Game report : Inter Milan - Neuchatel Xamax  2 - 0  (0 - 0)
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Goals : 59' Ronaldo, 72' Ze'Elias                Attendance : 15'225


Despite that the Giuseppe Meazza stadium was quite empty, it remains in my
mind as a very, very impressive place, where, thanks to the
hockey-stadium-like echoing accoustic, 15'000 people sounded more like
35'000 in Karlsruhe. I wonder how it'd sounded full with 85'000 people.

The game had two different phases. The first one being from the beginning
until the nerazzuri scored the 2-0. In this period of time, the Milanese
clearly dominated, but have lost many times the ball in the middlefield.
Neuchatel tried then to keep as much as possible the ball (55% of
ball-ownership) and break Milan's tempo. If the half-time's score wasn't
already positive for Inter, it is mainly thanks to Corminboeuf's excellent
performance, and to Martin and Moret' steady work.

El Fenomeno Ronaldo shot on a free kick the ball right into the high top
left corner; Xamax' goalie incredibly saved it. In the first half the Inter
boys had two or three more really serious possibilities. While Xamax had,
let's say, one and a half, with Wittl who couldn't place his head after a
few minutes only, and Alicarte who tried the lob on Pagliuca, who had to
send the ball out for a corner kick.

In the second half it was a ditto until that 27th minute, with a couple
more opportunities on counter for Xamax, but the class difference was
there. Though Gress' guys really weren't ridiculous. Moret was impressingly
good facing Ronaldo. On the other side, Djorkaeff was merely good but his
movements were quite limited by Perret's hard work. Kanu has not been much
seen. Bergomi, who was celebrating his 100th european game, did a very nice
defensive job. Zanetti, whom Moretti sent out a minute before the break,
has been way too many times passed by Alicarte.

In those final 20 minutes, Xamax had then more often the ball, did not
dominate but controlled more or less for Inter was doing some kind of a
catenaccio, to insure not to become a goal, though Xamax didn't have much
more opportunities. The most dangerous one being Kunz' shot in the outside
part of the net.

As La Gazzetta mentionned, that wasn't an easy win but it was deserved. On
Xamax's side, Gress regretted that both goals came on individual mistakes
(1st Wittl, 2nd Martinovic then Martin), but was conscient that for such a
diminuated Neuchatel (5 players missing) it was an exploit to keep a slight
bit of suspense for the back game in Neuchatel.

Though I hated those 10 hours of trip, the souvenir of such an astonishing
place ...and of the 'bellas' serving at the bar, will be kept for quite a
long time in my memory...

Keep enjoying football.

Laurent.

Laurent Weber, Zurich, Switzerland --- lweber@worldcom.ch ---
http://home.worldcom.ch/~lweber
                             --- The truth is out there ---