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Inzaghi double destroys Lyon dream
![]() Inzaghi opens the scoring for Milan who needed late goals to go through. MILAN, Italy -- Late strikes from Filippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko gave AC Milan a 3-1 triumph over Olympique Lyon on Tuesday to send the Italian side into the Champions League semifinals. The first leg in France ended goalless and with two minutes of normal time left Lyon were set to head into the last four for the first time on the 'away goals' rule. Inzaghi had put the home side ahead in the 25th minute with a confident header from a Clarence Seedorf cross. Six minutes later Lyon equalized, gaining their decisive away goal. Brazilian Juninho whipped in a dangerous free kick from wide on the left and, with the Milan defense nowhere, a Cris header struck team-mate Fred and Senegalese midfielder Mahamadou Diarra headed home. Milan looked to have run out of ideas but in the 88th minute Shevchenko fired in a low shot which Lyon keeper Gregory Coupet turned against the far post -- the ball rolled along the line hitting the near post before Inzaghi scrambled it over the line. Then in injury time, Shevchenko latched on to a poor back pass from Francois Clerc and rounded Coupet before slotting into the unguarded goal. Lyon had the best early chances -- largely thanks to another jittery display from Milan's increasingly shaky Brazilian keeper Dida. Dida made a hash of a backpass in the 18th minute, miskicking to the edge of the area but Lyon forward Sylvain Wiltord was unable to make anything of the opportunity, firing his shot wide. The Milan keeper then rushed out of his area but failed to collect a long ball forward and from the scramble Florent Malouda, a surprise inclusion in midfield for Lyon, attempted a lob which fell just over the crossbar. ![]() Diarra celebrates after heading Lyon within touching distance of the semis Dida did better to parry a wicked free-kick from Juninho which bounced awkwardly in front of the Milan keeper as the French side continued to apply pressure. The Milan defense had to be altered in the 24th minute when Dutchman Jaap Stam limped off to be replaced by Alessandro Costacurta, who will be 40 later this month. Within a minute of that switch Carlo Ancelotti's side had the lead only to see their advantage wiped out just six minutes later. Juninho, who missed the first-leg through suspension, was a threat again five minutes before the break. His dipping cross-shot forced Dida to tip over the bar at full-stretch and from the resulting corner, taken by the Brazilian, an unmarked Fred headed against the outside of the post. As the clock wound down, the French supporters were in celebratory mood but were silenced by two late goals that gave Milan a result that flattered them.
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