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UEFA Champions League: Late goals give Kaka-inspired AC Milan victory [Tue Sep 13th, 2005]
Milan (Reuters) - Two goals in the last three minutes gave AC Milan a 3-1 victory over Turkey's Fenerbahce in UEFA Champions League Group E, with inspired Brazilian midfielder Kaka netting a pair of fine solo strikes.
Kaka gave last season's beaten finalists the lead in the 18th minute with a beautifully taken goal and the Italians then had chances to double their advantage.
Christoph Daum's Fenerbahce drew level in the 63rd minute with a penalty from Brazilian Alex and looked to have earned a deserved draw until Kaka produced more Brazilian magic three minutes from the end.
After his brilliant individual effort, Kaka then had a hand in Milan's third two minutes later, converted by European Footballer of the Year Andriy Shevchenko as Carlo Ancelotti's side gained a result that flattered them.
"Kaka is a talent and he is in excellent form, I just want him to keep on that sort of form. He had a great night," said Ancelotti.
"We were up against a strong opposition with excellent players and I knew it was not going to be a simple job to beat them but we did it."
But had it not been for the class and invention of the 23-year-old Brazilian, Milan would have been left to reflect on a second half where the Turks produced by far the better football and looked physically much fitter than the six-time European champions.
Milan, with just two changes from the side which lost on penalties to Liverpool in May's final, started confidently, creating half-chances for strikers Christian Vieri and Shevchenko in the opening minutes.
The breakthrough came when Kaka picked the ball up from Andrea Pirlo on the edge of the area and drilled precisely, but almost nonchalantly into the bottom corner of the net.
The goal did little to alter the pattern of the game with plenty of time and space for the midfielders and both defences looking a little hesitant.
GAINING CONFIDENCE
The visitors gained confidence and Brazilian Alex and Frenchman Nicolas Anelka each had a decent chance either side of halftime.
Shevchenko had a deflected shot well saved by Volkan and then wasted a good opportunity after a dreadful clearance from the keeper fell straight to him but the Ukrainian shot high and wide when team-mates were better placed.
The Turks drew level when Gennaro Gattuso rather needlessly barged over Anelka inside the area and Alex confidently slotted home the penalty to delight the noisy travelling support.
Milan were desperately running out of ideas but Kaka still had a trick left up his sleeve -- and the San Siro rose to a standing ovation after a wonderful solo goal in the 87th minute in which the Brazilian skipped past two challenges on a winding run before firing home.
Kaka then fed his compatriot Serginho on the left, whose shot was parried for Shevchenko to tap home the loose ball.
The scoreline was tough on the Turks, whose German coach Daum was left to ponder the lessons of the defeat.
"I can only compliment the side for what they did in the first 87 minutes of the game but we need to realise that we must concentrate right until the end," he said.
"We played well but didn't take our chances. Milan took theirs."
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