- The Guardian,
- Wednesday May 3, 2000
A brilliant exhibition of attacking football last night took Valencia to the verge of their first European Cup final and deflated the hopes of their Spanish rivals and tournament favourites Barcelona.
Again Louis van Gaal's team must overcome a large deficit at the Nou Camp next week, this time after conceding three first-half goals and a fourth seconds from the final whistle by Claudio Lopez.
The real damage was done as Valencia scored twice in as many minutes just before the interval through Miguel Angel Angulo and Gaizka Mendieta's penalty. Angulo had also put the hosts ahead after only 10 minutes with a rising drive and the same striker was brought down by Carles Puyol for the spot-kick.
If Valencia needed any reassurance it came in that 10th minute as they made a start reminiscent of their lightning opening against Lazio in the quarter-final. As a cross was only half-cleared, Angulo fired powerfully into the net with Ruud Hesp utterly beaten.
Five minutes later Barcelona's erratic Dutch goalkeeper almost allowed a simple back-pass to roll over the line.
Rivaldo, playing just behind the front trio in Van Gaal's preferred 3-4-3 formation, interrupted Valencia's advances with two powerful shots from the right which just cleared the bar. Barcelona's trademark patient passing brought them back into the game and they equalised after 27 minutes. Boudewijn Zenden delivered a low, tantalising cross which tempted Mauricio Pellegrino to intervene. But the centre-back slid the ball into his own net.
But this was merely the prelude to another Valencia storm. Angulo hit his second, jabbing home Kily Gonzalez's low cross at the near post after 43 minutes. The home celebrations redoubled as Mendieta scored from the spot seconds before the interval.
Valencia's coach Hector Cuper remained cautious. "In football there are always surprises. There are 90 minutes left and I can't afford to be euphoric." Van Gaal said: "I don't believe we're out as there's still one game left. It's very difficult but not impossible."
