MATCH OF THE SEASON: MILAN 2-2 CITY
November 23, 1978
UEFA Cup Round 3, 1st leg
Ahead of this weekend's pre-season friendly with Milan in New York, we look back to a classic encounter between the sides that would live long in the memory of those who witnessed it... this story was last published in November 2023...
When a thick fog descended on the magnificent San Siro Stadium in Milan just a few hours before kick-off, the officials had no choice but to call the match off. The game was rescheduled for the following afternoon – something that today’s multi-million television moguls would never sanction – and on November 23, 1978, Manchester City ran out to the glorious sight of one of the world’s best venues, bathed in warm autumn sunshine.
Just a handful of the 1,000 or so Blues that had made the journey to Italy stayed on for the game which still attracted 60,000, but the atmosphere was less hostile – the crowd was muted and there were no firecrackers to be heard or flares to be seen.
Milan had never lost to a British side on their own turf and were the strong favourites to continue that record. City, managed by Tony Book, were having a decidedly average season and though victories in the previous rounds against FC Twente and Standard Liege proved the team were capable of better things on their day, Milan were an entirely different proposition.
Paul Power recalls the lead up to the game in vivid detail -both the night before and what would be an unforgettable afternoon less than 24 hours later.
“We weren’t afraid of anyone,” said Power.
“We had a fantastic team, with experienced internationals and players who had been playing at the top level for many years.
“We’d seen off FC Twente and then Standard Liege in the previous rounds, but Milan were a totally different proposition.
“They had a lot of quality in their side and were going for the Serie A title – which they would go on to win, but we knew we were a match for anyone on our day.
“A lot of our lads wouldn’t have experienced an occasion like that and to the backdrop of a packed San Siro, so we knew we were the underdogs.”
Boss Tony Book recalls the weather gradually deteriorating in Milan as the day went on.
“We trained in the morning, and it was - at worst - a bit misty, but by afternoon the fog had become dense and by 7pm you could hardly see your own hand in front of your face,” he said.
"The officials said that we would have to play the game the following afternoon and I was delighted with that."
“I’ve always felt that the occasion of a European night – the partisan crowd, firecrackers, atmosphere, and floodlights – are all great assets to the home team and for most of that to be removed, was a real bonus.
“Plus we had prepared for this match and made the journey to Italy, and I didn’t want to have to do all that again.”
Paul Power also recalls the moments before the match was officially called off.
“On the Wednesday evening, we went out to warm up, but the fog was heavy.
“We knew the ground was full and we could see the odd firecracker or flare, but we couldn’t see anyone!
“We went back into the dressing room and not long after, the referee informed us the game was off.
“The club officials agreed it could be played the following day at 2pm Italian time and we just went back to the hotel, Tony Book said it wasn’t ideal, but we just needed to get on with it.
“As it happened, playing the game in the afternoon meant the intimidating atmosphere was nothing like it had been the night before and we started to think that things were working in our favour.
“We didn’t know that much about them and they probably didn’t know that much about us because we never saw Italian games on TV or had videos to watch of them in preparation.
Predictably, Milan started by putting City immediately under pressure, and while the Italians never missed an opportunity to ruffle City’s feathers, they found the towering partnership of Tommy Booth and Dave Watson in fine form.
The hosts became frustrated after failing to find an early breakthrough. Asa Hartford was starting run things in the middle for City and when he floated a perfect cross over to the far post, Brian Kidd gave the Blues an unlikely lead.
Unbelievably, the lunchtime kick-off meant that as the half-time whistle blew, the majority of City fans that had managed to stay over had to leave the stadium to catch their plane home!
With virtually no City vocal support - bar a few hardy souls who had either made their own way to Italy or could afford alternative plans - left inside the San Siro, Milan came back strongly and had the ball in the net almost straight from the re-start, but it was ruled out for offside.
City weathered frantic pressure as the Italians fought to stay in the tie, but in the 57th minute, the Blues again silenced the home crowd by doubling their lead. Paul Power picked the ball up just outside his own area and then began a surge forward. Pretty much unchallenged, Power continued to the edge of the Milan box and fired in a weak shot that bobbled twice before deceiving Albertosi and nestling in the net to make it 2-0.
"I think their keeper should have done better..."
“I remember picking the ball up outside our own box and then I just carried it forward into their half.
“They just kept backing off and I remember Franco Baresi was playing that day and he must have been maybe 17 and a bit naïve because as I ran down the right towards their penalty area, he didn’t seem to know that I was actually left-footed, so he should have shown me down the right, but I was able to cut inside and take a shot – and I should more out of exhaustion after running 60-odd yards.
“It bobbled a bit, but it seemed to bounce over his arm and into the net – it was a bit like the goal David De Gea conceded at West Ham recently.
“That made it 2-0 and we had about 30 minutes or so to try and see it out.”
City needed to get the ball and kill the game for the next 15 minutes if they were to pull off a famous win but instead they let Milan pull one back almost straight from the kick-off through Bigon. He had the ball in the net again four minutes later as Book’s side suddenly looked vulnerable and edgy, but the linesman’s flag again came to the rescue, and it was ruled offside. The Italians were building up an impressive head of steam and their volatile fans, stirred by the comeback, began throwing missiles at Joe Corrigan in the City goal.
It seemed inevitable that Milan would draw level as time went on and sure enough, on 83 minutes they finally did thanks again to Bigon. Thoughts of victory banished, the Blues were forced to hang on for dear life as Milan pressed for a winner, but there were no more goals and the game ended 2-2 – still a fantastic result and one of the Blues’ best in European football at that stage - and there was even better to come.
Tony Book couldn’t have been more proud of his players.
“It was a mountainous task to go to the San Siro believing we could come away with a draw or even a win,” he said.
“The match itself is something that I will never forget. I knew it would be a real test of both my own management skills and of my team’s ability.
"The lads were brilliant and to come away with a 2-2 draw and also come within a whisker of being the first English side to win in the San Siro, was a tremendous achievement."
“It also set the second leg up nicely because they had to come out and score with the away goals rule in place to have any chance of going through. I always believed that if you could get the ball out wide and get plenty of crosses in when playing continental opposition, you would always have a chance of getting a goal or two.
“They weren’t usually the best in the air, and this was something we had at the front of our minds for the return. Kiddo was a big worry for the Italians and with a fantastic atmosphere at Maine Road for the return we swept them aside and were 3-0 up by half time.
“We went through 5-2 on aggregate and into the last eight. It was fantastic to have beaten a side of that calibre so comprehensively.”
It remains one of the Blues’ most memorable nights in Europe.
On Saturday evening, City will hope to have another wonderful evening against a Milanese side…
David Clayton
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