Last chance

Inter seeks to keep Italian hopes alive in Europe

LONDON (AP) -- With an all-Milan final virtually ruled out, it's up to Internazionale to salvage Italian pride in Europe.

A German-Dutch UEFA Cup final looms as Feyenoord Rotterdam and Borussia Dortmund hold the edge going into Thursday's second-leg semifinal matches against Inter Milan and AC Milan.

The Milan rivals had been in line to become the first UEFA Cup finalists from the same city. But those hopes were shattered in the first leg last week when Feyenoord upset Inter 1-0 at the San Siro and Dortmund thrashed AC Milan 4-0 in Germany.

If both Milan teams go out Thursday, it will mean no Italian sides are left in European competition. AS Roma and Juventus have already been eliminated from the Champions League.

But, facing only a one-goal deficit, Inter remains in contention to reach the final. And, this time, Inter could finally have Brazilian star Ronaldo back in the starting lineup.

Ronaldo, a two-time FIFA player of the year, has been troubled by a string of muscle problems this season after his return from a two-year absence due to injury.

The Brazilian striker made an unimpressive 20-minute appearance in the first-leg against Feyenoord. On Sunday, he remained on the substitutes' bench in Inter's surprising loss to Atalanta, a result which cut his club's Serie A lead to two points over AS Roma.

Ronaldo could team in attack with Christian Vieri, who has not played in any recent UEFA Cup games. Vieri has chosen to rest a sore leg in mid-week competitions and only play in weekend league matches. But Inter officials indicated Vieri may play this time.

Inter's Colombian defender Ivan Cordoba is suspended for the match after picking up a second yellow card last week. And with Slovakian defender Vratislav Gresko also missing, Inter will be short on defenders.

Along with veterans Javier Zanetti and Marco Materazzi, Inter will have 18-year-old Salvatore Ferraro and 20-year-old Giovanni Pasquale on defense.

"We must go to Rotterdam and win the game," Materazzi said. "Even if there's only one defender and 11 forwards, it doesn't make a difference. Ferraro already played at Madrid against Real, and showed great promise."

Feyenoord has the home advantage for its 14th European match of the season, a record for a Dutch team.

But Bert van Marwijk's club has looked vulnerable as it chases the Dutch league title. Feyenoord was held to a 0-0 draw by NAC Breda last Sunday and, along with PSV Eindhoven, now lies four points behind leader Ajax Amsterdam.

"You won't hear from me that fighting on two battlefronts is impossible," van Marwijk said. 'I cannot say: 'We forget about the title or we give up on the UEFA Cup.' But it is tough."

Feyenoord has the extra incentive of knowing that the May 8 final will be played at its own De Kuip stadium.

"It will be the most beautiful day of my entire career if I manage to keep a clean sheet again because then we are in the final," said goalkeeper Edwin Zoetebier, who joined Feyenoord from Vitesse of Arnhem earlier this season.

Feyenoord forward Bonaventure Kalou, one of the most influential players in the first leg, is recovering from a hamstring injury but is expected to be fit. Defender Thomas Rzasa and Japanese midfielder Shinji Ono are suspended after receiving yellow cards in Milan.

AC Milan is given little chance of overcoming the four-goal deficit against Dortmund, which is on the verge of reaching its first European final since winning the Champions Cup in 1997.

With playmaker Manuel Rui Costa out with another muscle strain, 22-year-old midfielder Andrea Pirlo will assume a greater role in directing the attack.

Pirlo should have Filippo Inzaghi and Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko to feed up front.

Shevchenko returned for Milan in the second half of Sunday's 1-1 draw at Chievo after missing more than a month with an injury.

"I'll make myself ready, although I just started working out again recently," Shevchenko said of his chances of starting the game. "It depends how [coach Carlo] Ancelotti wants to plan the game, it will be his decision."

Veteran defender and team captain Paolo Maldini will miss the game with a pulled muscle.

Midfielder Cristian Brocchi insisted Milan has not given up on advancing.

"We're looking forward to this game against Borussia," Brocchi said. "Many of us can still clearly remember their celebration at the end of the game. And this will motivate us."

Dortmund manager Matthias Sammer is warning his players against complacency.

"This won't be a vacation, because 4-0 is not a sure cushion," he said. "There's enough teams that felt secure only to fly out of a competition. I know this from personal experience."

Sammer, as an 18-year-old, played for a Dynamo Dresden side that in 1985 led Bayer Uerdingen 2-0 and 3-1 in the Cup Winners Cup, only to lose 7-3 and be ousted.

"Milan is a place where that can always happen," he said. "But if any of my players still don't understand that we have a huge chance to reach a European final for the first time since 1997, then there's no helping him."

Sammer says he will play his first-choice players despite the huge lead. "I'm not crazy," he said.

Sammer has the same players available from the first leg, with midfielder Lars Ricken also returning from a back injury. Dortmund is concerned that five players have yellow cards, including stars Marcio Amoroso and Tomas Rosicky.

 

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