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Inter
Milan lineup: Toldo - Zanetti, Materazzi, Córdoba, Pasquale - Buruk,
Di Biagio, Belözoglu, Dalmat - Vieri, Crespo.
Ajax
lineup: Stekelenburg - Trabelsi, Pasanen, Chivu, Van Damme - Galásek,
Litmanen, Maxwell - Van der Meyde, Ibrahimovic, Sikora.
Ajax had another footballing lesson as the
Amsterdammers showed they can play excellent-looking football but
consistently fail to close in for the kill when it matters most. Litmanen
looked the absolute professional that he is, and all his talents were on
display as Ajax got off to a fine start, leaving Inter looking rather
powerless to cope with the visitors' talents and midfield organisation in
theng hour's football. Ajax had more than their fair share of chances
but Zlatan Ibrahimovic especially wasted too many of them and their usual
over-casual attitude let them down. Tomás Galásek and Maxwell had a go
with distance shots but they didn't seriously trouble goalie Francesco
Toldo. As the second half progressed the play became rather aggressive as
frustrations and irritations came to the boil. It was left to Hernán Crespo
to give Inter the points in the 75th, scoring from a Matías Almeyda pass.
It was an undeserved goal and a big disappointment for Ajax who never looked
like recovering enough to equalize, even with fresh-blood Mido and Pienaar
in the side. They will get their chance for revenge in a couple of weeks in
the ArenA.
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