90 - International Cups - another historical treble
European Supercup (Semifinal) - Naples - Andrea Doria (1-2)
In the UEFA Super Cup semifinal, held on the neutral ground of Rome, Andrea Doria (winner of the Cup Winners' Cup) faced Naples (winner of the UEFA Cup). It was a rather tense match, with several fouls and played on the balance of nerves of the two teams. Naples took the lead thanks to a masterful free kick by Maradona, only to be equalized in the second half by Doria with Vialli's goal first, and then surpassed thanks to another beautiful free kick by Roberto Mancini.
European Supercup (Final) - Milan - Andrea Doria (2-1)
Milan dominated the UEFA Super Cup final, attacking strongly and exploiting better physical condition. During the match, Pagliuca showcased numerous feats to keep the goal inviolate, including a charging out aggressively on Van Basten in the 20th minute and a spectacular save, deflecting Donadoni's shot out of the goal frame in the 38th minute. Unfortunately for him, Doria ended up conceding a penalty after a sprint by Gullit, for a foul by Carboni. Van Basten doesn't miss from the spot and puts Milan ahead 1-0. In the second half, Milan doubled their lead with a precise free kick from Evani. The goal by Mancini, making it 1-2, was of no avail, still remarkable, after an effective dribble past Maldini and Galli.
Intercontinental Cup - Milan - Atlético Nacional (1-0 aet)
Twenty years after their only victory, Milan finds themselves in the final again, this time against Atlético Nacional from Medellín, the first Colombian team to win the Copa Libertadores. The match is preceded by controversy regarding the wisdom of its holding, given the possible proximity of the South American team to the Medellín Cartel, promptly denied by Colombian authorities.
Contrary to pre-game predictions, which heavily favor the Rossoneri, the match proves to be balanced and highly tactical. This is partly due to the approach adopted by the white-green team's coach, Maturana, which shares similarities with Sacchi's tactics, such as pressing, short passing, and systematic use of the offside trap.
Hampered by the absence of the injured Gullit, Milan struggles to showcase its technical superiority and finds itself contained by the Colombian team. Their goalkeeper Higuita faces little danger in a first half predominantly played in midfield and, while intense and tactically varied, lacks clear-cut goal-scoring opportunities.
In the second half, the introduction of Usuriaga poses a threat to Milan's defense, well-led by Galli. At the 65th minute, Sacchi decides to bring on Evani, positioned to guard the left flank, with Rijkaard in the center and Ancelotti on the right. Although the move seems to make Milan more threatening in attack, it fails to prevent the game from going into extra time.
In a bid to avoid penalties, Milan continues to press in extra time. Minutes before the end of the game, a run by Van Basten forces the Colombian defense to concede a free-kick on the edge of the box. Supplanting the designated taker Donadoni, Evani steps up and slots the ball home with his left foot, bypassing the wall and placing the ball into the bottom corner of the net. Milan won its second Intercontinental Cup.
European Cup - Milan and Ambrosiana
In the European Cup, the reigning champions Milan progress through the rounds by defeating HJK Helsinki from Finland in the round of 32 with an aggregate score of 5-0, Real Madrid in the round of 16 with a 2-1 aggregate score, Mechelen from Belgium in the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win in extra time at San Siro (after a 0-0 draw in the first leg), and Bayern Munich in the semifinals, beaten 1-0 at San Siro (despite Milan missing Gullit, Ancelotti, and Donadoni) and narrowly victorious 2-1 in Munich: Stefano Borgonovo's goal in extra time secures Milan's progression due to the away goals rule. In the final, held on May 23, 1990, at the Prater in Vienna, the Rossoneri defeat Benfica 1-0 with a goal from Frank Rijkaard, fielding the same eleven as in the previous year's final except for the suspended Donadoni, replaced by Evani, thus winning their fourth European Cup in their history, which also secures qualification for the next edition.
Ambrosiana couldn't pass beyond the round of 32of the European Cup, surrendering to the Swedish side Malmö: after a narrow defeat on Scandinavian soil, in the return match, the team drew with Elqvist (benefiting from Zenga's mistake) equalizing after Serena's goal.
European Cup Roll of Honor
Cup Winners' Cup - Andrea Doria
Andrea Doria confirms itself as the champion of the Cup Winners' Cup with a flawless path: first eliminating the Norwegians of Brann with an aggregate score of 3-0, followed by Borussia Dortmund (1-1 and 2-0), the Swiss Grasshoppers (2-0 and 2-1), in the semifinals the French Sochaux (2-2 in France and 2-0 in Genoa), until reaching the final against the Belgian team Anderlecht. In the final, extended to extra time, Gianluca Vialli shines with two goals, in the 105th and 108th minutes.
Cup Winners' Cup Roll of Honor
UEFA Confederation Cup - Naples, Juventus, Atalanta, Firenze, and Capitolina
Preliminary Round
Only Atalanta couldn't pass to the direct elimination phase. Juventus dominated its round, while Firenze and Capitolina ended second. Naples won its round in the late game, facing more difficulties than expected.
Direct Elimination phase - Round of 16
Capitolina immediately faded out due to a defeat in Antwerp. Naples suffered a tremendous upset by Werder Bremen, being consistently and heavily defeated. Good runs for Firenze and Juventus against Eastern bloc sides.
Direct Elimination phase - Quarterfinals
Firenze dispatched Montpellier with a double 1-0 thanks to Volpecina and Nappi goals. Juventus overcame Hamburg with a home win by 2-0 (Schillaci and De Vitis) and an away defeat by 2-1 (Galia's starting goal for Juventus and then Furtok and Merkle for the Hanoverians).
Direct Elimination phase - Semifinals
The UEFA cup became and Italo-German affair, with Firenze facing Werder Bremen and Juventus facing Koeln.
The Florentines tied their home game 0-0 and went to impact on a 1-1 draw in Bremen, allowing them to pass the turn through the away goal rule (Nappi again for the Tuscans and an own-goal by Goalkeeper Landucci).
Juventus won 3-2 at home (Rui Barros, Higl (OG), and Marocchi for the Italians, Goetz and Sturm for the Germans). The return game in Rhineland closed into a scoreless game.
Final
The all-Italian final in Athens saw Juventus and Firenze clashing for the cup. Galia immediately put Juventus ahead in the 3rd minute, but was quickly equalized by the former Juventus player Buso in the 10th minute. The match became more tactical and tense in the following minutes, slipping into halftime. In the second half, Casiraghi put Fiorentina ahead with an assist from Baggio in the 60th minute. Just when it seemed like the momentum of the game was favoring the Tuscans, a run by De Agostini in the 75th minute brought Juventus back level. In the subsequent minutes, both teams continued to attack, with no holds barred. Baggio hit the crossbar with a free kick in the 82nd minute, while Zavarov missed an open chance in front of goal in the 83rd minute. As the game was winding down and the teams were preparing for extra time, Schillaci won a series of rebounds in the box after a cross from Rui Barros, finding himself one-on-one with Landucci and scoring Juventus' third goal in the 88th minute. Juventus reclaimed the UEFA Cup, while Fiorentina continued their streak of lost European finals.
UEFA Confederation Cup Roll of Honor
In the UEFA Super Cup semifinal, held on the neutral ground of Rome, Andrea Doria (winner of the Cup Winners' Cup) faced Naples (winner of the UEFA Cup). It was a rather tense match, with several fouls and played on the balance of nerves of the two teams. Naples took the lead thanks to a masterful free kick by Maradona, only to be equalized in the second half by Doria with Vialli's goal first, and then surpassed thanks to another beautiful free kick by Roberto Mancini.
European Supercup (Final) - Milan - Andrea Doria (2-1)
Milan dominated the UEFA Super Cup final, attacking strongly and exploiting better physical condition. During the match, Pagliuca showcased numerous feats to keep the goal inviolate, including a charging out aggressively on Van Basten in the 20th minute and a spectacular save, deflecting Donadoni's shot out of the goal frame in the 38th minute. Unfortunately for him, Doria ended up conceding a penalty after a sprint by Gullit, for a foul by Carboni. Van Basten doesn't miss from the spot and puts Milan ahead 1-0. In the second half, Milan doubled their lead with a precise free kick from Evani. The goal by Mancini, making it 1-2, was of no avail, still remarkable, after an effective dribble past Maldini and Galli.
Intercontinental Cup - Milan - Atlético Nacional (1-0 aet)
Twenty years after their only victory, Milan finds themselves in the final again, this time against Atlético Nacional from Medellín, the first Colombian team to win the Copa Libertadores. The match is preceded by controversy regarding the wisdom of its holding, given the possible proximity of the South American team to the Medellín Cartel, promptly denied by Colombian authorities.
Contrary to pre-game predictions, which heavily favor the Rossoneri, the match proves to be balanced and highly tactical. This is partly due to the approach adopted by the white-green team's coach, Maturana, which shares similarities with Sacchi's tactics, such as pressing, short passing, and systematic use of the offside trap.
Hampered by the absence of the injured Gullit, Milan struggles to showcase its technical superiority and finds itself contained by the Colombian team. Their goalkeeper Higuita faces little danger in a first half predominantly played in midfield and, while intense and tactically varied, lacks clear-cut goal-scoring opportunities.
In the second half, the introduction of Usuriaga poses a threat to Milan's defense, well-led by Galli. At the 65th minute, Sacchi decides to bring on Evani, positioned to guard the left flank, with Rijkaard in the center and Ancelotti on the right. Although the move seems to make Milan more threatening in attack, it fails to prevent the game from going into extra time.
In a bid to avoid penalties, Milan continues to press in extra time. Minutes before the end of the game, a run by Van Basten forces the Colombian defense to concede a free-kick on the edge of the box. Supplanting the designated taker Donadoni, Evani steps up and slots the ball home with his left foot, bypassing the wall and placing the ball into the bottom corner of the net. Milan won its second Intercontinental Cup.
European Cup - Milan and Ambrosiana
In the European Cup, the reigning champions Milan progress through the rounds by defeating HJK Helsinki from Finland in the round of 32 with an aggregate score of 5-0, Real Madrid in the round of 16 with a 2-1 aggregate score, Mechelen from Belgium in the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win in extra time at San Siro (after a 0-0 draw in the first leg), and Bayern Munich in the semifinals, beaten 1-0 at San Siro (despite Milan missing Gullit, Ancelotti, and Donadoni) and narrowly victorious 2-1 in Munich: Stefano Borgonovo's goal in extra time secures Milan's progression due to the away goals rule. In the final, held on May 23, 1990, at the Prater in Vienna, the Rossoneri defeat Benfica 1-0 with a goal from Frank Rijkaard, fielding the same eleven as in the previous year's final except for the suspended Donadoni, replaced by Evani, thus winning their fourth European Cup in their history, which also secures qualification for the next edition.
Ambrosiana couldn't pass beyond the round of 32of the European Cup, surrendering to the Swedish side Malmö: after a narrow defeat on Scandinavian soil, in the return match, the team drew with Elqvist (benefiting from Zenga's mistake) equalizing after Serena's goal.
European Cup Roll of Honor
Cup Winners' Cup - Andrea Doria
Andrea Doria confirms itself as the champion of the Cup Winners' Cup with a flawless path: first eliminating the Norwegians of Brann with an aggregate score of 3-0, followed by Borussia Dortmund (1-1 and 2-0), the Swiss Grasshoppers (2-0 and 2-1), in the semifinals the French Sochaux (2-2 in France and 2-0 in Genoa), until reaching the final against the Belgian team Anderlecht. In the final, extended to extra time, Gianluca Vialli shines with two goals, in the 105th and 108th minutes.
Cup Winners' Cup Roll of Honor
UEFA Confederation Cup - Naples, Juventus, Atalanta, Firenze, and Capitolina
Preliminary Round
Only Atalanta couldn't pass to the direct elimination phase. Juventus dominated its round, while Firenze and Capitolina ended second. Naples won its round in the late game, facing more difficulties than expected.
Direct Elimination phase - Round of 16
Capitolina immediately faded out due to a defeat in Antwerp. Naples suffered a tremendous upset by Werder Bremen, being consistently and heavily defeated. Good runs for Firenze and Juventus against Eastern bloc sides.
Direct Elimination phase - Quarterfinals
Firenze dispatched Montpellier with a double 1-0 thanks to Volpecina and Nappi goals. Juventus overcame Hamburg with a home win by 2-0 (Schillaci and De Vitis) and an away defeat by 2-1 (Galia's starting goal for Juventus and then Furtok and Merkle for the Hanoverians).
Direct Elimination phase - Semifinals
The UEFA cup became and Italo-German affair, with Firenze facing Werder Bremen and Juventus facing Koeln.
The Florentines tied their home game 0-0 and went to impact on a 1-1 draw in Bremen, allowing them to pass the turn through the away goal rule (Nappi again for the Tuscans and an own-goal by Goalkeeper Landucci).
Juventus won 3-2 at home (Rui Barros, Higl (OG), and Marocchi for the Italians, Goetz and Sturm for the Germans). The return game in Rhineland closed into a scoreless game.
Final
The all-Italian final in Athens saw Juventus and Firenze clashing for the cup. Galia immediately put Juventus ahead in the 3rd minute, but was quickly equalized by the former Juventus player Buso in the 10th minute. The match became more tactical and tense in the following minutes, slipping into halftime. In the second half, Casiraghi put Fiorentina ahead with an assist from Baggio in the 60th minute. Just when it seemed like the momentum of the game was favoring the Tuscans, a run by De Agostini in the 75th minute brought Juventus back level. In the subsequent minutes, both teams continued to attack, with no holds barred. Baggio hit the crossbar with a free kick in the 82nd minute, while Zavarov missed an open chance in front of goal in the 83rd minute. As the game was winding down and the teams were preparing for extra time, Schillaci won a series of rebounds in the box after a cross from Rui Barros, finding himself one-on-one with Landucci and scoring Juventus' third goal in the 88th minute. Juventus reclaimed the UEFA Cup, while Fiorentina continued their streak of lost European finals.
UEFA Confederation Cup Roll of Honor