© EuroFootball.com
UEFA Champions League semi-final matches have started - in the first game, Italian champions "Milan" faced the newly crowned Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven, and defeated their opponents with a two-goal advantage on their home ground.
2 - 0
42' [1 - 0] Andriy Shevchenko
90' [2 - 0] Jon Dahl Tomasson
"Milan" controlled the game in the first half, but the hosts were lucky not to concede a goal in the 15th minute when J.Farfanas ran towards the opponent's penalty area, deceived the defender, but failed to score as the goalkeeper Dida easily caught the ball.
However, Milan's efforts paid off three minutes before the end of the half - after a pass from Kaka, Ukrainian A. Shevchenko ran alone against the goalkeeper and sent the ball into the net, putting his team ahead.
After the break, the initiative was with the visitors, but they failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities: the Dutch players either shot directly at the goalkeeper, missed the target, or had their attempts blocked by the opponents' defenders.
As they say in football, "if you don't score, they will" - in the last minute of the match, this proverb came true, as Milan's players defended against PSV's attacks and launched a counterattack. Despite Kaka being fouled by P.Cocu, the ball still made its way towards the goal, and J.D. Tomasson, the first to reach it, scored the second goal.
Milan did not play as powerfully as one might have expected, but they secured a victory with a two-goal advantage and took a big step towards the final. The second leg of this encounter between these teams will take place at the Phillips Stadium in Eindhoven next week.
