Brazilian midfielder Serginho scored two second-half goals as AC Milan, fielding several second-line players, scored a surprising 4-1 victory at AS Roma on Tuesday in their first-leg final of the Italian Cup.

　　AS Roma had started the match at Stadio Olimpico in Rome as the favorite team after the Milan powerhouse decided to rest seven key players ahead of the prestigious May 28 Champions League final with Juventus at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.

　　Captain Francesco Totti, returning from a one-month injury absence, scored a spectacular goal in the 27th to give the home team a 1-0 lead.

　　Totti carried the home crowd of 70,000 away with a curling free kick from 25 meters that went past the wall and goalkeeper Christian Abbiati.

　　The Milan team, overwhelmed for long periods, turned all its second-half scoring chances into goals to take a decisive lead ahead of the second-leg final, scheduled for San Siro on May 31.

　　"We did not take advantage of our scoring chances, and this made the difference in the result," Roma coach Fabio Capello said. "It will be difficult to recover a three-goal gap in the second leg."

　　Serginho, usually sitting on the substitutes bench with Brazilian teammate Rivaldo, who was otherwise unimpressive in Tuesday's match, was the key in AC Milan second-half comeback.

　　The Brazilian scored the equalizer in the 61st minute, converting a penalty kick after Roma defender Christian Panucci handed the ball in the attempt to stop Danish striker Jon Dahl Tomasson.

　　Serginho added another goal in the 72nd on a quick counterattack as the AS Roma defense failed on the offside trap. He scored minutes after a header by Massimo Ambrosini, deflected by French defender Jonathan Zebina, gave AC Milan a 2-1 lead.

　　Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko, fielded in the closing minutes as substitute for the injured Tomasson, turned it into a rout with a lob past goalkeeper Ivan Pelizzoli in the 88th.

　　Roma had several scoring opportunities, but 'keeper Abbiati made a streak of decisive saves.

　　Brazilian midfielder Emerson hit AC Milan's post when it was still 1-1.