Magdeburg’s Final Moment In Empty Tub

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East Germany international forward JUERGEN SPARWASSER (far left), the Olympic bronze medalist from the 1972 Summer Games at Munich trailed here by FC Magdeburg attacking partner DETLEF RAUGUST, is on the ball and about to be confronted by the AC Milan pair of defender ENRICO LANZI and Italy’s would-be two-time World Cup midfielder ROMEO BENETTI (far right) during the 1974 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup Final staged at the virtually empty Feyenoord Stadion in the Dutch city of Rotterdam.
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Everyone was, in fact, so sure that Italian Serie A giant AC MILAN would, indeed, successfully defend the same title it had won the season before and triumph over East German Oberliga club FC MAGDEBURG in the 1974 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup Final in the Netherlands that, literally, almost nobody turned up at the massive FEYENOORD STADION in Rotterdam to witness the actual contest.

“The Golden Boy” of Italian football, the legendary GIANNI RIVERA, was still the star for AC Milan, who had also captured the prestiguous European Cup of Champions five years earlier in 1969. The soon-to-be four-time World Cup veteran was joined in the middle of the park by ROMEO BENETTI, who was destined be a member of the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cup final tournament squads for Italy. Anchoring the defense, meanwhile, was aging West Germany international KARL-HEINZ SCHNELLINGER, the 35-year-old who had been with AC Milan nearly a decade now and had already appeared at three World Cup final tournaments.

FC Magdeburg, if not very familiar to football fans in the West, were stocked with five players who had won the Olympic bronze medals for the German Democratic Republic at the 1972 Summer Games hosted by Munich in the Federal Republic of Germany. One of these performers, JUERGEN SPARWASSER, had scored the decisive goal in the second leg of the Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final against Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon and was roughly six weeks away from recording a most historic tally against the host nation at the 1974 FIFA World Cup final tournament held in West Germany. Another was JUERGEN POMMERENKE, the midfield engine of FC Magdeburg who had scored the first goal of the historic all-German encounter at Munich’s Olympiastadion.

Although the attendance figure was politely announced as five thousand spectators, the correct total at the arena with a capacity at that time for 69,000 and the affectionate nickname of De Kuib (the Tub) was actually a lot closer to only 4,000 — this easily set the all-time record for box office futility for a Final of a major European competition and, in all likelihood, is a mark which will never be ‘beaten’.

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AC Milan might have taken the lead first in the opening forty-five minutes but a shot from uncapped forward CARLO TRESOLDI off a fine play from a set piece was repelled only by the diving effort of outstretched FC Magdeburg goalkeeper ULRICH SCHULZE. Shortly before the halftime whistle, emerging 19-year-old winger DETLEF RAUGUST found luck after a long solo run from midfield down the left flank. What seemed to be a routine cross from the soon-to-be World Cup forward would be, somehow, steered past veteran goalkeeper PIERLUIGI PIZZABALLA, a reserve on Italy’s 1966 World Cup roster, by AC Milan’s uncapped defender ENRICO LANZI to give FC Magdeburg a most surprising 1-0 advantage.

Coincidentally or not, after the conclusion of the 1973/74 campaign, both Lanzi and Tresoldi would be transferred by AC Milan to AS Varese in the off-season summer.

In the second half, after both would-be East Germany World Cup forward MARTIN HOFFMANN and Sparwasser had been kept out by Pizzaballa, the AC Milan captain might have leveled the match at the Tub in Rotterdam. A header from Rivera was ticketed for the upper corner with the goalkeeper having no chance but FC Magdeburg defender WOLFGANG ABRAHAM was able to save the day by using his head to clear the ball off the line. Unfortunately for the current holders, this failed opportunity would prove itself to to be the very last chance for AC Milan to retain its Cup Winners’ Cup title.

Two of the Olympic bronze medalists from the 1972 Summer Games at Munich put the matter to bed with a little over a quarter of an hour remaining to play. Left midfielder AXEL TYLL produced a surgical, swerving ball through the box for overlapping midfielder WOLFGANG SEGUIN to settle over on the right and the soon-to-be World Cup participant powerfully shot past the luckless Pizzaballa at close range. It was a perfect moment for Seguin to manifest his very first goal of the season in Europe for FC Magdeburg, then.

The finest hour of East German football had arrived, even if very few were actually on hand in Holland to see it.

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AC MILAN
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GK — Pierluigi PIZZABALLA —————– (Italy : 1 cap)
DF — Giuseppe SABADINI ——————– (Italy : 7 caps, 0 go)
DF — Angelo ACQUILLETTI —————– (Italy : 2 caps, 0 go)
DF — Enrico LANZI
DF — Karl Heinz SCHNELLINGER ——— (West Germany : 47 caps, 1 go)
MF — Aldo MALDERA ————————— (Italy : 10 caps, 0 go)
MF — Romeo BENETTI ————————- (Italy : 55 caps, 2 go)
MF — Gianni RIVERA —————————- (Italy : 60 caps, 14 go)
FW — Alberto BIGON
FW — Carlo TRESOLDI
FW — Franco BERGAMASCHI

substitutes
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FW — Alessandro TURINI
for Bergamaschi – 60th min

trainer — Giovanni TRAPATTONI

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FC MAGDEBURG
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GK — Ulrich SCHULZE ———————– (East Germany : 1 cap)
DF — Detlef ENGE
DF — Manfred ZAPF ————————— (East Germany : 16 caps, 0 go)
DF — Wolfgang ABRAHAM
DF — Helmut GAUBE
MF — Wolfgang SEGUIN ——————— (East Germany : 19 caps, 0 go)
MF — Juergen POMMERENKE ———— (East Germany : 53 caps, 3 go)
MF — Axel TYLL ———————————- (East Germany : 4 caps, 0 go)
FW — Detlef RAUGUST ———————– (East Germany : 3 caps, 0 go)
FW — Juergen SPARWASSER ————- (East Germany : 48 caps, 14 go)
FW — Martin HOFFMANN ——————- (East Germany : 62 caps, 15 go)

trainer — Heinz KRUEGEL

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East German Football’s Finest Moment In Europe — the playing staff and accompanying team officials of 1973/74 Oberliga champion FC MAGDEBURG celebrate their success in the 1974 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup Final and pose for the traditional photograph with the trophy at the essentially empty Feyenoord Stadion in Rotterdam, Holland.

Audi Cup : Bayern Munich Top AC Milan On Penalties

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Sweden international striker ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC (11) of AC Milan, whose option to purchase from Spanish side FC Barcelona for 24.0 million Euros was exercised by the Italian champion earlier this summer, competes for the ball with Bayern Munich’s Germany international defender HOLGER BADSTUBER during the closely-contested semi-final of the 2011 Audi Cup at the Allianz Arena in Bavaria.
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A test of character, then, as traditional German giant BAYERN MUNICH overcame the concession of an early goal to thoroughly control the 2011 Audi Cup semi-final match with Italian Serie A champion AC MILAN and, following the 1-1 draw after ninety minutes, ultimately triumph 5-3 on penalties.

A long ball over the top completely against the run of play, simple Route One stuff, really, allowed Sweden international striker ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC to run on and clinically slot past advancing Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER and give AC Milan the fast 1-0 advantage over Bayern Munich before even four minutes had elapsed.

In fact, the Bavarians might have been facing a two-goal deficit inside of the first dozen minutes after another serious breach of its defense but Neuer responded with an excellent save after AC Milan’s Italy international striker ANTONIO CASSANO had burst into the clear.

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Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER, bought by Bayern Munich from Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen this summer in exchange for 18.0 million Euros, conceded a goal less than four minutes into his debut for the home side at Allianz Arena but literally kept his team in the match with a critical save less than ten minutes later against current Italian champion AC Milan at the Audi Cup.
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Instead, Bayern Munich continued to mount unrelenting pressure and fire shots at AC Milan’s Italy international goalkeeper CHRISTIAN ABBIATI. The experienced 34-year-old acquitted himself quite well in the match, particularly in the first half. Finally, 21-year-old Germany international midfielder TONI KROOS, who scored Bayern Munich’s lone goal in the 2011 Liga Total Cup semi-final with SV Hamburg seven days ago, delivered a well-deserved equalizer with a left-footed laser guided inside the low, far post less than ten minutes ahead of the halftime whistle.

Despite the multitude of substitutes which appeared on both sides, the second half was as mirror of the opening session with Bayern Munich having all the opportunities and Abbiati displaying fine form in front of the AC Milan net.

Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN of Bayern Munich, who are already now without the felled France World Cup winger FRANCK RIBERY, was injured shortly after the hour as a result of a tackle by Nigeria World Cup defender TAYE TAIWO of AC Milan in the box and substituted almost immediately following in the 63rd minute.

And so penalties were required to produce a winner. The kickers of Bayern Munich successfully converted on all five of their trips to the spot. Meanwhile, in the fourth round, Italy U-21 international striker ALBERTO PALOSCHI blasted his effort over the crossbar and doomed AC Milan.

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Holland international midfielder URBY EMANUELSON (left) of reigning Italian Serie A champion AC Milan is confronted by the Dangerous Dutchman, himself, Holland World Cup star winger ARJEN ROBBEN of record German champion Bayern Munich, during the 2011 Audi Cup semi-final match at the sold-out Allianz Arena in Bavaria.
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BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Rafinha (J. Boateng 71′), van Buyten, Badstuber, Lahm – Tymoshchuk (Luiz Gustavo 63′), Schweinsteiger – Robben (Alaba 63′), Kroos, Mueller – Gomez

goal ————- Kroos
penalties —— Alaba, Gomez, Mueller, Kroos, Schweinsteiger

AC MILAN : Abbiati – Abate (Antonini 63′), Nesta (Thiago Silva 63′), Bonera, Taiwo (Oddo 85′) – Gattuso (Ambrosini 46′), van Bommel, Emanuelson (Pato 89′) – K. Boateng (Valoti 63′) – Ibrahimovic (Paloschi 46′), Cassano (Robinho 63′)

goals ———— Ibrahimovic
penalties —— Robinho, Oddo, Thiago Silva

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Bayern Muenchen : Schwierigste Testspiel Mit AC Mailand

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Ehemalige Bayern Muenchen Mittelfeld und erfahrener Niederlande Weltmeisterschaftspieler MARK VAN BOMMEL (4), der den letzten Winter zum AC Mailand gegangen ist, will beruehmter Italien Weltmeister und Torjaeger FRANCESCO TOTTI (10) von AS Roma waehrend Serie A Spiels am Stadio Olimpico letzten Fruehlung stoppen.
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Das 2011 AUDI POKAL gibt das schwierigste Spiel zu BAYERN MUENCHEN dennoch diesen Sommer. AC Mailand gewann die starke italienische Serie A letzte Saison fuer den achtzehnten Mal in der Vereingeschichte. Und fast alle Meisterschaftmannschaft bleibt weiterhin.

ANDREA PIRLO, der Mittelfelder mit 72 Laenderspiele fuer Italien, ist nach FC Juventus Turin gegangen. ALEXANDER MERKEL, der 19-Jaehriger Deutschland Jugendlaenderspieler, wechselt zum CFC Genoa. Merkel hat letzte Saison sechs Mal mit AC Mailand Startelf gespielt aber hat sogar noch mehr Gelegenheit mit seiner neuen Verein.

Englische Manchester City hatte Brasil Laenderspieler ROBINHO von der spanischem Real Madrid fuer 42.5 Million Euro im September von 2008 gekauft. Der Angreifer hat 14 Tore von 31 Spiele sein erstes Jahr in England geschossen. Aber neuer Trainer ROBERTO MANCINI hatte Robinho nicht so gern und deshalb der Brasilianer war zurueck nach Brasil zu FC Santos ausliehen.

Letzte Jahr am Ende des Sommers, AC Mailand hat nur 18.0 Million Euro fuer den 27-Jaehriger gezahlt — Robinho hat ein andere 14 Tore von 34 Serie A Spiele gemacht und die italienische Verein hat ein anderes Meisterschaft gewonnen.

Der Brasilianer PATO und Schweden Laenderspieler ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC, der von FC Barcelona (24.0 million Euro) angekommen ist, jeder hat auch 14 Tore mit AC Mailand letzte Jahrzeit getroffen.

AC Milan 0 – Ajax Amsterdam 2

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With a hand on the stomach of Holland World Cup midfielder DEMY DE ZEEUW (20) to keep the Ajax Amsterdam midfielder at bay, AC Milan’s two-time World Cup forward RONALDINHO, who has won 88 caps and scored 32 goals for Brazil in his career, attempts to settle the ball at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in northern Italy. (Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)
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UEFA Champions League
Group Stage
12/8/2010

0 – AC Milan (ITA)
2 – Ajax Amsterdam (HOL) ——— de Zeeuw 57′, Alderweireld 66′

A determined effort for the new head coach resulted in a pair of deserved second half goals as visiting Dutch Eredivisie side AJAX AMSTERDAM defeated hosting Italian Serie A club AC MILAN 2-0 in Group G of the UEFA Champions League.

Ajax Amsterdam took the game to AC Milan immediately and would continue to apply pressure throughout the game as the 21-9 advantage for shots-at-goal would indicate. In fact, if not for the work of Italy international MARCO AMELIA between the sticks for the Rossoneri, the defeat for the home side might have easily been much heavier. The 28-year-old Amelia, on loan to AC Milan for the season from FC Genoa, was credited with eleven saves by the official website of the UEFA Champions League.

Even though French club AJ Auxerre lost in Madrid and, thus, Ajax Amsterdam would have claimed third place in Group G and the resulting spot in the UEFA Europa League this spring anyway, the away win in Milan was still a fine way for de Godenzonen to begin the managerial tenure of FRANK DE BOER.

The 40-year-old de Boer, the former Ajax Amsterdam and two-time World Cup defender who earned 112 caps for the Netherlands over the course of his playing career, replaced the preceding MARTIN JOL, who resigned on December 6.

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Serbia international MIRALEM SULEJMANI (7) of Ajax Amsterdam, whose proposed season-long loan to Premier League side West Ham United collapsed when the 22-year-old winger did not receive an English work permit from the Home Office back in August, seeks to escape the clutches of AC Milan’s 34-year-old veteran international defender MARIO YEPES (76), who has collected 72 caps and scored four goals for Colombia in his day, at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. (Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)
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AC MILAN : Amelia ; Bonera, Yepes, Thiago Silva, Antonini ; Flamini (Boateng 26′), Ambrosini (Ibrahimovic 63′), Pirlo, Seedorf ; Robinho (Merkel 76′), Ronaldinho

AJAX AMSTERDAM: Stekelenburg ; van der Wiel, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Enoh ; Emanuelson, de Jong (El Hamdaoui 84′), Eriksen, de Zeeuw (Lindgren 82′) ; Sulejmani, Suarez (Tainio 90+2′)

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(Reuters photo)
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On the heels of a rocket fired into the lower corner of the net for Ajax Amsterdam’s first goal of the match against AC Milan, Holland World CUp midfielder DEMY DE ZEEUW (20) races off trailed by 18-year-old Denmark World Cup midfielder CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN (8) — the youngest participant at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa — and Holland U-21 international midfielder SIEM DE JONG (10) at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in northern Italy. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

AC Milan 2 – Real Madrid 2

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AC Milan midfielder IGNAZIO ABATE (20) has his feet tangled courtesy the challenge of Real Madrid’s Portugal World Cup star CRISTIANO RONALDO, who has scored 11 goals in nine La Liga games but just one in four Champions League contests this term, at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, commonly referred to as the San Siro, just south of the Italian Alps in the capital city of Lombardy. (Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters)
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UEFA Champions League
Group Stage
11/3/2010

2 – AC Milan (ITA) —————– Inzaghi 68′, 78′
2 – Real Madrid (SPA) ———— Higuain 45′, Leon 90+4′

A goal from a substitute deep into injury time ruined an attempted second half comeback and rallied visiting Spanish giant REAL MADRID to a 2-2 draw with Italian titan AC MILAN in Group G of the UEFA Champions League.

The point gained against AC Milan assures that Real Madrid will advance to the knockout round of sixteen of the competition.

With their first-year Portuguese manager JOSE MOURINHO making a return trip to the same Stadio San Siro where he enjoyed so much success in the Italian Alps with Inter Milan last season, Real Madrid had far more of the possession and opportunities of the first half but were made to wait until just before the halftime whistle for Argentina World Cup striker GONZALO HIGUAIN to grab his second goal in the UEFA Champions League this season.

Another Argentina World Cup performer now deployed regularly on the left wing by Mourinho, 25.0 million Euro acquisition ANGEL DI MARIA, had been the provider for Higuain, who now counts seven goals in all competitions for Real Madrid this 2010-11 campaign.

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Sweden international striker ZLATKO IBRAHIMOVIC of AC Milan, on loan for the season to the Serie A club from Los Blancos’ La Liga arch-rival FC Barcelona, fires a shot from the edge of the six-yard box as Real Madrid’s Spain World Cup champion goalkeeper IKER CASILLAS (1) comes out to cut down the angle at the San Siro. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images)
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AC Milan, however, were not about to give up so easily on home ground and sent on three-time Italy World Cup striker FILIPPO INZAGHI at the hour mark to see about erasing the deficit; within twenty mintues, the 37-year-old veteran scored twice to send the home side ahead.

Inzaghi’s first strike arrived in the 68th minute after Real Madrid’s Spain World Cup champion goalkeeper IKER CASILLAS could only parry the cross of AC Milan’s Sweden international striker ZLATKO IBRAHIMOVIC into the air; the aging veteran, in his tenth season with the Rossoneri, added a second ten minutes later after running onto a thru ball from AC Milan’s Italy World Cup midfielder GENNARO GATTUSO.

Perhaps anticipating a lob, the on-rushing Casillas foolishly jumped up in the air, which allowed the savy Inzaghi to simply roll the ball along the ground into the unguarded net for his 70th career goal in European competition.

After falling behind Mourinho, looking the possibility of defeat in the face with sincerity for the first time since taking over at Real Madrid, sent on a pair of substitutes who would, with time having all but expired, do the Portuguese manager proud.

In no less than the fourth minute of injury time, France international striker KARIM BENZEMA played a clever ball in the box for former Spain U-21 international midfielder PEDRO LEON to latch onto and lash, embarrassingly enough, between the wickets of AC Milan’s 33-year-old Italy international goalkeeper CHRISTIAN ABBIATI, who missed the first match in Madrid due to injury.

What a time and place, then, for Leon, the off-season arrival from CF Getafe, to produce his first competitive goal in the colors of Real Madrid.

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Brazil international midfielder RONALDINHO (80) of AC Milan, one of three former FC Barcelona players in the starting XI for the Rossoneri against Los Merengues, sticks out his hand as Real Madrid’s Spain World Cup champion defender SERGIO RAMOS goes down in a heap at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. (Alberto Pallaschiar/AP)
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AC MILAN : Abbiati ; Zambrotta, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Boateng ; Ronaldino (Inzaghi 60′), Gattuso (Seedorf 85′), Pirlo, Abate ; Ibrahimovic, Pato (Ambrosini 73′)

REAL MADRID : Casillas ; Marcelo, Carvalho, Pepe (Leon 80′), Sergio Ramos ; Khedira, Xabi Alonso, Oezil (Albiol 90′) ; Di Maria, Higuain (Benzema 73′), Ronaldo

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Argentina World Cup striker GONZALO HIGUAIN (20) of Real Madrid scores the first goal of the game against AC Milan’s Italy international goalkeeper CHRISTIAN ABBIATI (32) with a low shot to the right of the former Atletico Madrid netminder at the San Siro. (Antonio Calanni/AP)
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With Real Madrid’s Brazilian defender MARCELO and Spain World Cup champion goalkeeper IKER CASILLAS watching, 37-year-old veteran Italy international striker FILIPPO INZAGHI of AC Milan nods in the equalizing goal in the 68th minute at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. (Antonio Calanni/AP)
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Real Madrid’s World Cup pair of Portugal defender RICARDO CARVALHO and Spain goalkeeper IKER CASILLAS (1) collide with AC Milan’s aging Italy international striker FILIPPO INZAGHI as the ball rolls into thenet for the 37-year-old’s second goal of the match at the San Siro. (Antonio Calanni/AP)
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Real Madrid’s 23-year-old midfielder PEDRO LEON, an off-season purchase costing 10.0 million Euros from CF Getafe, unleashes a shot for the game-tying goal against AC Milan in the fourth minute of injury time at the San Siro. (Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters)
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Real Madrid’s Portuguese manager JOSE MOURINHO shares a moment with France international striker KARIM BENZEMA (9) and former Spain U-21 international midfielder PEDRO LEON (21), the architects of the equalizing goal in injury time against AC Milan, at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza just south of the Italian Alps in the capital city of Lombardy. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

Real Madrid 2 – AC Milan 0

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Italy World Cup champion midfielder ANDREA PIRLO (right) of AC Milan attempts to fend off the challenge of Real Madrid’s Argentina World Cup midfielder ANGEL DI MARIA, the most expensive player bought by Los Blancos this off-season summer, at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in the capital city of Spain. (Felix Ordonez/Reuters)
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UEFA Champions League
Group Stage
10/19/2010

2 – Real Madrid (SPA) ——— Ronaldo 13′, Oezil 14′
0 – AC Milan (ITA)

Back to back goals a minute apart inside the first quarter hour sent Spanish La Liga outfit REAL MADRID on their way to a rather easy 2-0 victory over visiting Serie A side AC MILAN in the Group G match of the UEFA Champions League.

Sweet revenge for Real Madrid supporters, then, who, at this stage of the tournament last year, saw their team lose 3-2 to the very same AC Milan on home ground at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

Only a baker’s dozen minutes into the match, Portugal World Cup star CRISTIANO RONALDO stepped up and shot a waist-high ball through a woefully-constructed AC Milan wall to score his first goal in Europe this season and send Real Madrid out front early.

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With the two Germany World Cup midfielders, MESUT OEZIL (23) and SAMI KHEDIRA (24) watching, Portugal World Cup star CRISTIANO RONALDO (7) strikes a free kick at goal in the 13th minute of the match against Italian side AC Milan at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)
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The lethal 25-year-old Portuguese attacker took his chance after Spain World Cup champion midfielder XABI ALONSO had been brought down inside the penalty arc by AC Milan’s Brazil international striker PATO.

The influential Ronaldo then set up Germany World Cup midfielder MESUT OEZIL to score Real Madrid’s second within the next sixty seconds and essentially seal AC Milan’s fate.

The 22-year-old German, with his first career goal in Europe for Real Madrid and second for the club in all competitions, was fortunate with a deflection off of Italy international defender DANIELE BONERA that left Italy international goalkeeper MARCO AMELIA absolutely no chance in the AC Milan net.

Amelia, a reserve on Italy’s 2006 World Cup championship squad in Germany who is on loan to AC Milan from FC Genoa, was making his debut for the Rossoneri in place of the injured regular CHRISTIAN ABBIATI.

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Portugal World Cup star CRISTIANO RONALDO of Real Madrid runs off having scored his 24th career goal in Europe and fifth of his last three games in all competitions with a free kick in the 13th minute against AC Milan at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. (Paul White/AP)
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Real Madrid had a thorough grip on the game throughout and registered a dominant 17-4 advantage in shots-at-goal for the game; after the rough beginning, AC Milan’s Amelia made several fine saves or the margin of victory might have been larger.

Spain World Cup goalkeeper IKER CASILLAS made a noteworthy stop near the half hour mark when he steered a free kick from AC Milan’s Italy World Cup midfielder ANDREA PIRLO off the crossbar.

Casillas has now posted three consecutive clean sheets in the UEFA Champions League this season for unbeaten and untied Real Madrid, who have opened up a formidable five point lead in a Group G which includes Italy’s AC Milan, Ajax Amsterdam in Holland and AJ Auxerre of France at the halfway point of the double round-robin stage.

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Sweden international striker ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC of AC Milan watches the ball while on his backside as Real Madrid’s Spain World Cup champion goalkeeper IKER CASILLAS follows the very same with fellow World Cup winner ALVARO ARBELOA (17) caught in-between at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. (Juan Medina/Reuters)
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REAL MADRID : Casillas ; Marcelo, Carvalho, Pepe, Arbeloa ; Khedira, Xabi Alonso, Oezil (L. Diarra 83′) ; Di Maria (Granero 87′), Higuain (Benzema 89′), Ronaldo

AC MILAN : Amelia ; Zambrotta, Nesta, Bonera, Antonini ; Ronaldinho (Robinho 72′), Gattuso (Boateng 59′), Pirlo, Seedorf ; Ibrahimovic, Pato (Inzaghi 78′)

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With 33-year-old Italy World Cup champion GIANLUCA ZAMBROTTA (19) of AC Milan giving chase, Real Madrid’s 23-year-old Germany World Cup midfielder SAMI KHEDIRA (24) advances the ball at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)
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Germany’s 22-year-old World Cup midfielder MESUT OEZIL (23) of Real Madrid races away from 32-year-old, three-time Italy World Cup midfielder and AC Milan captain GENNARO GATTUSO (8), who played one season in Scotland for Glasgow Rangers in 1997-98, at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. (Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)
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Germany World Cup and one-time Werder Bremen midfielder MESUT OEZIL (23), trailed by his teammate in South Africa this summer, former Vfb Stuttgart midfielder SAMI KHEDIRA (24), strikes a very Miroslav Klose-like pose after scoring his first-ever goal in Europe for Real Madrid against AC Milan at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in the capital city of Spain. (Andres Kudacki/AP)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

Real Madrid v AC Milan : Built-In Rivalry

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The traveling squad of Italian Serie A side AC MILAN gather for a little team talk during a training session on Monday at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in the capital city of Spain. (Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP)
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Two of Europe’s most powerful as well as prestigous clubs will clash on Tuesday as Spanish La Liga club REAL MADRID host Italian Serie A side AC MILAN at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Group G of the UEFA Champions League.

It is unfortunate that Brazil World Cup star KAKA is out for Real Madrid as a result of knee surgery in early August. The 28-year-old offensive-minded midfielder, of course, competed six seasons for AC Milan, scoring 70 goals in 193 Serie A contests with another 24 goals from 63 games in Europe before his move to Spain in the summer of 2009. Reportedly, the signing of Kaka set Real Madrid back 64.0 million Euros.

Real Madrid’s new manager, JOSE MOURINHO, is, naturally, no stranger to the AC Milan team having worked two years with cross-town rival Inter Milan in the Italian Alps.

Meanwhile, several of AC Milan’s players are quite familiar with playing important football matches at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in the capital city of Spain.

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Brazil World Cup striker ROBINHO (70) of AC Milan, who came on as a second half substitute, dribbles around the full-stretch challenge of Chievo Verona goalkeeper STEFANO SORRENTINO (28) at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza this past Saturday. (Luca Bruno/AP)
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AC Milan’s 34-year-old veteran midfielder CLARENCE SEEDORF spent a little over three years in Spain with Real Madrid; the former Holland international appeared 121 times and scored 15 goals in La Liga for Los Blancos before transferring to Inter Milan for roughly 23.0 million Euros during the 1999-2000 season.

Brazil World Cup striker ROBINHO, a recent big-money acquisition of AC Milan from English club Manchester City has played for Real Madrid more recently; the 26-year-old appeared in 101 La Liga games (25 goals) and 21 more matches in Europe (5 goals) over three seasons before moving to the Premier League in a deal worth a reported 42.5 million Euros on the first day of September in 2008.

Other AC Milan players are rather used to rivalry matches with Real Madrid at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, as well.

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Chievo Verona goalkeeper STEFANO SORRENTINO (28) can only stare as the Brazil World Cup striker ROBINHO (70), AC Milan’s purchase of 18.0 million Euros from English side Manchester City this August, successfully negotiates the last hurdle at the San Siro in the Italian Alps. (Paolo Bona/Reuters)
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2002 and 2006 Brazil World Cup midfielder RONALDINHO was employed by Real Madrid’s arch-enemy in the Spanish Primera Division, FC Barcelona, for five seasons until his transfer to AC Milan in the summer of 2008.

2006 and 2010 Italy World Cup defender GIANLUCA ZAMBROTTA wore the shirt of FC Barcelona for two years until leaving for AC Milan the same off-season as Ronaldinho.

Sweden international striker ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC is on loan to AC Milan for this season from FC Barcelona.

And then there is Italy international goalkeeper CHRISTIAN ABBIATI, who was out on loan from AC Milan to Real Madrid’s intra-city rival, Atletico Madrid, for the 2007-08 campaign.

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Brazil World Cup striker ROBINHO (70) scores his first career goal for AC Milan in the 90th minute of the Serie A match against Chievo Verona the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in the Italian Alps last Saturday. (Luca Bruno/AP)

Ajax Amsterdam 1 – AC Milan 1

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AC Milan’s veteran 34-year-old Holland international midfielder CLARENCE SEEDORF (10), who started his accomplished senior professional career at Ajax Amsterdam in the fall of 1992 and later earned 87 caps (11 goals) for the Netherlands, attempts to shield the ball from Ajax Amsterdam’s Holland international defender VURNON ANITA (6) at the Amsterdam Arena. (Reuters photo)
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UEFA Champions League
Group Stage
9/28/2010

1 – Ajax Amsterdam (HOL) ——— El Hamdaoui 23′
1 – AC Milan (ITA) ———————- Ibrahimovic 37′

In the first of a home and away series likely to decide second place for Group G, visiting Italian Serie A side AC MILAN and AJAX AMSTERDAM battled to a 1-1 draw in the UEFA Champions League.

Morocco international striker MOUNIR EL HAMDAOUI, an off-season acquisition from AZ 67 Alkmaar costing 5.0 million Euros, sent Ajax Amsterdam to the lead in the 23rd minute with his second goal in UEFA Champions League competition this season after a fine run on the right and square ball from Uruguay World Cup attacker LUIS SUAREZ.

Two former Ajax Amsterdam players, however, pulled AC Milan level with less than ten minutes remaining in the first half to mark the occasion of their homecoming.

Holland international midfielder CLARENCE SEEDORF, who made his first Eredivisie appearance for Ajax Amsterdam against FC Groningen in November of 1992 at the age of 16 and is still the youngest debutant in history for de Godenzonen, led the counterattack for AC Milan and provided the final ball.

Sweden international forward ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC, who played three full seasons for Ajax Amsterdam before being sold to Italian side Juventus of Turin for 16.0 million Euros in August of 2004, equalized for AC Milan with a vicious volley that left Holland World Cup goalkeeper MAARTEN STEKELENBURG no chance between the sticks.

AC Milan might have had a late winner, but Stekelenburg, who had five saves in the match, made a sensational stop on Ghana World Cup midfielder KEVIN PRINCE BOATENG to make sure Ajax Amsterdam received a share of the points.

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Ajax Amsterdam’s Morocco international striker MOUNIR EL HAMDAOUI fires a shot in front of 34-year-old Italian international defender ALESSANDRO NESTA (13) of AC Milan at the Amsterdam Arena. (Reuters photo)
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AJAX AMSTERDAM : Stekelenburg ; van der Wiel, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Anita (Sulejmani 38′) ; Emanuelson, de Jong, de Zeeuw (Lindgren 79′), Enoh ; El Hamdaoui, Suarez

AC MILAN : Abbiati ; Zambrotta, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Antonini ; Flamini (Boateng 52′), Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf (Abate 85′) ; Ibrahimovic, Robinho (Inzaghi 85′)

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Ajax Amsterdam’s Morocco international striker MOUNIR EL HAMDAOUI (9) has his arms out after a 23rd minute goal while Italy international defender ALESSANDRO NESTA (13), midfielder ANDREA PIRLO (21) and France international midfielder MATHIEU FLAMINI (16) of AC Milan express their frustration with falling behind early at the Amsterdam Arena in Holland. (Reuters photo)