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| April 29, 2006 | Saturday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 30, 1427 |
Boro, Sevilla to meet in final
LONDON, April 28: Italian striker Massimo Maccarone etched his name further into Middlesbrough folklore on Thursday by heading the Premier League side into the UEFA Cup final for the first time.
Substitute Maccarone's late goal, his second of the night, left Steaua Bucharest crestfallen as Boro pulled off another remarkable fightback from three goals down to set up a final against Spain's Sevilla in Eindhoven on May 10.
Trailing the former European champions 3-0 on aggregate after Steaua added two first-half goals to their first-leg lead, Boro scored four times in an hour to win 4-2 and seal a 4-3 aggregate success.
Their meeting with Sevilla will be the first of two Anglo-Spanish finals this season with Arsenal playing Barcelona in the Champions League final in Paris seven days later.
Substitute Antonio Puerta scored in extra time to send the Primera Liga side through to a first European final, sealing a 1-0 aggregate win over Germany's Schalke 04 to spark wild celebrations at the Sanchez Pizjuan.
The Italian has been a bit-part player at Middlesbrough since joining from Empoli for more than eight million pounds ($14.27 million) in 2002.
Maccarone, an early substitute after injury forced off Gareth Southgate, kickstarted the comeback on 33 minutes after Nicolae Dica and Dorin Goian had seized on mistakes from keeper Brad Jones.
Australia striker Mark Vidula made it 2-2, defender Chris Riggott nudged in a third and then Maccarone met Stewart Downing's cross with a header in the 89th minute.
After 190 minutes of stalemate over the two legs, a flash of brilliance from local-born midfielder Puerta sent Sevilla into the final at the expense of 1997 winners Schalke.
Puerta sent an unstoppable half-volley swerving past keeper Frank Rost, off the post and into the back of the net 10 minutes into the first extra period.—Agencies
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