Baggio comes to Inter's rescue
Striker comes off bench to score twice in 3-1 win over Real
Posted: Wednesday November 25, 1998 09:54 PM
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Ronaldo's intent of scoring Inter's first goal in the 51st minute deflected off Zamorano's leg AP |
MILAN, Italy (AP) -- Bad knee and all, Roberto Baggio saved
Inter Milan and coach Luigi Simoni.
The veteran striker came off the bench to score twice in the
dying minutes Wednesday, leading Inter past defending titlist Real
Madrid 3-1 and into first place in Group C of the Champions League.
Baggio, who's battled a knee tendon injury all season, entered
as a substitute in the 68th minute with the score ted 1-1 after
the clubs had traded goals eight minutes apart early in the second
half.
With four minutes left, the 31-year-old took a pass from
Argentine midfielder Diego Simeone and rifled a low shot from 11
yards out that found the net off German goalkeeper Bodo
Illgner's foot.
Baggio then wrapped up the dramatic win in injury time, taking
another pass from Simeone and rounding Illgner with a series of
fakes before slotting the ball home before 80,000 at sold-out San
Siro Stadium.
The result likely saved Simoni's job. The coach has been under
fire for months and club owner Massimo Moratti had demanded a
victory Wednesday.
"We were well prepared. Luckily, we managed to win this
important game," Baggio said.
Italy's 1994 World Cup goal-scoring star played alongside
two-time FIFA Player of the Year Ronaldo -- who also has had knee
trouble -- for just the third time this season.
And the Brazilian set up Inter's opening goal.
Ronaldo's rising blast from 25 yards out in the 51st
minute deflected off Chilean striker Ivan Zamorano's leg and flew
past Illgner.
Real equalized quickly, when Dutch mifielder Clarence Seedorf
headed in Brazilian midfielder Savio's precise cross.
Inter, which lost 2-0 to Real Madrid in Spain on September 16, leads
Group C with a 3-1-1 record for 10 points. Real is one point back
and Spartak Moscow is two points off the pace with one rotation to
go before the quarterfinals.
Inter started strongly, dictating the pace of the match and
generating scoring opportunities. Winger Francesco Moriero sent
three shots off the mark in the first 15 minutes, including one
over the crossbar off Ronaldo's well-timed freeing pass.
But Real worked its way into the game, and Yugoslav striker
Pedrag Mijatovic's strong shot from the left side of the penalty
area shaved the near post in the 40th. Three minutes later, Real
striker Raul's close shot at an unprotected net was deflected over
the crossbar by defender Francesco Colonnese
A slick move by Ronaldo set up sweeper Giuseppe Bergomi for a
point-blank shot in the 66th minute, but Illgner smothered the
ball.
Real defender Manuel Sanchis received a yellow card for a foul
on Zamorano in the 17th minute and will miss his club's final group
match, December 9 against Spartak Moscow.
Inter faces Austria's Sturm Graz, which drew 0-0 at Spartak on
Wednesday, in two weeks.
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