Alessandro - The Right Place

7 November 1990. San Siro is packed, the pitch is heavy and Inter need to overturn a two-goal deficit against Aston Villa in the UEFA Cup round of 32.

Just two weeks earlier, the Nerazzurri had suffered a convincing 2-0 defeat in Birmingham, leaving plenty of doubts. But back in Milano, the atmosphere was completely different.

Pre-match comments.

Klinsmann: “We missed a lot of chances in the first leg. Actually, when I say ‘we’, I mean me. I missed a lot of chances. I want to apologise to everyone: my team-mates, the coach and the fans. I take full responsibility, but I'm not devastated. Football is an important part of my life, but it's not everything.”

Matthäus: “It's going to be a great night, now that we've made peace and we're all friends again. Unfortunately, we played with ten men in Birmingham: I was missing.”

Trapattoni: “Last chance? It's only your last chance when you're dying, and thank God I'm doing fine. The future is an opportunity for everyone. The greats always look ahead to the next day, whatever happens. Whether it's to get revenge or to win again.”

And this unusual mix of personal responsibility, fatalism and philosophy could only have produced a different kind of match. Strange, thrilling, epic. Trapattoni started with Klinsmann and Serena up front, Matthäus pulling the strings in midfield and Alessandro Bianchi on the wing. All it took was seven minutes for the opening goal to arrive.

Klinsmann received the ball and got away from his marker, who didn't hesitate to bring him down in the box. In today's game that would be a penalty and a red card, but the rules offered attackers less protection back then. Klinsmann, already falling to the ground, still managed to get his shot away to make it 1-0. San Siro erupted. In those days, only a handful of nights could generate such a packed, electric atmosphere. The comeback was on. Inter poured forward, created chances and forced the English side onto the defensive. Serena came close to doubling the lead, Bianchi tried his luck and Matthäus produced moments of magic. But Spink kept making saves.

Inter went into the break with a 1-0 lead, still needing another goal to level the tie and two to progress.The second half followed a similar pattern. Inter continued to press and were rewarded with a second goal in the 62nd minute. Matthäus swung in a free-kick from the right, Pizzi flicked it on and the ball fell to Nicola Berti. Nicolino took aim and drove a left-footed effort into the bottom corner. He celebrated with his arms outstretched, soaking up the adulation of the Inter faithful. 2-0. San Siro was beginning to believe. But with the scores level on aggregate, the tie was still heading for extra time. Twelve minutes later came the decisive moment. Pizzi delivered a ball into the box from the left. The Aston Villa players claimed it had gone out of play, but neither Inter nor the linesman agreed. Alessandro Bianchi arrived at the far post and, without hesitation, struck a first-time volley from a tight angle. Spink tried to keep it out but was beaten. 3-0. Inter were through.

Bianchi raced away in celebration, his team-mates in pursuit. San Siro was in raptures. The following day, the newspapers ran the headline: “Inter times three.” A delighted Trapattoni was keen to emphasise one thing above all: his side had played with discipline and composure, refusing to get carried away. For Alessandro Bianchi, it was a night to remember. He wasn't a striker, nor was he accustomed to scoring decisive goals. But that evening, he found himself in the right place at the right time to score one of the most important goals of his career. Inter went on to eliminate Partizan Belgrade, Atalanta and Sporting Lisbon on their way to the final, where they overcame Roma over two legs to lift the UEFA Cup for the first time in the club's history.

And Alessandro Bianchi, a native of Cervia, had written his own special chapter in that unforgettable European triumph.