Milan 0-2 Arsenal: Landmark night for Gunners
Scoring Summary AC Milan Arsenal
Francesc Fabregas (84)
Emmanuel Adebayor (90)
Match Stats AC Milan Arsenal Shots (on Goal) 14(4) 13(4) Fouls 17 24 Corner Kicks 8 3 Offsides 5 9 Time of Possession 47% 53% Yellow Cards 3 3 Red Cards 0 0 Saves 2 4
Match Information
Stadium: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
Attendance: 81,879
Match Time: 19:45 UK
Referee(s):
Konrad Plautz (Referee)
Gerald Lehner (Linesman)
Markus Mayr (Linesman)
Egon Bereuter (Linesman)
Teams AC Milan Arsenal 16 Zeljko Kalac24
Manuel Almunia13 Alessandro Nesta10
William Gallas3 Paolo Maldini6
Philippe Senderos4 Kakha Kaladze22
Gaël Clichy44 Massimo Oddo3
Bacary Sagna8 Ivan Gennaro Gattuso13
Alexander Hleb21 Andrea Pirlo27
Emmanuel Eboue23 Massimo Ambrosini4
Francesc Fabregas22 Kaká16
Mathieu Flamini9 Filippo Inzaghi2
Vasiriki Abou Diaby7 Pato25
Emmanuel AdebayorSubstitutes25 Daniele Bonera
Jens Lehmann 119 Giuseppe Favalli
Robin Van Persie 115 Emerson
Gilberto Silva 1917 Dario Simic
Justin Hoyte 3129 Valerio Fiori
Theo Walcott 3211 Alberto Gilardino
Nicklas Bendtner 2620 Yoann Gourcuff
Denilson 15SubstitutionsAlberto Gilardino for Filippo Inzaghi (69)
Theo Walcott for
Emmanuel Eboue (71)
Gilberto Silva for
Alexander Hleb (90)
Yellow CardsFilippo Inzaghi (55)
Alexander Hleb (33)
Kaká (80)
Emmanuel Eboue (56)
Andrea Pirlo (85)
Gaël Clichy (72)
· Club Squads:
AC Milan |
Arsenal
Updated: March 4, 2008, 4:59 PM ET
Arsenal marched into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 2-0 win thanks to a superb late strike from Cesc Fabregas which helped send holders AC Milan crashing out at the San Siro.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had talked up his young side as having all the qualities needed to progress against the odds, and so it proved as Milan were out battled for most of the encounter.
A famous victory, 2-0 on aggregate, was delivered when Spain international Fabregas smashed in a brilliant 25-yard strike with just six minutes left and Emmanuel Adebayor added a second in stoppage-time.
Empics
Fabregas fires Arsenal's first goal.
It was no more than Arsenal deserved, becoming
the first English team to beat Milan here, having dominated for long spells and with Fabregas earlier having hit the crossbar.
With a one-point lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League to protect, this season could just turn out to be a vintage one for Wenger's latest charges.
The San Siro was packed to near capacity, at 81,879, and the atmosphere was electric as the match kicked off.
Wenger had been keen to ensure the Italians did not look to slow the tempo.
Arsenal started brightly, closing down Milan well and denying them space in midfield.
After seven minutes, Alex Hleb found himself in space at the edge of the penalty area - but crashed his drive well over.
However, it was the hosts who almost snatched an early lead, when a corner from the left was flicked on at the near post by Paolo Maldini - and it needed a goal-line clearance from Fabregas to keep the ball out.
After 13 minutes, Arsenal broke quickly as Adebayor latched onto a long pass from Fabregas. The Togo frontman held the ball up and laid it off to the advancing Abou Diaby, but his placed shot from 20 yards was just over the top-right angle.
Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia got down well to smother a far-post volley from Filippo Inzaghi as play continued to move from end to end.
A sweeping run by Kaka saw Milan break down the left in the 18th minute. As the defence backed off, the Brazilian chipped the ball to the far post, where Alexandre Pato really should have done better than just a feeble shot straight at Almunia.
Milan continued to press, with Inzaghi heading wide from a corner and Kaka's low drive skimming just the wrong side of the near post.
Adebayor - who hit the woodwork in stoppage time during the first leg - came close to scoring again after 27 minutes.
The big African cut inside from the right, and his 12-yard drive was tipped over by Milan keeper Zeljko Kalac.
Arsenal were now enjoying a good spell themselves and Hleb was incensed after he appeared to be caught by Alessandro Nesta on the edge of the Milan penalty area - but was harshly cautioned by Austrian referee Konrad Plautz for what he saw as a dive.
Adebayor stepped inside before rolling the ball back along the 18-yard line to Fabregas.
The Spaniard set himself before rifling in a drive which beat Kalac, but crashed against the crossbar.
Arsenal did well to keep possession, which frustrated the home crowd heading into the break, and had another golden chance to net that crucial away goal after the restart.
A cross from the left found its way through to Philippe Senderos at the back post - but the defender's effort was hit straight at Kalac.
After 50 minutes, Emmanuel Eboue was played in on the overlap down the right side of the Milan penalty area, but blasted his angled drive wide.
Almunia had to be alert to turn away a 25-yard free-kick from Andrea Pirlo at full stretch, as the ball looked to be sneaking into the bottom right corner.
The pace was relentless as the hour mark approached.
There was a warning for the Gunners, though, when Kaka broke down the left and surged to the edge of the penalty area before drilling his shot just wide.
Wenger sent on Theo Walcott, replacing Eboue, and the England Under-21 winger almost set up Adebayor - but his cutback from the goalline was cleared.
Pato flashed an angled drive just wide from the left side of the penalty area as the tie remained on a knife-edge heading into the final 10 minutes of normal time.
Then, out of nothing, Fabregas won it with a superb solo goal. The Spain midfielder picked up the ball, sidestepped Gennaro Gattuso and drilled a 25-yard strike into the bottom right corner. Adebayor scored a second in added time, following a fine run and low cross from Walcott along the goal-line, to cap a magnificent night for the Gunners.
