Deportivo complete mission impossible

UEFA Champions League: Deportivo Coruna 4 AC Milan 0 (Deportivo win 5-4 on aggregate)Deportivo Coruna staged an incredible second-leg fight back to knock holders AC Milan out of the Champions League with a stunning 4-0 win at the Estadio Municipal de Riazor last night.

The Spaniards, trailing 4-1 from the first leg, stunned the Serie A side with a whirlwind first-half performance that saw them take a 3-0 lead at the break.

A smart strike from centre-forward Walter Pandiani, a header from Juan Carlos Valeron and a fierce drive from Albert Luque a minute from half-time allowed Depor to wipe out Milan's advantage in the space of just 45 minutes and leave them on course to progress on the away-goals rule.

But substitute and club captain Fran Gonzalez provided the icing on the cake when he smashed in a fourth 14 minutes from time for a 5-4 aggregate victory.

It was the first time a team has recovered from a three-goal first-leg deficit to win a Champions League knockout tie. Deportivo now will meet last year's UEFA Cup champions, Porto, in their first Champions League semi-final.

Milan forced two corners in the opening minutes and enjoyed a half chance when striker Jon Dahl Tomasson volleyed into the hands of Deportivo goalkeeper Jose Molina. But the Spanish side got off to a dream start when they scored from their first attack.

Striker Pandiani, who scored their goal in the first leg, received the ball with his back to goal on the edge of the area, turned sharply to leave Paolo Maldini trailing and drilled a left-foot shot low past Dida.

Depor put the Serie A side on the rack for the next 20 minutes, although Milan did threaten when midfielder Kaka raced clear only to be denied by Molina. But it was the Galicians who continued to have the better of the play. Valeron and Victor were denied by Dida but the Brazilian goalkeeper was at fault for the second goal when he flapped at a superb cross from the left by Luque, leaving the unmarked Valeron to head in from five metres.

With Milan still reeling from the blow it was Luque who hit them again with a third before the break. Latching on to the long clearance from Molina, he raced past Milan defenders Maldini and Cafu, sped into the area and unleashed an unstoppable drive into the roof of the net.

Deportivo, who have not scored against the Italians on the previous two occasions they had met at the Riazor - losing 4-0 in one of the games - were now ahead on the away-goals rule.

Javier Irureta's side played some brilliant possession football after the break to leave Milan chasing shadows in the midfield and living off scraps up front and completed a near-perfect performance when Fran made it 4-0.

The Deportivo winger controlled a cross-field pass with his shoulder, stepped into the area and then saw his left-foot shot take a deflection off Cafu and fly into the net.

Milan never looked capable of getting a goal as Deportivo, who have won eight successive home games in Europe without conceding a goal, combined a furious work-rate with controlled passing. "It was almost mission impossible," coach Irureta told Spanish television. "I had some hopes of us making a comeback because I know we are capable of doing some great things as well as making some dreadful mistakes."

DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA: Molina; Manuel Pablo, Romero, Naybet, Andrade, Mauro Silva, Sergio (Duscher 87), Victor, Luque (Fran 66), Valeron (Djalminha 90), Pandiani. Subs not used: Munua, Tristan, Capdevila, Hector. Booked: Victor, Pandiani. Goals: Pandiani 5, Valeron 34, Luque 44, Fran 76.

AC MILAN: Dida; Cafu, Pancaro (Rui Costa 77), Nesta, Maldini, Pirlo (Serginho 59), Seedorf, Gattuso, Kaka, Tomasson (Inzaghi 67), Shevchenko. Subs not used: Abbiati, Costacurta, Laursen, Brocchi. Booked: Pirlo.

Referee: Urs Meier (Switzerland).