On This Day: Dennis Wise cancels out Oliver Bierhoff, 1999

Dennis Wise uses his ability to equalise rather than infuriate.

Chelsea were up against it in the San Siro after Oliver Bierhoff had put AC Milan a goal up.   Chelsea had looked to be going out of the 1999/2000 Champions League group stage.

Dennis Wise took the opportunity to channel his talent rather than his ability to be obnoxious.  A clipped through ball from Roberto Di Matteo was wonderfully controlled, and Wise was able to put it through Abbiati. That is what team spirit is about. This is football– not OnlinePoker.com, not chess. It isn’t about the individual players; it is the team that plays united that wins.

AC Milan, as you are all no doubt aware, included the splendidly named Andrés Guglielminpietro.  The game’s also of note for Gianluca Vialli not going for his usual smart schoolboy costume.