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On Saturday, two matches were played in the Italian league. Defending champions "Milan" played away against "Sampdoria", while the other Milan club "Inter" hosted the team of Rome's "Lazio".
0 - 1
76' [0 - 1] Andriy Shevchenko
In the first half, the visitors attacked more, but failed to score, while the hosts' counter-attacks were also fruitless.
After an hour of play, "Milan" coach C. Ancelotti sent Brazilian Serginho and the newly-born A. Shevchenko onto the field. Soon after, "Sampdoria" had their best chance when F. Flachi deceived a defender, but his attempt was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Dida.
However, the substitutions proved crucial as in the 76th minute Serginho executed a combination with H. Crespo, entered the penalty area, and after the goalkeeper parried his shot, Shevchenko was the first to react to the ball, scoring the first and only goal of the match.
Following this victory, "Milan" reduced their gap from the leader "Juventus" to two points, while "Sampdoria" dropped to eighth place.
1 - 1
46' [1 - 0] Adriano
84' [1 - 1] Jose Leonardo Talamonti
In the ranks of "Inter" along with coach R. Mancini, there were three former "Lazio" players, while the Rome team had to cope with nine injuries in this match.
In the first half, the hosts controlled the ball more, but failed to create more dangerous attacks, and "Lazio" could have scored in two episodes.
Nevertheless, "Inter" broke the deadlock just 19 seconds after the break - Adriano received a long pass from S. Mihajlovic and, bypassing defender F. Couto, sent the ball into the near corner of the net.
Later, the hosts had a couple more chances to break forward, but failed to capitalize on them, and towards the end of the match, they were punished: after a penalty kick by M. Oddo, the second Italian championship match for Argentine J. Talamonti, precisely headed the ball into the net.
At the end of the match, the game intensified, but the result remained the same. "Inter", occupying the sixth position, drifted further away from the top two, while "Lazio" had one point less and held the seventh place.
