Milner snatches Villa's winner
Source: Agencies |
January 16, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ASTON Villa moved to the brink of a place in the League Cup final with a 1-0 win at Blackburn on Thursday.
England midfielder James Milner scored in the 23rd minute to give Villa victory in the first leg of its semifinal and a firm advantage ahead of next week's return at Villa Park.
If Villa avoids defeat at home it will reach its first final for 10 years and meet Manchester City or Manchester United.
Milner hit his seventh goal of the season after finishing a move he started. With Blackburn pushing players forward to put Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan under pressure, Milner took a pass from defender James Collins and set off.
He passed out to Stewart Downing on the right wing, and the winger beat fullback Pascal Chimbonda to hit a cross into the area that beat former Spain defender Michel Salgado, and was dispatched with a powerful shot past goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
In Italy, Adrian Mutu scored twice to help Fiorentina come from behind and beat Chievo Verona 3-2 to advance to the Italian Cup quarterfinals.
Mutu found the target in the 35th and 77th minutes at Florence's Artemio Franchi Stadium, with striker Khouma Babacar also scoring for the home side.
After Pablo Granoche Louro put Chievo ahead seven minutes in, Mutu hit the crossbar in the 28th then equalized following a cross from Manuel Pasqual.
Simone Bentivoglio restored Chievo's lead in the 38th and Babacar made it 2-2 by redirecting in a free-kick from Pasqual in the 75th.
Two minutes later, Mutu skipped past two defenders and scored the winner.
Fiorentina will next face defending champion Lazio, which beat Palermo 2-0. Aleksandar Kolarov put Lazio in front in the 57th and Sergio Floccari doubled the lead in the 74th for his fourth goal in three games since joining the Rome club from Genoa. Also, Udinese eliminated third-division Lumazzane 2-0.
England midfielder James Milner scored in the 23rd minute to give Villa victory in the first leg of its semifinal and a firm advantage ahead of next week's return at Villa Park.
If Villa avoids defeat at home it will reach its first final for 10 years and meet Manchester City or Manchester United.
Milner hit his seventh goal of the season after finishing a move he started. With Blackburn pushing players forward to put Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan under pressure, Milner took a pass from defender James Collins and set off.
He passed out to Stewart Downing on the right wing, and the winger beat fullback Pascal Chimbonda to hit a cross into the area that beat former Spain defender Michel Salgado, and was dispatched with a powerful shot past goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
In Italy, Adrian Mutu scored twice to help Fiorentina come from behind and beat Chievo Verona 3-2 to advance to the Italian Cup quarterfinals.
Mutu found the target in the 35th and 77th minutes at Florence's Artemio Franchi Stadium, with striker Khouma Babacar also scoring for the home side.
After Pablo Granoche Louro put Chievo ahead seven minutes in, Mutu hit the crossbar in the 28th then equalized following a cross from Manuel Pasqual.
Simone Bentivoglio restored Chievo's lead in the 38th and Babacar made it 2-2 by redirecting in a free-kick from Pasqual in the 75th.
Two minutes later, Mutu skipped past two defenders and scored the winner.
Fiorentina will next face defending champion Lazio, which beat Palermo 2-0. Aleksandar Kolarov put Lazio in front in the 57th and Sergio Floccari doubled the lead in the 74th for his fourth goal in three games since joining the Rome club from Genoa. Also, Udinese eliminated third-division Lumazzane 2-0.
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