Real Madrid Morientes and Savio recall the final of Paris 2000
Luis GabrielBRAND
STwo years had passed, but the Madrid I didn’t learn that lesson in The league and reached another final of the European Cup playing it all to one card. In Saint-Denis, the May 24, 2000I expected a Valencia thrown out. For the first time a final between compatriots. Fernando Morientes, Madrid’s top scorer in the final of the Eighth (3-0 for whites) and headline streak three in five years between 1998 and 2002Remember that dose of extra pressure. “It created a lot of uncertainty because we were two teams of Spain. If you lose against Juve or the Leverkusen you do not have to cross your house with them. So it was a special final, with a different ‘point’. There was more pressureOther than that they were very good. You know that you know them, but also that they know you. We were very bad in LaLiga and they knew it. All of this created more tension in us“
Morientes opened the scoring at minute 39 of a final that only had the black and gold color of Madrid. “I remember it very well because I had had a couple of other occasions that went away. Roberto Carlos, when the ball goes to the right I get behind Djukic because it is the logical movement. Then change because the ball reaches Mchel Salgado and I leave Djukic two meters away and he can no longer react. The logical thing is to go to the first post, but Mchel puts a candy to the second and can finish alone and comfortable “.
He makes up for Morientes in the 71st minute Savio Bortolinithat in the 74 put a pass of ‘quarterback‘perfect for that Ral close the final with the third for Madrid. “The Eighth was a very special Champions League for me. I played a lot and made important goals and passes. In the semifinals against Bayern we were under a lot of pressure when I made that pass with the right, my bad leg, so that Anelka I made a very important goal. And in the final I had just come out and there was still tension with 2-0. I dropped the ball into our area and only had a few hundredths of a second to lift my head and see Ral’s uncheck”
That was the trivot Champions (Helguera-Karanka-Ivn Campo, with Iron and Sanchis besieged by physical problems), but Morientes highlights another factor. “For us, the experience from previous seasons and especially that of Juve in Amsterdam. The pressure that we had in the first 30 minutes in Amsterdam was a little weaker for ValenciaBecause it was a game that we had never played before. We had 30 bad minutes with Juve, they 90 against Madrid. Enjoying a final is difficult, but since Macca’s goal he was very controlled. Valencia almost did not shoot on goal, they did not make long circulations, we were enjoying ourselves because we looked superior and the final came a little big for them“
Savio vindicates that Madrid of the three Champions in five years: “We did great things. We had 32 years without winning the European Cup. That time has to be remembered with the utmost love and respect. We weren’t just playing against rivals, but against that 32-year-old wall without winning the European Cup“
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