Matchday One: Arsenal 1998 vs Inter Milan 1994

Arsenal 1998      0                   Inter Milan 1994       2
                                                (Bergkamp '4, Manicone '50)



The Bergkamp derby. A side that massively underachieved in the domestic season but won a European trophy against a side that tumbled out of Europe at the first hurdle but won a domestic double. I had expected it to be quite a close contest but in the event Inter dominated from start to finish.

The Bianconeri took the lead with their first attack. Bianchi crossed and Bergkamp headed past Seaman (note: Bergkamp never scored a headed goal for Inter in his brief time there and only 3 in his entire Arsenal career).

Arsenal could not get out of their own half and with fifteen minutes gone should have been further behind. Their offside trap failed and a chipped ball over the top was chested down by Bergkamp but a brilliant diving save by Seaman spared his back four's blushes.

Inter continued to press. Arsenal began to get more possession but found no way through Bergomi and the Inter defenders. It took more than half an hour before Zenga needed to pay even passing attention when Ray Parlour at last found some room and put a cross through the box. Shortly after, Arsenal's Bergkamp sent a long range shot over the crossbar but that was as close as they came in the first half.

Inter meanwhile continued to trouble Seaman. Right on half time Nicola Berti picked off a poor pass out from the back. Seaman came rushing out and the Inter midfielder coolly chipped him but saw the ball pass just over the bar.

Things hardly changed in the second half. Jonk sprayed a long pass to Berti who shot from the edge of the box had Seaman at full stretch. The Arsenal defence failed to clear the resulting corner and in the pinball chaos of the penalty area, the ice-cool Bergkamp was able to trap the ball, swivel and slide a pass through the tangle of legs to Manicone at the far post to tap in. Seaman, who was closing down the angle for the Bergkamp shot that never came had no prayer.

Arsenal flung everything forward in the hope of reducing the deficit. Wright put Bergkamp through but his shot from a wide angle was blocked out by Zenga. Overmars found more space but over hit his cross and Wenger brought on Platt for Parlour and Anelka for Wright. Platt was largely ineffective and drifted inside too much, causing the Arsenal midfield to lose its shape. Shalimov, who had replaced Jonk, exploited the space on a number of occasions, although Inter's forward ambition had effectively ended with the second away goal and the final half hour was a classic Italian exercise in closing shop. In this they were successful, although Anelka perhaps came closest to salvaging something for Arsenal with a close range diving header on 70 minutes but Zenga, at full stretch was up to the challenge.

The tie already looks well beyond the Gunners, who will have to hope that Inter's domestic form haunts the San Siro.    

Match Day One: 2000/2001 Lyon vs 1999/2000 Valencia

2000/2001 Lyon 1                         1999/2000 Valencia 1
(Violeau '78)                                       (Luis Milla '66)




     In a very even contest, Valencia got a valuable away goal but could not hang on for the win. Valencia got off to a good start when Claudio Lopez dispossessed Patrick Muller and put a dangerous cross through the box on 6 minutes but then largely drifted out of the game. Lyon took control and dominated the rest of the first 20 minutes. Shortly after the initial Lopez attack, Lyon broke on the counter and very nearly scored. The ball was fed to Sonny Anderson inside the Valencia pentalty area and only a desperate Canizares save at the Brazilian's feet prevented him scoring. Mauricio Pellegrino scrambled the clearance away. Lyon built more pressure. Anderson had a powerful shot parried and Juninho, arriving at the back post would have scored but Kily Gonzalez, tracking back, blocked the goal bound shot with Canizares beaten.

On 21 minutes Valencia began to work themselves back into the game. A nice passing move between Amedeo Carboni and Lopez led to a smart Coupet save. Then back came Lyon. Mark Vivien Foe launched a powerful run into the box and had his shot blocked by a sliding Miroslav Djukic. It was then Valencia's turn to attack but Gaizka Mendieta's shot from the edge of the box hardly troubled Coupet.

Foe was booked shortly after for a foul on Gerard at the edge of the box but the free kick was wasted and the half petered out. Even posession, a 5-3 shot count and nothing separating the sides at the break but Lyon having been much closer to scoring.

Valencia began brightly in the second half but pressed too high and with Carboni stranded in the Lyon box, a French counter attack set Govou free. He shot wastefully into the side netting. Just after the hour came Valencia's best spell. Only a brilliant one handed save by Coupet prevented Kily from scoring on 61 minutes after Angulo and Lopez had cut the Lyon defence apart.

Cuper made a substitution that seemed to indicate he was looking to see out a draw when he took Angulo off and brought on Luis Milla but instead the combative midfielder was instrumental in seeing Los Che take the lead. On 64 minutes he was on the end of another Valencia passing move to test Coupet and force a corner. From the corner, Pellegrino out jumped Edmilson. His header seemed to be dropping wide but Milla popped up at the back post to nod it into the net.

Lyon were rocking but just as it looked for likely that Valencia would score again and kill off the tie, the Lyon captain, Philippe Violeau hauled his side back into the contest. Gerard weakly lost possession in midfield and Violeau burst forward, picking up a flicked pass by Anderson to bustle between the Valencia defenders and put his shot away with 12 minutes remaining.

Milla joined Foe in the book shortly afterwards and Lyon could well have snatched the win with a late Juninho chance but 1-1 was a fair result, reflected in a 8-7 shot count.