AC MILAN v EMPOLI: TIME MACHINE

The 29th matchday of the Serie A championship is approaching, which will see the Rossoneri take on Paolo Zanetti's Empoli. A quality opponent, a difficult one to face, and one that evokes good memories for the Rossoneri. In particular, today we recall the one linked to the 1998/99 season, a Rossoneri victory that was decisive on the way to winning their 16th Scudetto.

SETTING THE SCENE
A near-tie between the Rossoneri, second in the standings, and the Tuscans, last in the table, is staged at San Siro. A win is needed for Zaccheroni's team to continue putting pressure on Eriksson's Lazio, who are leading by a length. 75 thousand in the stands to push AC Milan towards a Scudetto that, a few games before, seemed unthinkable: Zac lined up the tried and tested 3-4-1-2 with Abbiati in goal, a defensive unit composed of Maldini, Costacurta and Sala, Helveg and Guly on the wings, Albertini and Giunti in the middle of the field, Boban behind Bierhoff and Weah.

GULY CALLS, OLIVER ANSWERS
The winning link up was that one formed by Andrés Guglielminpietro and Oliver Bierhoff: in the second half of the season, the two got on well and their understanding became particularly exciting on this AC Milan afternoon. The Argentine served the first assist to the German in the 32nd minute, a left-footed cross that Bierhoff deflected into the net past Sereni. At the same time, Fiorentina vs Lazio was being played at the Franchi in Florence: the Viola took the lead through Batistuta and Vieri's equalised almost immediate. By the express wish of Coach Zaccheroni, the big screen of the stadium did not communicate any update on the other match, but the radios were going among the fans: 1-1 would mean overtaking with 90 minutes to the end of the championship.

RESOUNDING WIN AND OVERTAKE COMPLETE
In the second half, Guly dished out the second and third assists of the match, and it was Oliver Bierhoff who scored again, making it 18 goals on the season. Closing the party was Leonardo on an assist from an excellent Maurizio Ganz. To complete the party on this Saturday afternoon, only one last detail is missing, the result in Florence. At Pellegrino's final whistle at San Siro, the wait was divided between the locker room and the stands, but at the end the news made the Rossoneri people explode with joy: Lazio were stopped on a draw and at the last bend of this Serie A championship, AC Milan overtook them and flew to the top of the table with only one match left, Perugia vs AC Milan, 23rd May 1999. And it was to be history.

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