milan make it through published: thursday 6 december 2001, 23.00cet a stoppage-time strike from javi moreno made it 1-1 on the night but milan ac saw off sporting clube de portugal on aggregate.
sporting clube de portugal 1-1 milan ac (aggregate: 1-3) a stoppage-time strike from javi moreno made it 1-1 on the night but milan ac were 3-1 aggregate winners against sporting clube de portugal.
clinching effort andriy shevchenko was the provider for the visitor's all-important goal with moreno showing great anticipation and skill to take on pedro barbosa and then beat tiago in the 94th minute.
gentlemanly conduct sporting's romanian coach lazlo boloni was magnanimous in defeat and acknowledged that the better side had gone through to the fourth round: "we dominated the second half but milan also played very well. i congratulate them and wish them the very best in the tournament."
magnificent volley marius niculae lit the blue touch paper just after the break with a sizzling strike from 25 metres out that proved too hot to handle for christian abbiati. but sporting could not add to their lead despite the urging of the home support.
glaring miss moreno could have made life easier for the visitors when he broke the offside trap and only had the keeper to beat but the former deportivo alavés man saw his shot blocked by the advancing tiago.
local boy portuguese international rui costa enjoyed a happy return to his native lisbon and echoed his coach carlo ancelotti's sentiments: "we knew it wouldn't be easy and we have been even more up against it had sporting scored earlier on."
