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Electronic Telegraph

Monday
28 July 1997
Issue 794


United beaten in penalty shoot-out
By Charles Carrick in Milan


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   Inter Milan 1 Man Utd 1 (Inter win 4-1 on pens)
   
   RONALDO, who has replaced Alan Shearer as the world's most expensive
   player, made his long-awaited debut as Inter Milan beat Manchester
   United in a penalty shoot-out at the San Siro last night.
   
   Inter, who lost the UEFA Cup final on penalties, kept the trophy they
   won last season after Jordi Cruyff and Nicky Butt both missed the
   penalties for United, and French midfielder Benoit Cauet drove home
   the winner.
   
   It was, nevertheless, an encouraging performance by Alex Ferguson's
   men who had been comprehensively beaten 3-0 in the equivalent match
   last season.
   
   Butt had given United a 15th minute lead, but an own goal by
   substitute Gary Neville, who headed in Cauet's cross in the 70th
   minute sent the friendly into a shootout.
   
   The 20-year-old Brazilian, whose world record £18 million transfer
   wrangle with Barcelona should be settled next week, was given a
   rousing welcome by the San Siro crowd but he played only 17 minutes
   before being substituted.
   
   The biggest applause, and a standing ovation, came eight minutes from
   time when Nigerian Nwankwo Kanu, who had heart surgery in the United
   States last November and was never expected to play again, came on as
   a substitute.
   
   Inter took the early initiative, but defender Javier Zanetti needed to
   stop Paul Scholes' through ball from finding Ryan Giggs after five
   minutes and Teddy Sheringham sent a free-kick over the bar five
   minutes later.
   
   United had the first real chance when a deft flick from Ole Solskjaer
   was met with a diving header from Sheringham, which Inter goalkeeper
   Gianluca Pagliuca scrambled away.
   
   The English side gained in confidence, with Sheringham fitting in with
   remarkable ease and Scholes finding plenty space on the right and Butt
   broke the deadlock in the 15th minute, collecting a fine through ball
   from Scholes, winning a tackle and driving the ball home from 15
   yards.
   
   Two minutes later, Ronaldo made his exit, being replaced by Chilean
   Ivan Zamorano, but United kept up the pressure, with Sheringham
   feeding the ball through to Solskjaer for an angled close-range short
   which Pagliuca blocked but could not hold, while Peter Schmeichel
   could do no better seconds later with a rasping 20-yard drive from
   Inter's Diego Simeone.
   
   May limped off after 23 minutes and was replaced by Gary Neville but
   United enjoyed plenty of possession in midfield.
   
   Inter's best move came five minutes from half-time Youri Djorkaeff's
   deft touch found Massimo Tarantino on the left flank, but Schmeichel
   smothered the Italian's menacing low cross.
   
   And Schmeichel was just as glad to stop Zanetti's low drive from
   outside the area just a minute before the half-time whistle as Inter
   closed the first-half on top.

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Today's edition of Electronic Telegraph...

   Soccer-Ronaldo makes brief Inter debut
    
   By Gideon Long
   
   MILAN, July 27 (Reuter) - Brazilian striker Ronaldo played his first
   17 minutes of Italian soccer on Sunday but his new side Internazionale
   had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to English champions Manchester
   United.
   
   Ronaldo, who arrived in Inter this week after his much- publicised
   world record move from Barcelona, was given a rapturous reception by a
   50,000-strong crowd as he ran out at the San Siro for an otherwise
   low-key friendly.
   
   He forced a corner with his first touch but, that apart, was subdued
   by United defenders Denis Irwin and Ronny Johnsen.
   
   After 17 minutes, with Inter 1-0 down thanks to a fine strike by
   United forward Nicky Butt, the world Footballer of the Year was
   replaced by Chilean striker Ivan Zamorano.
   
   Inter president Massimo Moratti said afterwards he was satisfied with
   the Brazilian's first performance but added that Ronaldo was not yet
   in peak condition.
   
   "He frightens players when he runs at them but he still has some work
   to do on his fitness," Moratti said.
   
   Inter's other star debutant was Nigerian Nwankwo Kanu, who signed from
   Ajax Amsterdam a year ago but missed the whole of last season after he
   was diagnosed as having congenital heart disease.
   
   The 20-year-old, who was told who could die if he continued to play
   football and underwent a major operation last year to correct the
   disorder, came on to thunderous applause with nine minutes left.
   
   "Kanu had a quiet match for the little time he was on but I think he's
   an exceptional player," Moratti said. "Given time, I think he'll
   settle in and be a great forward."
   
   Debuts aside, Sunday's match was a disjointed affair, thanks in large
   part to the constant substitutions.
   
   Fifteen were made in all, and goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca was the
   only Inter player to see out the full 90 minutes.
   
   "I saw lots of good things from individual players but we still have a
   lot to do to build a fluid team," Inter coach Luigi Simoni said.
   
   Butt put United ahead after latching onto a superb pass from Paul
   Scholes and the English champions thoroughly deserved their halftime
   lead.
   
   They appeared to be heading for victory when, with 20 minutes left,
   England defender Gary Neville headed a seemingly harmless cross past
   his own goalkeeper and into the United net.
   
   Inter won a penalty competition after the match 4-1 to claim a trophy
   based on the result of this one match. The two sides meet again in a
   second friendly at United's Old Trafford on Wednesday.

    Internazionale Milan   1   Gary Neville o.g. 70
    Manchester United      1   Nicky Butt 14

    Inter won a penalty competition after the match 4-1 to win a
    trophy based on the result of this match only. The two sides
    meet for a second leg in Manchester on Wednesday.

    Attendance: 49,718

    Teams:

    Internazionale: 1-Gianluca Pagliuca, 4-Javier Zanetti
    (18-Nicola Berti 60), 24-Luigi Sartor (2-Giuseppe Bergomi 45),
    7-Salvatore Fresi (5-Fabio Galante 45), 19-Massimo Paganin
    (16-Taribo West 45), 3-Massimo Tarantino (15-Benoit Cauet 45),
    14-Diego Simeone (21-Luca Mezzano 81), 13-Ze Elias (17-Francesco
    Moriero 60), 6-Youri Djorkaeff (20-Alvaro Recoba 60), 10-Ronaldo
    (9-Ivan Zamorano 17, 11-Nwankwo Kanu 81), 23-Maurizio Ganz
    (8-Aron Winter 60).

    Manchester United: 1-Peter Schmeichel, 2-Denis Irwin
    (16-Brian McClair 71), 3-Phillip Neville, 6-Roy Keane, 4-David
    May (17-Gary Neville 23), 5-Ronny Johnsen, 7-Paul Scholes,
    8-Nicky Butt, 9-Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (12-Andy Cole 65), 11-Ryan
    Giggs (14-Jordi Cruyff 65), 10-Teddy Sheringham.

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