AC MILAN got their Champions' League campaign firmly back on track last night as Roberto Baggio sealed a vital 4 2 victory over IFK Gothenberg. Milan, who had lost two of their three previous Group D matches, squandered a 2-0 lead before finally salvaging their chances of reaching the quarter finals.
Milan were 2-0 up with less than 15 minutes on the clock after a header from Zvonimir Boban and a penalty converted by Demetrio Albertini, but they were pegged back to 2-2 barely 15 minutes later. Jes per Blomqvist scored Gothenberg's first and Andreas Andersson equalised with an easy header before Tomas Locatelli put the Italians back in front just before the break.
Baggio, brought on as a second half substitute, guaranteed a crucial victory by slotting home the fourth in the 90th minute. The win will not only have boosted team morale but will also have taken an enormous weight off the shoulders of coach Oscar Tabarez, who has been under fire for his team's mediocre results this season.
Holders Juventus virtually guaranteed their place in the quarterfinals after completing a 5-0 demolition of Rapid Vienna in Turin in group C.
Croatian Alen Boksic and Alessandro Del Piero got two goals apiece and Ronald Montero also got on the scoresheet as Rapid's defence was simply torn apart by the European champions.
It was an impressive performance from the Italian league leaders which not only brought up Juventus' 10th point from four matches, but also made it dear they fully intend to keep their title. Serb winger Ljubimko Drulovic scored one goal and played a hand in two others as Porto beat Norway's Rosenborg 3-0 to secure a place in the last eight.
The Portuguese champions, who moved on to 12 points at the top of group D, opened the scoring in the 31st minute when Drulovic slipped a pass through the legs of Rosenborg defender Otto Bragstad for Slovenian midfielder Zlatko Zahovic to hit home.
In the 40th minute, Drulovic extended Porto's lead with a free kick from just outside the area. His team mates ducked to allow his left foot shot to fly over their heads into the right hand corner of the net. Porto went 3-0 up on the hour when Drulovic set up Brazilian striker Artur Oliveira who charged past two defenders to score.
Viorel Moldovan hit two first half goals to propel Grasshoppers Zurich to a 3-1 win over Auxerre in group A. The victory avenged a 1-0 loss to the French champions two weeks ago and virtually guarantees Grasshopper a place in the quarter finals. The Swiss league's leading scorer with 14 goals, Moldovan's two strikes were his first in the Champions' League.
Atletico Madrid avenged their home defeat of two weeks ago by beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 to go top of group B. Dortmund, 1-0 winners in Madrid, initially looked able to control the game by sitting back and counter attacking. Heiko Herrlich gave Madrid's offside trap the slip from a pass by Julio Cesar in the 17th minute to drill a low shot past goalkeeper Jose Francisco Molina.
Eight minutes from half time Dortmund's defence allowed Roberto a free header to give Madruid a deserved equaliser. Five minutes later, from a free kick near the corner flag, Pantic curled the ball around Klos and in off the far post.
Polish side Widzew Lodz won their first points with a 2-0 group B victory over Steaua Bucharest.
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