Juventus 1 - AC Milan 1
Wednesday 6th February 2002
Juventus were given an early scare by AC Milan in this Coppa Italia semi-final second leg, but recovered after the break to set up a meeting with Parma or Brescia.
Gianluca Zambrotta scored the all-important goal after Jose Mari had put Milan in front, levelling at 2-2 on aggregate.
Juve boss Marcello Lippi hoped to rest David Trezeguet and Alex Del Piero ahead of Sunday's Serie A crunch-match against Roma, but both were sent on to help secure the tie.
The match began in pelting rain with Juve showing greater confidence, despite their much-changed line-up.
Zambrotta headed fractionally wide from Pavel Nedved's corner and Alessandro Birindelli tried to repeat his enterprise of the first leg, but his stunning free-kick clipped the wall and grazed the post.
Milan gradually got into their stride and goalkeeper Fabian Carini had to rush to the edge of his area after Jose Mari was sent clear by a long ball from Demetrio Albertini. At the other end, Nedved saw a fierce shot blocked by Sebastiano Rossi.
Carini tipped over Andrea Pirlo's free-kick on 20 minutes, then saved from Andriy Shevchenko's header after a cross from the left by Cosmin Contra.
The Juve keeper was powerless just before the half-hour, though, when Pirlo jinked down the wing and sent over a fine cross which Jose Mari nodded home at the far post.
Juve tried to react, but Montero headed over from Nedved's free-kick and Marcelo Zalayeta, making a rare appearance in attack, was too slow to turn in an Edgar Davids centre.
Trezeguet came on for Juve centre-back Lilian Thuram for the start of the second half and, carrying greater attacking threat, Juve forced two early corners.
Davids' shot was then saved by Rossi as the home side stole the initiative and Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti, recognising his team were unable to make headway, sent on Serginho for Massimo Ambrosini.
Lippi responded by swapping Del Piero for Nedved on the hour and, two minutes later, Zambrotta exchanged passes with Zalayeta and fired a terrific left-foot shot into the far corner to make it 1-1 on the night and 3-2 to Juve on aggregate.
Time was running out for Milan and, with Shevchenko having a dreadful night up front, Ancelotti replaced the Ukrainian with Javi Moreno.
It made little difference initially as Zambrotta ran down the the right and passed to Trezeguet, whose shot was well saved by Rossi, before Davids and Gianluca Pessotto struck efforts just over.
But Milan missed a great chance to force extra-time on 85 minutes when Serginho skipped away down the left and passed crisply inside to Moreno, who made a hash of his first touch, then shot wide at the far post as the goal gaped.
Juve: Carini, Thuram (Trezeguet 46), Birindelli, Iuliano, Montero, Zambrotta, Tacchinardi, Davids, Pessotto, Nedved (Del Piero 61), Zalayeta
Milan: Rossi, Contra, Roque Junior, Chamot (Laursen 46), Kaladze, Gattuso, Albertini, Ambrosini (Serginho 61), Pirlo, Jose Mari, Shevchenko
Referee: Bertini
