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Tomasson hits late winner Injury-time strike sinks Ajax, sets up Milan derbyPosted: Wednesday April 23, 2003 5:01 PMUpdated: Wednesday April 23, 2003 7:18 PM
MILAN (Reuters) -- An injury-time goal from substitute Jon Dahl Tomasson gave AC Milan a 3-2 win over Ajax Amsterdam in their Champions League quarterfinal, second leg on Wednesday to set up a semifinal with rivals Inter. Ajax had equalized through South African Steven Pienaar 12 minutes from time and, until Tomasson struck, were set to go through on away goals after the first leg had ended goalless. Milan led 1-0 at the interval thanks to a Filippo Inzaghi header before a pulsating second period in which a place in the last four changed hands four times. It was cruel on a young Ajax side who played, as they have done throughout the competition, tight and neat football with a constant threat on the counter-attack. But the win guarantees that one Serie A club will be in the final at Old Trafford on May 28 as Milan joined Inter and Juventus in the last four. Real Madrid face Juve in the other semifinal after beating Manchester United 6-5 on aggregate. Milan took the lead against Ajax on the half hour when Rui Costa fed Andriy Shevchenko on the right and the Ukrainian's deflected cross was headed in by Inzaghi at the back post. Milan had gone close seven minutes earlier when Cristian Brocchi fired into a crowded penalty area and his shot took a big deflection off Ajax defender Petri Pasanen. The ball looped towards the top corner of the net but Ajax goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont pulled off a remarkable diving save to claw it away. Television replays suggested the ball may have crossed the line before Lobant's sprawling save but there were no protests at the time from the Milan players. Nerves calmed After Inzaghi's opener Milan's nerves were calmed and they went close again twice before the interval. First, Shevchenko veered his way across the penalty area before checking and delivering a well-weighted chip that dropped just over the bar. The Ajax defense were caught napping when Dario Simic lofted a high ball into the area and Inzaghi latched on to it and unleashed a strong drive, which Lobont did well to keep out. Ajax coach Ronald Koeman made a positive switch at the break by bringing on Finnish striker Jari Litmanen for defender Jelle van Damme. Straight away the Dutch side looked more dangerous with Zlatan Ibrahimovic flashing a header from an Andy van der Meyde cross just wide. It was Litmanen who brought Ronald Koeman's side level in the 63rd minute, slotting home from close range after a low cross from Van der Meyde. Within two minutes, though, Milan had restored their lead with Inzaghi turning sharply and bursting into the area. His attempted cross struck a sliding Pasanen and looped up to the back post where a grateful Shevchenko headed home. That should have sealed the match for Milan but Ajax pulled level again on 78 minutes when Van der Meyde whipped in a cross from the left that was knocked down by Ibrahimovic and Pienaar scooped the ball in at the second attempt. A place in the last four beckoned for the Dutchmen but in the final moments Massimo Ambrosini headed the ball into the Ajax area, Inzaghi poked it over the advancing Ajax goalkeeper Lobont and Tomasson helped the ball over the line. Inzaghi raced away to celebrate the goal but it was the Dane who got the final touch to give his club their first semifinal place for eight years. The Milan derby matches will be played on May 7 and May 13. Winner gives Ancelotti reason to be happyMILAN (Reuters) -- AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted he was a relieved man late on Wednesday night. An injury time goal from substitute Jon Dahl Tomasson gave his team a 3-2 win over Ajax Amsterdam in their Champions League quarterfinal to set up a Milan derby in the last four with city rivals Inter. Ancelotti has been under pressure as Milan have slipped out of the Serie A title race and the normally guarded coach admitted that with the game at 2-2 and Ajax set to go through on away goals he had begun thinking the worst. "Football is a game of huge emotions, highs and lows and every now and then I manage to enjoy it" said Ancelotti. "I was beginning to feel depressed towards the end, imagining what all the headlines would say tomorrow but then we got that goal," said the Milan coach. Midfielder Rui Costa, who had limped off five minutes from the end suffering from a sore ankle watched the dramatic ending from the bench and said the mood had been despondent before Tomasson's strike. "Towards the end of the game there was tremendous sadness on the bench. "From the start of the season we have really wanted to do well in this competition and go all the way. We have done so well throughout and it was terrible to think that it was all over but then, thank god, we got the break," said the Portuguese playmaker. "All my pain went away in that final minute -- I am so satisfied, so happy with that," he said. Ancelotti said a combination of tactics, luck and courage had helped his side to the thrilling win. "There was still time after their second goal to sort things out. I put on Tomasson and we looked for the long ball. "We had the strength to fight until the end and we were rewarded for that. We had a bit of luck though because it was a very tight game. The Milan coach had plenty of praise for the young Ajax side who robbed of several key players produced another classy display. "Ajax are never easy to play against. They keep the ball so well and close down space. They are an excellent young team but they are still inexperienced and maybe that lack of experience was a factor at the end," said Ancelotti. Koeman crestfallen by his young side's late exitMILAN (Reuters) -- Ronald Koeman's Ajax were one minute from a place in the Champions League semifinals before an agonizing injury-time goal from AC Milan's Jon Dahl Tomasson gave the Italians a 3-2 win and a derby date with Inter Milan. It was rough justice for a young Ajax side who, despite being without their main creative force Rafael van der Vaart and Czech defender Tomas Galasek, matched Milan in every department. At 2-2, with an away goals-win looming, few would have begrudged them their place in the last four. "We are so disappointed because we were so close to going through. In many parts of the match I thought we were better than Milan. Football can be so tough sometimes," said Koeman. Twice Ajax fought back to level the scores, Jari Litmanen canceling out Filippo Inzaghi's opener and then Steven Pienaar claiming what would have been a precious equalizer 12 minutes from time. To add insult to injury, match-winner Tomasson, who had come on just six minutes from the end, is a well known adversary to Ajax fans having spent several seasons with rivals Feyenoord. Ajax beat Milan in the 1995 Champions League final during a spell when the Dutch club were firmly entrenched among the continent's elite, but after that side broke up it has been a long road back for the Amsterdam club. Just as in the draw against Inter in the first group stage, Koeman's youngsters handled the electric atmosphere of a packed San Siro stadium with aplomb. The likes of classy American John O'Brien, South African Steven Pienaar and crafty winger Andy van der Meyde all showed why Ajax had made it through to the last eight. The Amsterdam fans cheered and applauded for ages after the game and the players eventually came back out on to the field to take a bow -- it was the least they deserved. "We have surprised all of Europe this season. I don't think many people expected us to get this far," said Koeman. "I suppose tomorrow we might reflect that this has been a good season. But at the moment it is just too tough to go out like this," added the Dutchman. Summary AC Milan 3 Ajax Amsterdam 2 -- result Champions League quarterfinal, second leg First leg: 0-0. AC Milan win 3-2 on aggregate. Scorers: AC Milan -- Filippo Inzaghi 30, Andriy Shevchenko 65, Jon Dahl Tomasson 90+1 Ajax -- Jari Litmanen 63, Steven Pienaar 78 Halftime: 1-0; Attendance: 76,079 Teams: AC Milan: 12-Dida; 14-Dario Simic (15-Jon Dahl Tomasson 84), 13-Alessandro Nesta, 3-Paolo Maldini, 19-Alessandro Costacurta; 32-Christian Brocchi, 23-Massimo Ambrosini, 10-Rui Costa (5-Redondo 85), 4-Kakha Kaladze (11-Rivaldo 80); 7-Andriy Shevchenko, 9-Filippo Inzaghi. Ajax: 1-Bogdan Lobont; 2-Hatem Trabelsi, 16-Petri Pasanen; 5-Cristian Chivu; 24-Jelle van Damme (20-Jari Litmanen 46); 22-Abubakari Yakubu, 37-Wesley Sneijder, 18-John O'Brien; 10-Steven Pienaar (26-Nigel De Jong 84), 9-Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 7-Andy van der Meyde (89-Andre Bergdolmo 89). Referee: Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain).
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