Batistuta, Lehmann and three goals at San Siro

Both sides arrived at San Siro on the third weekend of the 1998–99 Serie A season having won both their games. Milan had Alberto Zaccheroni on the bench and Jens Lehmann in goal. Fiorentina had Giovanni Trapattoni and Gabriel Batistuta. By the end of the game Milan had a goalkeeping problem.

Six minutes

The first goal set the tone. Alessandro Costacurta made an error, Batistuta was on it, and his shot from close range went in at the near post, squirming under Lehmann. A goalkeeper can be beaten at his near post by a striker of Batistuta's power. It is harder to explain a ball going underneath him.

Milan reached half-time only a goal down. It lasted one minute into the second half. Batistuta ran at Costacurta one-on-one, was pushed out towards a narrow angle, and shot anyway. The ball went through Lehmann's legs.

The back-pass

In the 52nd minute Costacurta played the ball back to his goalkeeper, and Lehmann picked it up. The referee gave an indirect free-kick at point-blank range, and Batistuta converted it.

Oliver Bierhoff scored a penalty for Milan with 20 minutes left. It changed nothing.

What followed

For Fiorentina, the win was the start of something. They stayed top of Serie A until January and were winter champions.

Milan did not fall apart. They went on to win the league that season. Lehmann was not there to share it. He lost his place after a 1–0 defeat at Cagliari two games later, Sebastiano Rossi went back in goal, and Lehmann moved on to Borussia Dortmund. In Milan he is remembered for 26 September 1998.

None of Batistuta's three goals was spectacular. They did not need to be. He kept putting the ball on target against a goalkeeper having a bad night, and three times it went in.