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Valencia 5-2 Lazio.
Valencia, leading 4-1 and cruising after Gerard's third strike, were pegged back with four minutes to go as substitute Marcelo Salas got in behind Jocelyn Angloma to clip in an Alen Boksic through ball. But the Spaniards, who had played so well to get themselves in a dominant position for the second leg, simply would not settle for a 4-2 win which would have left the Italians still in with a chance. A long ball down the right, deep into injury-time, set Claudio Lopez through for the umpteenth time and the Argentine, who is expected to join Lazio in the summer, smashed it in to complete a highly satisfying night for the home side. It was an incredible finale to a match that seemed to defy rational explanation as the Italians, who had started heavy favourites after a morale-boosting victory at Juventus, were overrun. Lazio seemed powerless to cope with Valencia's young and extremely mobile midfield in a frenetic opening period in which they fell two goals behind. Miguel Angel Angulo, Francisco Farinos and Gerard hardly allowed the visitors a touch as they fought for every ball and continually looked to set Claudio Lopez running into space. The first two goals were both products of hesitation in a Lazio defence missing captain and centre back Alessandro Nesta. A misplaced pass from Matias Almeyda allowed Angulo to intercept and send the first in a long line of through balls forward to Claudio Lopez. The Argentine's shot was saved but Angulo was rewarded for continuing his run as he was perfectly placed to turn in the rebound. Gerard made it two on three minutes, stroking a shot past Marco Ballotta as the Lazio defence backed off and if Kily Gonzalez had not missed a couple of clear chances in the minutes that followed Valencia would have been well clear. As it was, Simone Inzaghi was allowed space to reduce the arrears, turning in a Pavel Nedved cross on 27 minutes before Gerard's header from a Claudio Lopez free kick put Valencia back in charge. Lazio sent on Salas and Boksic in the second half but Valencia looked increasingly solid at the back and ever-dangerous on the break, despite the absence of Romanian forward Adrian Ilie. Gerard notched his third nine minutes before time, once again after Ballotta could only parry a goalbound shot, before the Salas goal and Claudio Lopez reply completed a night of glorious, impassioned football that will leave Lazio with no option but to attack from the first whistle in two weeks' time.
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