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Your support makes all the difference.THE LAST Cup-Winners' Cup final, like the first which Fiorentina won in 1961, belonged to Italy. On a night of Latin passions at Villa Park, which created an atmosphere as vibrant as any the old ground can have known, an 81st-minute goal by Lazio's Czech, Pavel Nedved, ended Real Mallorca's hopes of a trophy in their first Continental campaign.
Lazio were indebted to their principal attacker, Christian Vieri, who is remembered in the Midlands for his damaging role in Atletico Madrid's Uefa Cup victory over Aston Villa last season. He gave their expensively assembled Italian team an early lead and, after Dani's swift equaliser, was involved in the goal which brought his club their first European prize.
Four of the previous five finals had been settled by a solitary goal, but the events of a dramatic opening 11 minutes negated any possibility of a repeat. Lazio, attacking the Holte End where the Roman legions were massed, struck first in the seventh minute. The ease with which Mallorca's famously tight defence was prised open came as a surprise, after their parsimonious displays in the semi-final against Chelsea.
From just inside the Spanish half, Giuseppe Favalli launched a high ball. Vieri, surprisingly jumping with the less than lofty Javier Olaizola rather than one of the tall centre-backs, headed the ball goalwards from 10 yards. Carlos Roa, caught in no-man's land, put his fingers on it but could not prevent the goal.
Mallorca drew level within four minutes, following a splendidly incisive build-up down their left flank. Miquel Soler's through pass sent Jovan Stankovic to the byline, from where he squared the ball perfectly for Dani. The mobile front-runner, who interests Sheffield Wednesday and Chelsea, peeled off his marker and diverted the ball home from close range.
Whereas Mallorca tended to attack in swarms at ground level, Lazio leaned heavily on the aerial ability of Vieri. The striker was hurt in a clash of heads when challenging for another lofted pass midway through the first half. Despite being carried off and having his head bandaged, his power seemed undiminished when he resumed.
Vieri soon had Roa sprawling to save a 30-yard drive, yet Mallorca gave as good as they got. A free-kick, curled in from the right by Jovan Stankovic, passed through a crowded Lazio area with neither friend nor foe supplying a touch.
Marcelo Salas, the Chilean World Cup striker, worked prodigiously off the ball but found scoring opportunities limited. A bicycle kick which Roa gathered comfortably was his only conspicuous contribution during the first half, in which Mallorca looked marginally the better side.
The open play which had characterised the start of the contest was markedly absent as the second period unfolded. It was the hour mark before either goal was genuinely threatened again. Even then, Sinisa Mihajlovic's fiercely struck free-kick from 35 yards flashed wide of Roa's far post without worrying the Argentinian.
Lazio began to assert a measure of control over midfield, where Nedved grew more influential as he probed from the left side. Too often, however, the service to Vieri and Salas was of the hit-and-hope variety. An angled volley by Lauren, which Luca Marchegiani parried diving to his left, reminded the favourites of the danger Mallorca carried on the break.
But, with extra time looming, the sheer physical presence of Vieri pressured Gustavo Siviero into a weak clearance. As it bounced, Nedved hooked the ball beyond Roa from 20 yards to provide a final flourish of glorious quality for an unfairly maligned competition.
Lazio (4-4-2): Marchegiani; Pancaro, Nesta, Mihajlovic, Favalli; D Stankovic (Sergio Conceicao, 56), Mancini (Fernando Couto, 90), Almeyda, Nedved (Lombardo, 84); Salas, Vieri. Substitutes not used: Ballotta (gk); Negro, Gottardi, De la Pena.
Real Mallorca (4-4-2): Roa; Olaizola, Marcelino, Siviero, M Soler; Lauren, Engonga, Ibagaza, J Stankovic; Dani, Biagini (Paunovic, 73). Substitutes not used: Cesar Galvez (gk), Carreras, Carlos, C Soler, Nino, Lopez.
Referee: G Benko (Austria).
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