TIME MACHINE: AC MILAN v MECHELEN | OneFootball

The third matchday of the UEFA Champions League is on the horizon, and after Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen, the moment for AC Milan v Club Brugge is approaching. In our European tradition against Belgian teams, we have decided to recount a historic and unforgettable match for the Rossoneri fans. Let's go back to March 1990 and the double-header in the quarter-finals of the European Cup against Mechelen, also known by its French name, Malines.

The Rossoneri under Sacchi are the reigning European champions and aim to defend their continental title. The Belgians, managed by De Mos, are making their first appearance and are the surprise team of the tournament, having won the Cup Winners' Cup and the European Supercup within a few months. The first leg is played at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels and ends in a 0-0 draw, with a great Giovanni Galli in goal for the Rossoneri. In the return match at San Siro, the game is tense and very physical. This time, the standout performer is the Mechelen goalkeeper, Michel Preud'homme, known as the "Wall of Flanders," who saves practically everything. AC Milan is without Gullit, and during the match, Ancelotti also gets injured and is replaced by Marco Simone.

In the 89th minute, Mechelen lost their defender Clijsters due to a second yellow card, but the same fate (a straight red) befell Donadoni during the first half of extra time. The match seemed cursed, but just before the end of the first half of extra time, Marco van Basten made his mark. From a deflected free kick from Rijkaard, Tassotti rushed in and slid the ball back into play for the number 9, who scored from close range to make it 1-0. After breaking through Preud'homme's wall, the Rossoneri pushed for a second goal, which arrived in the 116th minute through an extraordinary solo effort from Marco Simone, who got through the defence and made it 2-0 with his right foot. After a moment of great fear, the joy of San Siro erupted.

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