


Inzaghi kicks off celebrations for jubilant Juventus support
By Henry Winter in Turin


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          Juventus (0) 1 Man Utd (0) 0
          
          ANOTHER remarkable moment in recent Anglo-Italian
          fortunes saw Juventus qualify, along with Manchester United,
          for the quarter-finals of the Champions' League last night.
          Filippo Inzaghi's late goal, coupled with Rosenborg's draw at
          Olympiakos, sent the relieved Italians through as one of the
          two runners-up. United, pressurised hard all night, will be
          relieved they cannot meet the team who ruined their perfect
          Group B record in next week's draw.
          
          A game so important to Italian fortunes was played out before a
          noisy, expectant crowd, though the Stadio delle Alpi was
          nowhere near capacity.
          
          Among the visitors' songs was a tribute to absent friends.
          Having developed a calf problem, Andy Cole began on the bench.
          Nicky Butt failed even to make the substitutes' numbers, having
          damaged his hamstring. Here was a test of United's resources.
          
          Karel Poborsky attempted to provide penetration down the right
          while Ronny Johnsen, who shadowed Zinedine Zidane, and David
          Beckham filled the central roles. Out left, Ryan Giggs tried to
          keep Angelo di Livio in check and make forays of his own.
          
          But the reality that Gary Pallister was United's most important
          player as the half unfolded indicated that Juventus offered the
          greater danger, particularly around the half-hour mark.
          
          Yet, barring an early scare when Inzaghi broke free, the
          opening period belonged to United. Showing a more direct side
          to their game, they flourished after 15 minutes when Ole Gunnar
          Solskjaer, attempting to fill the void left by Cole, twice
          threatened Angelo Peruzzi.
          
          The keeper dealt comfortably with their first incursion but the
          second shimmered with danger. The move was a delight to watch,
          initiated by Beckham, a young man who clearly felt this
          elevated stage was to his liking.
          
          The England international flicked the ball out to Gary Neville,
          who then brought Poborsky into play. The Czech Republic
          international, who enjoyed one of his best internationals
          against Italy at Euro 96, lifted in an excellent centre which
          was met by Giggs. The ball was directed neatly to Solskjaer,
          who turned in that smooth style of his and shot low but
          fractionally wide of Peruzzi's left-hand upright.
          
          Back came Juventus, so aware that they must ensure victory if
          what the local pink 'un called a "miracle" of progressing was
          to be achieved. Inzaghi carried the greatest menace, his quick
          feet often creating space. Pallister, ably assisted by Henning
          Berg, was in commanding form and needed to be as Inzaghi
          insinuated his way forward.
          
          Three times the Italy forward went close. Peter Schmeichel made
          a routine save from Inzaghi, who then tested United's captain
          again as the half-hour was reached. Juventus were going closer
          and really should have scored when fine approach work by Zidane
          and Di Livio opened up United's box. Inzaghi, connecting as he
          fell off balance, saw the ball flash wide of Schmeichel's goal.
          Zidane, too, could have swept Juventus ahead but United,
          holding firm, reached the safety of half-time on level terms.
          
          The second half was largely one-way traffic, Juventus
          pressuring and missing a hatful of chances while United sought
          to prosper on the counter-attack. These were tense times for
          Ferguson's men, the supporters' nails bitten to the quick, as
          Juventus pushed and probed, prompting outstanding performances
          from Pallister, Berg and Schmeichel.
          
          On they came, these black-and-white adventurers, desperate to
          salvage points or simply pride. Fabio Pecchia, a left-sided
          substitute, enjoyed two eminently takeable chances but fluffed
          both, the second with the net opening up as if to embrace his
          shot.
          
          It was real backs-to-the-wall stuff for United. Fonseca, sent
          free by Zidane, hit a post. Suddenly an Italian cheer went up.
          The giant screens signalled that Rosenborg were trailing to
          Olympiakos, one of the results Juventus needed to bring off
          their miracle. Then mocking cries of English jubiliation were
          heard as Rosenborg levelled.
          
          Juventus redoubled their efforts. Zidane played through
          Inzaghi, who brought another marvellous stop from Schmeichel.
          Same story, moments later: Schmeichel was at his defiant best.
          
          United were briefly unsettled when Zidane felled Johnsen, who
          had been such an assiduous shadow. The French referee, positive
          throughout, showed no favour to his compatriot, only a yellow
          card. Zidane then displayed his more creative side, dispatching
          a violent shot goalwards which Schmeichel brilliantly clawed
          away. English admiration spiralled into delight as news flashed
          up that Rosenborg had gone ahead.
          
          The pressure finally told. With six minutes remaining, and
          moments after Cole had been thwarted by Peruzzi, Juventus
          scored. Di Livio found Zidane down the left and the Frenchman
          was away, creating space cleverly before lifting the ball
          across the six-yard box to Inzaghi, who made no mistake. If
          celebration was sparked by that moment, then sheer pandemonium
          erupted when the screen informed the 47,781 present that
          Olympiakos had equalised, so sending Juventus through to the
          last eight.

            __________________________________________________________
          
          Group B
          
          Juventus (0) 1 Man Utd (0) 0
          Inzaghi 83.

          Juventus: Peruzzi, Ferrara, Torricelli, Di Livio, Conte
          (Montero 64), Inzaghi, Iuliano, Birindelli (Dimas 75), Fonseca,
          Tacchinardi (Pecchia 46), Zidane. Subs Not Used: Rampulla,
          Cingolani, Aronica, Giandomenico. Booked: Zidane.

          Man Utd: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Johnsen, Pallister, Beckham,
          Sheringham, Giggs, P. Neville, Poborsky (McClair 79), Solskjaer
          (Cole 73), Berg. Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Clegg, Thornley,
          Mulryne, Curtis. Booked: Berg.

          Att: 47,786
          Ref: Giles Veissiere (France).
          
          Kosice (0) 0 Feyenoord (0) 1
          Van Bronckhorst 82
          
                    P   W   D   L    F    A   Pts
Man Utd             6   5   0   1   14    5   15
Juventus            6   4   0   2   12    8   12
Feyenoord           6   3   0   3    8   10    9
FC Kosice           6   0   0   6    2   13    0

            __________________________________________________________

          
   December 11 1997 FOOTBALL
   
   United fall short of perfection
   
   FROM OLIVER HOLT, FOOTBALL CORRESPONDENT, IN TURIN
   
   Juventus ...1 Manchester United ...0
   
   THE anointing of Manchester United as one of the great European powers
   was put on hold last night. Planned for the Stadio delle Alpi, it
   foundered on the rock of desperation and determination that flooded
   from the Juventus team whose mantle United were seeking to don, and
   ended in the anticlimax of a defeat that took Juventus through to the
   last eight of the European Cup to join the English champions.
   
   In a dramatic finale, Juventus, who had spurned so many chances that
   it seemed they would never score, finally broke the deadlock in the
   84th minute, when a cross from Zidane was headed past Peter Schmeichel
   at point-blank range by Filippo Inzaghi, ruining United's hopes of
   recording their first win on Italian soil in six attempts and
   condemning them to their first defeat after five successive Champions'
   League wins.
   
   Then a huge cheer echoed round the stadium when the two giant
   scoreboards flashed the news from Athens that Olympiakos had equalised
   against Rosenborg, so allowing Juventus through. As United trudged
   off, they seemed to have forgotten that they had already made it into
   the draw for the quarter-finals, which will take place next week. The
   rules will prevent the teams meeting again at that stage.
   
   United began almost languidly and, just as they had in the first match
   between these teams in October, they nearly went behind before a
   minute had elapsed. Inzaghi rose to meet a cross from Fonseca and held
   his head in despair when it was saved by a diving Schmeichel.
   
   United, playing without Paul Scholes, a flu victim, Nicky Butt, who
   had a hamstring strain, and Andy Cole, who was among the substitutes,
   moved David Beckham into the centre of midfield and most of their
   brightest moments in the first half stemmed from his raking crossfield
   balls and his economy of play as he linked with Sheringham and Giggs.
   One driven, volleyed pass to Giggs took the breath away. United did
   create two early half-chances, the first when Ferrara's weak
   back-header almost let in Solskjaer, the second when Giggs nodded
   Poborsky's cross down at the back post and Solskjaer turned and
   squeezed a shot just wide of the post. Those aside, though, Juventus
   were dominant.
   
   A cross from Zidane rolled invitingly across the United area in the
   twentieth minute, but nobody met it. Ten minutes later, Inzaghi should
   have produced better than a weak volley when he met a cross from Di
   Livio. Two minutes after that, Juventus wasted their best chance when
   Zidane's ball let in Di Livio, but he crossed behind the onrushing
   Fonseca. When it reached Inzaghi, he could only prod it wide.
   
   Ten minutes before half-time, Fonseca turned provider, but again
   Juventus could not convert the chance. This time, Zidane met the cross
   at the far post and, arching backwards, hooked his shot just wide of
   Schmeichel's left-hand post. In the stands, the Juventus supporters
   grew more and more restless.
   
   Juventus replaced Tacchinardi with Pecchia at half-time and the
   substitute went close with his first touch when he headed a cross from
   Fonseca inches wide. United threatened briefly at the other end when
   Giggs struck a fierce volley just over from Sheringham's cross, but
   now Juventus were playing with greater urgency.
   
   Four minutes after half-time, Zidane played a brilliant ball through
   the heart of the United defence to Fonseca. His shot beat Schmeichel,
   but cannoned off the outside of a post to safety. Two minutes after
   that, Schmeichel rushed off his line to smother a shot from Inzaghi as
   the unmarked Fonseca screamed for it in the middle.
   
   Every few minutes now, roars of acclaim or disappointment greeted
   scores from the other Champions' League matches that could affect the
   fate of Juventus. None of the groans, though, matched the outpouring
   of disbelief that met the waste of the best chance that Juventus could
   have wished for.
   
   Sixty minutes had gone when Di Livio, breaking from midfield, played a
   sharp ball inside Phil Neville to Zidane. Eschewing the chance to
   shoot, Zidane pulled it back unselfishly to Pecchia, who was presented
   with an open goal. Somehow, he managed to mis-hit it and it rolled
   wide of the unguarded net.
   
   Two minutes later, Schmeichel produced the best save of the match.
   Zidane volleyed a shot from left to right that seemed destined for the
   bottom corner, but the Dane flung himself at it and pushed it past the
   post. Zidane fell to his knees in despair and clutched his hands to
   his head. In the end, though, the Frenchman had the last laugh.
   
   JUVENTUS (4-3-1-2): A Peruzzi - A Birindelli (sub: M Dimas, 75min), C
   Ferrara, M Juliano, M Torricelli - A di Livio, A Conte (sub: P
   Montero, 65), A Tacchinardi (sub: F Pecchia, 46) - Z Zidane - D
   Fonseca, F Inzaghi.
   
   MANCHESTER UNITED (4-4-2): P Schmeichel - G Neville, H Berg, G
   Pallister, P Neville - K Poborsky (sub: B McClair, 80), D Beckham, R
   Johnsen, R Giggs - O G Solskjaer (sub: A Cole, 73) E Sheringham.
   
   Referee: G Veissiere (France).
   
   Group B
   
          P     W       D   L   F       A  Pts
Man Utd   6     5       0   1   14      5   15
Juventus  6     4       0   2   12      8   12
Feyenoord 6     3       0   3   8       10   9
Kosice    6     0       0   6   2       13   0

   The quarter-finalists: AS Monaco; Bayer Leverkusen; Bayern Munich;
   Borussia Dortmund; Dynamo Kiev; Juventus; Manchester United; Real
   Madrid.
   
   Copyright 1997 The Times Newspapers Limited. 
_________________________________________________________________________

   December 11 1997 FOOTBALL
   
   Ferguson has final warning for Lippi
   
   BY OLIVER HOLT
   
   MARCELLO LIPPI, the relieved coach of Juventus, last night issued an
   invitation to Alex Ferguson after the Italian champions had crept into
   the quarter-finals of the European Cup with a late, late win over
   Manchester United in the Stadio delle Alpi that ruined the English
   club's perfect record in the competition.
   
   At a post-match press conference in which he denied there was any real
   disappointment in losing when they had already qualified for the last
   eight, Ferguson said that Lippi, who had prowled the touchline as his
   side wasted chance after chance, had shaken him by the hand and
   whispered in his ear.
   
   "He pulled me to one side and said: 'We will see you in the final',"
   Ferguson said. "But we will not be so kind next time if we get there.
   People may say that we have made it harder for ourselves by not
   knocking them out, but if you believe you are good enough to win the
   competition, you have to believe you can beat anybody along the road.
   
   "It was like a World Cup final in the last ten minutes and I think
   some of our players were so disappointed that they actually forgot
   they had qualified at the final whistle. I am a bit disappointed with
   our defending, but it was a good lesson for us. It will not do them
   any harm."
   
   Ferguson added: "It would have been nice to win all six games, but it
   is a great achievement to have got through to the quarter-finals. We
   have done the hard part now, because there is always a lot of tension
   connected with that process.
   
   "Juventus missed a lot of chances tonight and I thought they might
   never score, but they kept at it and they got their reward."
   
   The last word went to Lippi, who feels he has seen in United's
   performances this season the seeds of a decade of domination. "They
   have some very interesting young players," he said. "I think that in
   the next ten years they could become one of the best teams in the
   world - one of our great rivals."
   
   Copyright 1997 The Times Newspapers Limited. 
_________________________________________________________________________

   Thursday 11 December Champions League: Juventus 1 - 0 Manchester United  
   
   Inzaghi just in time for Juventus (Football Guardian)
   By David Lacey in Turin
   Thursday December 11, 1997
   
   Manchester United did their best not to look like cats who had got the
   cream in the Stadio Delle Alpi here last night but, with their place
   in the Champions League quarter-finals secure, a certain amount of
   whisker-preening was inevitable.

   Yet, while United's attack tended to jog through the match, Peter
   Schmeichel and his defenders had much to do after half-time once
   Juventus had brought a proper sense of urgency to their game.

   Schmeichel made several saves, Fabio Pecchia missed an open goal and
   then Filippo Inzaghi headed in from Zinedine Zidane's cross with seven
   minutes remaining.

   There was jubilation on the Juventus bench when news came through that
   Rosenborg had been held 2-2 in Greece by Olympiakos, which was enough
   to send Juventus through as one of the two best runners-up.

   Andy Cole and his calf strain were left on the bench and Nicky Butt,
   having developed a hamstring injury, missed the game altogether. But,
   even with Paul Scholes staying home to nurse his flu, United still put
   out a strong side. Karel Poborsky came in on the right, with David
   Beckham moving to central midfield, and Ole Solskjaer joined Teddy
   Sheringham up front.

   Juventus looked to Zidane for the sort of momentum he had provided in
   their victory at Old Trafford last season but, with Didier Deschamps
   unfit, their formidable Gallic influence had been halved. In addition
   Alessandro Del Piero, whose goal after 19 seconds had stunned United
   supporters in October, was suspended.

   True, Inzaghi did his best last night to put Juventus ahead within
   half-a-minute. Alessandro Birindelli's pass found Daniel Fonseca in
   space on the right and from his centre Inzaghi produced a sharp
   downward header which was on its way to the left-hand corner until
   Schmeichel dropped on it.

   After that, with Ronny Johnsen tracking down Zidane and Beckham again
   making good use of the greater freedom he has when moving inside,
   United began to play with the discipline, composure and authority
   which characterised their performances in Europe this season.

   Poborsky's recall ensured their attacks had more natural width and,
   after Ryan Giggs had nodded back his long cross, Solskjaer, shooting
   on the turn, was just wide on the quarter-hour.

   After Schmeichel's early save Juventus began to be frustrated by a
   combination of Henning Berg, Gary Pallister and the offside flag. The
   sluggishness of their passing was doing little to help Fonseca and
   Inzaghi break clear without exercising the linesman's right arm.

   For Juventus the most promising avenue of approach continued to lie on
   their right when the ball was played in behind Phil Neville. Angelo Di
   Livio opened up the wing in this way for Fonseca 11 minutes before
   half-time and from his centre Zidane just failed to force the ball
   past Schmeichel.

   The Italian side clearly had to raise the pace and, when they did,
   they nearly scored twice in the opening three minutes of the second
   half. First Pecchia, who had come on for Alessio Tacchinardi, head d
   wide after Fonseca had again found the right weight and angle with his
   cross. Then Fonseca hit the outside of the near post after Zidane had
   sent him clear.

   These moments, plus encouraging news from other European fronts,
   roused both Juventus and their followers. Twice in as many minutes
   Schmeichel left his line to grab the ball from the feet of the
   oncoming Inzaghi.

   Yet when the United goalkeeper charged out again, this time in an
   effort to intercept Zidane on the right, the Frenchman had the wit to
   leave Schmeichel stranded and Pecchia facing an open goal. Somehow he
   shot wide.

   Zidane did much better in the 67th minute, meeting a ball from Pecchia
   with a smart turn and volley which looked like finding the inside of
   the right-hand post until Schmeichel, at full stretch, managed to turn
   it behind.

   Juventus (4-4-2):Peruzzi; Birindelli, Ferrara, Iuliano, Torricelli; Di
   Livio, Conte, Zidane, Tacchinardi; Inzaghi, Fonseca.

_________________________________________________________________________

   JUVENTUS 1-0 MANCHESTER UNITED (Official United Home)

   Manchester United's dreams of Champions' League perfection died in the
   Stadio delle Alpi but Alex Ferguson will know just how strong his
   squad now is. With injuries keeping Andy Cole on the bench until the
   final few minutes and Nicky Butt in the stands, Ferguson's men were
   always going to have to battle for their lives to get anything from a
   game Juventus had to win.
   
   They looked to have done exactly that, with Peter Schmeichel showing
   why Alex Ferguson rates him the greatest keeper in the world as they
   withstood a second half siege. But even Schmeichel could do nothing
   seven minutes from time as Zinedine Zidane finally found the way to
   breakdown Ferguson's resolute red army. The French midfielder had
   slumped to his knees after being foiled by Schmeichel but this time he
   worked space on the left to cross for Filippo Inzaghi to nod past the
   exposed keeper.
   
   Inzaghi set off on a personal lap of honour, with the Juve fans
   cheering even louder within seconds as news of the Olympiakos leveller
   that meant they were through to the quarter-finals was posted on the
   giant electric scoreboard. There was no way back, as United's hopes of
   joining AC Milan, Paris St-Germain and Spartak Moscow in the elite
   100% club came to an end.
   
   Yet even so United learned as much as the Italians did from a night
   when their courage under fire was tested to the full, and not found
   wanting in any way. They might even have done better than that, Cole
   coming off the bench and failing to capitalise on a great chance just
   before Inzaghi struck. But Juve just deserved their victory and
   perhaps Ferguson may rue his men did not take their chance to put them
   out.
   
   Ferguson conceded his team had been over-powered and intimidated on
   their last visit here 14 months ago, and even if Juve were missing the
   flair of Alessandro Del Piero and the drive of Didier Deschamps, they
   still had plenty to offer. And Italian clubs had reached the last
   eight for 10 successive seasons and they had lost at home just eight
   times in 130 European starts.
   
   That Juve threat was demonstrated within 30 seconds when Uruguayan
   Daniel Fonseca sprang onto Alessandro Birindelli's ball down the right
   and crossed for Inzaghi to head at Schmeichel. With calf victim Cole
   on the bench, Ole Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham bore the
   responsibility of scoring only United's second goal on Italian soil,
   Norman Whiteside having managed the only previous goal here in Turin
   in 1984.
   
   With Karel Poborsky, handed an unexpected chance by the trio of
   absentees (a hamstring accounted for Butt) on the right, and Ryan
   Giggs spreading left, United had an abundance of width. United's
   movement was as impressive as their discipline, defensive bulwarks
   Gary Pallister and Henning Berg soaking up everything Juve could throw
   at them while there were positive signs when they broke.
   
   One brilliant ball by David Beckham picked out Giggs on the flank,
   with the Welshman's cross just behind Teddy Sheringham, while
   Solskjaer almost cashed in on Birindelli's weak back header. And
   United's best chance of the first period came in the 16th minute.
   Poborsky, in space on the right, found Giggs at the far post, and when
   he knocked down Solskjaer swivelled to fire just wide of the upright.
   Pallister then failed to get real power on a header from Giggs' corner
   although the central defender was then back in his more customary
   role, brilliant standing up to rob Fonseca as he burst onto the rugged
   Moreno Torricelli's ball up the left.
   
   That brought Juve back to life, with Inzaghi volleying at Schmeichel
   before stabbing wide after Zidane had linked with Angelo Di Livio to
   open up the United left. And Zidane then missed a great opening when
   Antonio Conte picked out Fonseca's run down the right, Gary Neville's
   attentions forcing the French ace to fire wide.
   
   Still neither keeper had made a real save, but with Fabio Pecchia
   introduced on the left for the underwhelming Alessio Tacchinardi at
   the interval and Zidane pushed right up, it became far livelier.
   Pecchia might have scored with his first touch, a looping header that
   dropped just the wrong side of the upright from Fonseca's cross.
   United responded in kind, Sheringham drilling from deep onto Giggs'
   left foot, his volley a whisker too high, before they had a real
   escape. Zidane's ball behind Gary Neville showed his sheer class, and
   as Schmeichel came from his line, Fonseca thrashed the ball past him,
   only for it to rebound back off the outside of the post. United had
   their backs-to-the-wall and survived a stunning miss by Pecchia on the
   hour. Di Livio played Zidane into the box on the United left, and even
   Schmeichel's frame could not prevent the Frenchman slipping past him
   for Pecchia to tap into the open net. Yet the substitute got his feet
   in a horrendous mess and contrived to slide wide.
   
   A rare United foray saw Gary Neville test Peruzzi before Cole's
   introduction for Solskjaer with 16 minutes left. Seven minutes later,
   that blistering pace should have brought United the goal that would
   have killed Juve off. Beckham sent Cole away clear through the middle.
   Ferrara looked dead for pace, but somehow got back to rob the
   fleet-footed striker, Peruzzi pouncing on the ball at the third
   attempt.
   
   And within two minutes, Inzaghi ensured Juve would come back from the
   Champions' League grave when he joyfully converted from a matter of
   yards to leave the tifosi in full chorus. The party was guaranteed at
   the final whistle, with confirmation of the Athens draw. Fair enough
   too, for this was a resurgent Juve. United, though, went down with
   heads held high.
   
   Juventus: 1-Angelo Peruzzi; 2-Ciro Ferrara, 13-Mark Iuliano,
   15-Alessandro Birindelli, 3-Moreno Torricelli, 8-Antonio Conte,
   7-Angelo Di Livio, 20-Alessio Tacchinardi, 21-Zinedine Zidane,
   18-Daniel Fonseca, 9-Filippo Inzaghi.

   Manchester United: 1-Peter Schmeichel; 21-Henning Berg, 6-Gary
   Pallister, 2-Gary Neville, 12-Philip Neville, 7-David Beckham, 5-Ronny
   Johnsen, 15-Karel Poborsky, 11-Ryan Giggs, 10-Teddy Sheringham, 20-Ole
   Gunnar Solskjaer
_________________________________________________________________________

Juventus teach United a lesson - Trevor Huggins
  	  				 
   TURIN, Italy, Dec 11 (AFP) - Juventus gave Manchester United a  
lesson in European football here on Wednesday night, when they beat 
Alex Ferguson's men 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions 
League. 

   United, who had already qualified for the last eight, withstood  
all the second-half pressure until the 84th minute, when Filippo 
Inzaghi headed the winner and the Delle Alpi stadium erupted. 

   Juventus squandered three chances in the opening 45 minutes and  
also missed an open goal in the second half, but they fully deserved 
their win after dominating the latter part of the game. 

   Ferguson accepted the defeat, but promised that after five  
straight victories in the competition a lesson had been learned, and 
that United come back even stronger in March. 

   "I don't think we played well, and I think we could have lost by  
more goals in the second half... there was no edge to our game 
tonight," he said. 

   "We can have no complaints. Juventus were a better team in the  
second half. But I do think that we helped them." 

   The atmosphere from the 68,000 crowd was electric in the closing  
minutes, as first Juventus scored and the crowd exploded again soon 
after when the maxi-screen flashed up Olympiakos' equaliser in Athens. 

   That 2-2 draw, along with Paris St Germain's narrow win, meant  
that the Turin club who won this competition in 1996 and who lost 
the 1997 final, were through to the quarters in 1998. 

   Ferguson said: "It became like a World Cup final in the last few  
minutes, and we'd forgotten that we'd actually qualified. The 
players came off really disappointed -- we forgot we were already 
there. 

   "And that's what happens in a game like that, the excitement and  
the euphoria get through. It's an amazing game football, you can't 
understand it." 

   Though satisfied at his own team having got through, Ferguson  
said there was a moral in their defeat here. 

   "We said from day one that if we score in every game we'll be  
there in the quarter-finals and we qualified by doing that," he 
said. 

    "And tonight we didn't score and thereby lost the game and it's  
a good lesson for us. 

   "It's a lesson we'll take into the quarter-final... and in that  
match we'll be a lot stronger." 

   Both sides had just chances in the first five minutes of the  
second half, but the closest was Fonseca, who ran onto to Zidane's 
defence-splitting pass and hit the near post with his angled shot. 

   Three minutes and a copycat move saw Zidane put Inzaghi through  
-- only for the outrushing Schmeichel to block the shot. 

   Substitute Fabio Pecchia then missed the open goal, after Di  
Livio had outwitted the United defence. 

   Zidane was the next to find out just how good a goalkeeper  
Schmeichel is; the Frenchman collected a ball from Pecchia on the 
edge of the area, controlled it with one touch and the volley forced 
a superb acrobatic save from the great Dane. 

   But minutes later, Di Livio started the match-winning move,  
prodding the ball deep into the left-hand side of the United area. 

   Zidane ran through, chipped the ball back and over Schmeichel  
for the unmarked Inzaghi headed home from three yards. 

   United were meanwhile left to rue the missed chance that fell to  
substitute Andy Cole just two minutes before the end. 

   The United striker was put clean through but failed to beat the  
undefended Juventus goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi, and missed the chance 
to put the Italian champions out of the competition. 
_________________________________________________________________________

Juventus scrape through like national side
  	  				 
   TURIN, Italy, Dec 11 (AFP) - Italy's Juventus copied the  
national side to just qualify from the group stages by a close 
margin following their 1-0 win against Manchester United in the 
European Champions League here on Wednesday. 

   Italy finished second to England in their World Cup group and  
only went through to France 98 through a 1-0 play-off victory over 
Russia when Pierluigi Casiraghi hit the crucial goal. 

   But Juventus, European Cup champions in 1996 and runners-up this  
year, had an even closer shave in this top club competition. 

   Filippo Inzaghi scored in the 84th minute to earn them a 1-0  
victory over Manchester United in their last group A match in 
Turin. 

   But it was not until little known Olympiakos player Pedrag  
Djordjevic scored from a free-kick to equalize at 2-2 against 
Norwegians Rosenborg Trondheim with two minutes to go were Juventus 
into the December 17 Geneva draw. 

   Qualifiers on the night Real Madrid, Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen  
joined Dynamo Kiev, holders Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United and 
Bayern Munich in the last eight. 

   Real Madrid won Group D after crushing Porto 4-0, while Monaco  
came back from 2-0 down in Leverkusen to draw 2-2 and win Group F. 

   Leverkusen, like Juventus, went through to the March 4/March 18  
quarter-finals as one of the best two runners-up. 

   Leverkusen coach Christian Daum said afterwards: "This  
qualification is an enormous success for us. We have very clearly 
shown since the start that we were going all out for the win." 

   However both sides, knowing a draw would put them both through,  
seemed content to keep the ball in the middle of the field and give 
up the contest. 

   Daum added: "As far as what happened in the last few minutes,  
the important thing was to ensure the point needed to qualify. What 
happened at the end should not divert attention from all our other 
matches." 

   Juventus squandered three chances in the opening 45 minutes and  
also missed an open goal in the second half, before Inzaghi broke 
the hearts of the United fans in the 84th minute. 

   Angelo Di Livio started the match-winning move, prodding the  
ball deep into the left-hand side of the United area. 

   Frenchman Zinedine Zidane ran through, chipped the ball back and  
over United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel for the unmarked Inzaghi to 
head home from just three yards. 

   Djordjevic's 88th minute freekick found the net for Olympiakos  
to spell a miserable night for visitors Rosenborg Trondheim, who 
must have thought they had made the quarter-finals. 

   Dimitris Mavrogenidis scored two minutes after the break after a  
slight deflection to put the Greeks ahead in the Group D match. 

   Within seconds, Sigurd Rushfeldt scored with a powerful header  
and he added another in the 69th minute to put Rosenborg on course 
for the quarter-finals. 

   But then came Djordjevic's freekick which ruined the Norwegians'  
night. 

   French champions Monaco came back from the dead to qualify for  
the last eight, coming from two goals down to draw with Bayer 
Leverkusen and win Group F. 

   Both sides were locked on 12 points at start of play, but  
Leverkusen had to chase the win with Monaco leading the group table 
on goal difference, despite knowing that a draw would most likely 
suit both sides. 

   And it was no surprise when Stefan Beinlich opened the scoring  
for Leverkusen in the 29th minute, firing home a brilliant effort 
with the outside of his left boot from 20 yards after fine work down 
the right by Christian Woerns. 

   But Leverkusen stepped up the tempo once more after the break  
and went 2-0 up on 57 minutes when Eric Meijer nodded home from 
close range after keeper Barthez could not hold a fierce right-foot 
shot from Kovac. 

   And the change brought the desired effect as Christophe Pignol  
pulled one back in the 63rd minute with a low shot after a short 
free kick routine. 

   With the Germans fading, rapidly Monaco stunned the home fans  
with a Thierry Henry equaliser after 81 minutes. 

   Henry, fed by Trezeguet on the left, cut inside and drilled a  
superb effort home. 

   Then came the last few minutes when both teams seemed content to  
hold the ball and wait for the final whistle spelling qualification. 

   A rampant Real Madrid waltzed past listless Porto, a 4-0 win at  
the Bernabeu Stadium enabling the Spaniards to qualify in style. 

   Fernando Hierro headed the Spanish champions' first goal after  
six minutes and Croatian striker Davor Suker added the second on the 
half hour with a nonchalant volley to quash all fears of potential 
elimination. 

   As the vociferous home fans switched from cautious anticipation  
into carnival mode, Brazilian Roberto Carlos put the matter beyond 
doubt with the third following a rasping freekick four minutes after 
the break. 

   Suker hammered the fourth from the penalty spot in the 73rd  
minute as six-times European champions Real handed out a footballing 
lesson to the Portuguese champions, disappointing throughout the 
competition. 


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