LONDON, April 5: Italy’s dream of a Milan derby in the UEFA Cup final all but evaporated on Thursday as both AC and Inter Milan suffered disastrous defeats in their semifinal first leg matches.

Five-times former European champions AC Milan need a miracle after being crushed 4-0 in Germany by Borussia Dortmund, for whom Brazilian striker Marcio Amoroso grabbed a first-half hat-trick.

With Serie A leaders Inter suffering a shock 1-0 at home to Dutch side Feyenoord in the other semifinal first leg match, the chances of the two famous Milan sides meeting in the final on May 8 in Rotterdam are remote.

Their absence would be another bitter blow to Italian club soccer, which is already reeling after none of its clubs managed to reach the last eight of the Champions League for the second successive year.

Brazil striker Ronaldo made his first appearance in three months as a substitute for Inter but he was totally upstaged by compatriot Amoroso in Dortmund.

The Bundesliga’s joint top scorer needed only 39 minutes to complete his hat-trick against AC Milan.

The pick of the three was his second goal after 34 minutes, when he lobbed the ball over a defender, controlled it on his thigh and volleyed the ball past Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati.

Amoruso had earlier earned and converted an eighth-minute penalty and completed his hat-trick with a diving header after 39 minutes.

Joerg Heinrich added the fourth in the second half to complete a sorry night for Milan.

Dortmund, the 1997 European champions, will now travel to the San Siro next week as hot favourites to reach their first UEFA Cup final since 1993.

Inter had nearly all the pressure at the San Siro against Feyenoord but the Dutch side’s talisman, Pierre van Hooijdonk, was once again their hero.

The Netherlands striker, who scored the late equaliser and penalty shootout winner in the quarterfinals against PSV Eindhoven, provided the cross which Inter’s Ivan Cordoba could only turn into his net for the only goal after 51 minutes.

The victory was extra sweet as it was in the San Siro that Feyenoord beat Celtic to win the European Cup 32 years ago.

The Dutch side have the added incentive of knowing this year’s final will be played at their De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam as they bid to repeat their UEFA Cup triumph of 1974, when they beat Tottenham Hotspur.—Reuters