AC Milan's frustrating extra-time defeat by Manchester United in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal could have done the Italian side a favour, one of its top players said on Wednesday.
As the AC Milan players returned to Italy, Dutch midfield star Clarence Seedorf admitted that Wayne Rooney's late match-winning goal was frustrating but he remained confident about reaching the final.
"I think losing 2-3 was actually better than drawing 2-2. Now we are obliged to win. And knowing this team's mentality, that's a very good start," Seedorf said.
Italian newspapers on Wednesday carried headlines full of anguish over Milan's inability to hold on to the 2-2 draw that it had earned with two outstanding goals from Brazilian wonderboy Kaka.
What a Waste! wrote Corriere della Sera, next to a photo of Rooney watching his winning goal slip passed Milan goalie Dida.
Milan: What Frustration! headlined La Gazzetta dello Sport, which instead chose to show Kaka celebrating his second goal and quoted him saying: "We'll win in Milan".
Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti appeared almost as sure as the Brazilian striker, saying: "I think we can be confident even if it won't be an easy game".
He summed up his team's experience in Manchester like this: "We were naive on the third goal, unfortunately we threw it away. We played well for an hour but, partly due to fatigue, we struggled at the end".
Soccer pundits in the main papers all agreed that Milan, which has reached the Champions League semifinals in four of the last five years, had displayed the talent needed to make it to the final.
"Games are won with class, technical ability and above all self-esteem. Who was the most frightened in Manchester last night?" wrote Gazzetta, implying that the answer was not Milan.
Many Italian observers drew special satisfaction from Milan's strong showing in Manchester because it came just after another Italian team, AS Roma, was thrashed 7-1 by the English team in the quarter finals.
Milan is the only non-English side among the final four battling for a place in the 2007 final.
There was universal agreement that Tuesday night's five-goal thriller in the cauldron of Manchester United's Old Trafford ground had been some of the most entertaining football seen this year.
UEFA Chairman Michel Platini congratulated AC Milan and Manchester United on Wednesday for constructing the perfect advertisement for European soccer.
"At every level, the game was an advert for European soccer, an exciting spectacle for fans all over the world. On days like these it's a pleasure to be UEFA chairman," he said.
Italian television commentators also noted the sporting spirit showed by the two sides' fans, some of whom were seen exchanging scarves and other club paraphernalia before the match.
