The night when Deportivo de La Coruña destroyed the Champions of Europe
Currently lying in a less than exalted position in the Segunda División, Deportivo de La Coruña are hardly enjoying a successful period in their history. It doesn’t require much of a memory however to recall the time when the Branquiazuis produced one of the outstanding performances in the history of European football.
On 7 April 2004, in a Champions League Quarter-Final second leg tie, Deportivo de La Coruña welcomed the reigning champions, AC Milan, to the Ciudad Deportiva de Riazor. Pundits considered the game was a borderline formality. Then under the charge of Carlo Ancelotti, the Rossoneri had overcome an early Pandiani goal to record a 4-1 victory at the San Siro and establish a commanding lead in the tie. At the time, no club had ever recovered from a threegoal deficit to progress in the competition, and Milan were yet to concede a single away goal in defence of their crown. To many, when Depor manager Javier Irureta insisted that his team would attack the champions with vigour and belief, it was understandable bluster, but hardly something to be taken seriously. How wrong they were.
Initially, things seemed set for a comfortable Milan passage. In goal for the Branquiazuis, José Molina, was forced to make two early saves to deny the visitors a goal that would surely put the tie beyond any lingering doubts. Just a minute or so after the second effort brought a plunging save to Molina’s right however, the value of his defiant stance was given tangible reward, as Pandiani reprised his early strike of a fortnight earlier. Receiving the ball on the edge of the Milan box, ‘El Rifle’ controlled, turned and hit a shot that sped through Maldini’s legs and deceived Dida, before finding a home in the corner of the net. His jubilation and exaltation to the home crowd was combustible, and the game caught fire!
If the goal had caused the flicker of distant hope in the Depor fans to flare into a flame, it also ignited the Milan team too. As Depor hopefully pressed forwards, urged on by the newly inflamed crowd, Milan took to the dangerous counter attack mode. Kaka broke clear of the home backline, but was forced wide and Molina confounded his effort. Another goal seemed inevitable, as attack was countered by attack. Depor were surely outgunned by the stars of Milan, but when you only have the three of hearts in your hand, you have it play it. After all the other guy may only have the two, and when the goal came, it was Dida identified as the Joker in the pack as his error brought the home team further success.
The crowd’s passion driven on by Pandiani’s strike was a ravenous beast. It fed on Depor’s attacking ardour, but needed goals to fully sate the rapacious hunger. On 26 minutes, Víctor Sánchez, who had already threatened on two occasions, offered and accepted a neat wall-pass with Valerón, before delivering a shot, demanding Dida to save at the foot of his post. A header from Andrade also required the Brazilian’s intervention, but with ten minutes to go to the break no further goals had been added. Perhaps Milan had ridden out the storm. Those ten minutes though would be crucial to the outcome of the game.
Out on the left flank, Albert Luque swung a cross into the Milan area. It seemed more filled with hope than filled purpose but, inexplicably, Dida committed himself to a ball he had little or no hope of reaching, flailing forlornly at the cross. It sailed past him and Valeron was on hand to nod home the simplest of headers. Two goals up and the beast of the home crowd’s passion feasted on the success like a starving man at a banquet. ‘More,’ it demanded. ‘More!’
The estimable Milan defence – bereft of Costacurta, but still containing Cafu, Nesta and Maldini – that had not conceded an away goal throughout the tournament, were now being torn asunder. They needed to hold out without further damage until the break, regroup and come out anew for the second period. They couldn’t manage it. A through ball should have been cut out by Nesta, but he conspired to miss out, allowing Luque to run clear and fire an unstoppable shot past Dida. Three goals up at the break. All bets were off. Amazingly, after just 43 minutes, Depor were ahead on away goals. Milan looked to be on the ropes as Irureta’s players rained in the blows. The halftime break was like a standing count for the Milan players.
With the advantage now in their favour, perhaps a more cautious approach in the second period was called for, but Depor still plundered forward, adhering to the adage that attack is the best form of defence. Keeping the ball some 100 metres or so from their goal was an admirable ambition, but also one fraught with peril. A mere five minutes after the restart, Jon Dahl Tomasson broke clear, but dragged his shot wide. Red alert warning lights were flashing for the Galicians. Three goals may not be enough.
Ancelotti shuffled his pack and manipulated the formation to try and work a way back into the game, but increased possession failed to translate into anything meaningful. Time ticked on. The next goal would surely be decisive. When Valeron fired wildly over from eight metres or so, it felt like a priceless opportunity to secure victory had slipped through the home team’s fingers.
Would they get another one? Perhaps. A tackle in midfield saw the ball turned over and Depor poured forward again, but the resultant shot was over Dida’s crossbar. Then, screaming with lactic acid overload, Valeron’s weary limbs failed to take him onto a through pass and Dida snaffled the ball away. Gonzales Fran came on for Luque. It would be a decisive move. Fifteen minutes were left when the key moment arrived.
A long cross from the right found its way to the substitute who evaded an untypically lightweight challenge from Gennaro Gattuso and fired in a shot that glanced off Cafu before finding the back of the net. Forget away goals now, Milan were in crisis and Ancelotti could see his European title slipping away. Gambling with attacking substitutions, he threw on Rui Costa. The Portuguese midfielder nearly turned the game on its head with a 30-yard drive, but Molina heroically dived to turn it aside. It was the visitors’ last best effort and at the final whistle, the Depor players and 29,000 fans celebrated wildly.
“The game turned out exactly the way I dreamed,” Irureta later enthused. It may have been euphoria outweighing a more modest reality, but few Depor fans remotely cared. The Branquiazuis would go out in the next round. A single goal to a Porto team destined to win the title, would eliminate them. For the fans packed into the Ciudad Deportiva de Riazor on that April evening though, there would always be the glowing memory of the night when Depor destroyed the Champions of Europe.