Match Preview

It’s the one both fans and pundits the world over have been waiting for. Jose Mourinho and Alex Ferguson are set to lock horns again over two legs in possibly the greatest Cup competition of them all. Mourinho has the early bragging rights, his Porto side knocked out United en route to winning the Champions League in 2004. In fact, he has lost just once in 12 matches in charge of teams against Ferguson’s United.

Despite these impressive credentials, Inter have somewhat limped into the knockout stages, having lost their last two Champions League matches and are without a win in three. Serie A is a different matter thought. They are nine points clear at the top of the table and have recorded three successive victories, beating Bologna on the weekend and arch rivals AC Milan the week before.

United themselves are in fantastic form domestically, having opened up a seven point gap ahead of second placed Liverpool in the Premiership but have been beset by defensive injuries ahead of their visit to Italy. With Vidic suspended and Evans injured, Ferguson may opt for Fletcher at right back and O’Shea partnering Ferdinand at the heart of the United defence.

Inter have defender Marco Matterazzi struggling to recover in time for the match, but have plenty of cover in the likes of Cordoba, Chivu and Burdisso to call upon.

Line Ups

Inter Milan: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Rivas, Chivu, Santon, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Muntari, Stankovic, Ibrahimovic, Adriano.
Subs: Toldo, Cordoba, Maxwell, Figo, Cruz, Burdisso, Balotelli.

Man United: Van der Sar, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Berbatov, Ronaldo.
Subs: Foster, Rooney, Nani, Scholes, Fabio Da Silva, Gibson, Tevez.

Live Blog

90+4′ Cordoba is booked for a rash challenge on Ronaldo. He takes the free kick 25 yards from goal but it rebounds off the chest of Julio Cesar, who didn’t appear to know too much about it. Thre referee blows for full time, leaving it wonderfully poised for the second leg.

90′ Three minutes will be added on, can anyone produce a late winner?

89′ A great pass from Berbatov, who has been criminally ineffective this evening, almost sends Rooney through on goal. Julio Cesar, so impressive in the first half, races outside the box to clear the ball before Rooney can get a shot on.

88′ Rooney is booked, harshly in my opinion for a sliding foul on Cambiasso despite winning the ball cleanly.

85′ United are clinging on now. Ibrahimovic fires in a free kick which takes a deflection and goes behind. The replay suggests it last came off Evans for a corner, but a goal kick was awarded.

83′ Rooney finally makes an appearance and replaces Park. The labouring Berbatov remains on the pitch for now.

82′ How on earth did this not go in? A corner swung in from the left misses a crowd of players before hitting Cambiasso at the far post but it loops back across goal for Van Der Saar who catches it rather calmly under the circumstances.

77′ Ballotelli comes on for Adriano while Muntari is replaced by another striker in Cruz. Still no action from the United bench, perhaps Ferguson is happy with a draw.

76′ Giggs is allowed to advance down the left and then cut inside unchallenged. He ghosts past the anonymous Chivu and lines up a shot in the centre of the box. Just as the trigger is pulled, Cordoba throws himself to the ground to block the shot and prevent what was going to be a certain goal.

73′ Surely it’s time for Ferguson to make some changes. The guile and cunning of Scholes in midfield and Rooney, who would put in infinitely more effort than Berbatov has, could do with being introduced to the game.

71′ Fletcher gets booked for a sliding foul on Muntari on the edge of the Inter box.

68′ O’Shea gives away a free kick for a foul on Ibrahimovic but Maicon curls a useless ball straight out for a goal kick. What a waste.

67′ Ronaldo beats Chivu for pace and tries to set his team mates up on a plate with an incisive ball across the face of goal. It’s a shame none of them are interested – Park misses the ball completely, Berbatov is nowhere in sight and Giggs is too slow to meet it at the far post, allowing Inter to clear the ball behind for a corner.

65′ Ibrahimovic heads at goal from inside the box, but Evra does enough to put him off and the ball rolls harmlessly wide.

63′ Inter are looking far more impressive now and have completely nullified United. Alex Ferguson will be rueing those missed chances in the first half. As it stands, Inter look the more likely to open the scoring.

59′ Chivu is booked for a foul on Berbatov and Maicon is perhaps harshly booked for an innocuous challenge on Carrick in the United box.

56′ Maicon whips a corner towards the far post and it’s close to the goal line. Van Der Saar looks like he’s struggling to deal with it but he gets a free kick after being impeded by Adriano.

55′ Ibrahimovic is getting more into the game and looking more like the player he claims to be. He ignores the challenge of O’Shea and attempts to cross into the box, but Ferdinand puts a stop to it.

51′ Inter have started this half a lot brighter than the first. Stankovic breaks free of his marker in front of the D and rifles a low shot towards the bottom corner but it goes wide.

49′ Appeals for an Inter penalty, if not a little optimistic. Zanetti fizzes a cross into the six yard box for the awaiting Adriano, but the Brazilian feels a light hand from Ferdinand on his shoulder and goes down as though his life depended on it.

48′ An unbelievable chance for Inter. Cambiasso crosses the ball into the box, Ibrahimovic leaves it for Adriano who swings at it first time on the penalty spot. Van Der Saar is rooted to his spot but the ball goes wide.

47′ A bit of quality from Ibrahimovic down the left. He jinks the ball from one foot to the other, outfoxing Ferdinand and scoops the ball into the area for Cambiasso but it comes to nothing.

46′ Unsurprisingly, Colombian defender Rivas is hauled off before the second half begins and is replaced by fellow countryman, the vastly experienced Cordoba.

Half Time. This has been what you call a “0-0 stuffing”. United have had a ridiculous amount of shots on goal for an away team against hosts of Inter’s calibre. Better finishing would have seen Alex Ferguson’s side cruising into the second leg but as it stands, the second half will start the same as the first, all equal. Inter have not looked great at the back, compared to the solid, if patched up, United back line and Rivas in particular looks well out of his comfort zone.

45′ Inter attempt a late flurry. The lively Santon advances down the left and then infield before being tackled on the edge of the United box. The ball bobbles to Cambiasso who pelts it first time but a deflection takes the sting off the shot and it bounces through to Van Der Saar.

44′ Referee Luis Medina Cantalejo shows a yellow card to Inter’s substitute goalkeeper, the ancient Francesco Toldo, after he and Luis Figo protest on the touchlines at the sheer number of decisions going United’s way. Well, if Inter were not such a bunch of cloggers then maybe so many free kicks would be given.

41′ Park scampers down the left and with the dreadful Rivas nowhere near him, pings a cross towards the far post. Berbatov gets his head to it but it goes wide at the far post.

37′ The home side are getting into the game a bit more now after riding their luck for long periods of the first half. Adriano digs a cross out from the left but it’s headed clear by Ferdinand. The ball works itself out to Ibrahimovic who sends a cross towards the near post but Van Der Saar gathers before the big-boned Adriano can get near it.

33′ Inter may be playing abysmally, but they are still dangerous on the break. Full back Maicon puts in a sweet cross towards the far post but O’Shea is alert enough to head the ball clear.

31′ United get yet another free kick, 25 yards out, on the left hand side. Ronaldo takes it but this time only manages to hammer it into the wall.

28′ This is getting ridiculous. Some more non-existant defending by Inter in the box, Rivas again the cluprit, allows Ronaldo a free header at goal from a Giggs cross 10 yards out. Julio Cesar just stands and watches as the ball fizzes wide of goal. Of all his chances this evening, this is the one he should have scored.

27′ Inter continue to hack United down around the edge of the box. This time from the right hand side, Ronaldo smashes a free kick towards the near post which Julio Cesar touches around the post at full stretch. The replay suggested it may have been going wide, but how many chances are Inter going to afford their opponents?

26′ Giggs rides a poor sliding tackle from Rivas and charges into the penalty area. He’s on an angle and his strike on goal is beaten away by Julio Cesar who was quick to come off his line.

23′ Evra curls a peach of a cross from the left to the far post which Berbatov leaps up to head towards goal. He’s not that far into the penalty box so Julio Cesar is not that worried by it and his effort goes well wide of the post in the end.

19′ Giggs plays Berbatov, who beats the offside trap, into the box. The labouring Inter defence are all at sea and all the Bulgarian has to do is to square it for Park who would have an easy scoring chance. However, he takes too long and his eventual pass is cut out by a clutch of Inter players who finally get back into position.

13′ United win yet another free kick in range of the Inter goal, this time after Carrick goes down from a Zanetti challenge. This time it isn’t Ronaldo who takes it, but Giggs, who can only blast the ball into the wall which Inter have bothered to form this time.

11′ Inter finally muster their first attack, with Stankovic and Muntari exchanging passes who then blazes over the crossbar from 20 yards.

10′ All of the attacking play has come through United during the opening stages, Ronaldo in particular. Ronaldo beats youngster Santon on the right of the penalty box but his effort from a tight angle goes well over the bar.

8′ Ronaldo goes close again for United with a free kick from 30 yards. Inter’s wall is non existant and at first it looks as though the ball is heading for the bottom corner but it curls wide of the post.

5′ United go close to breaking the deadlock. A superb corner by Giggs from the left is met by a thumping header from Ronaldo in the centre. It’s too close to Julio Cesar who reaches out to his right and parries away instinctively.

4′ It looks like United are playing a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Giggs playing just off loan-striker Berbatov. Inter have Stankovic playing in the hole behind Ibrahimovic and Adriano.

3′ Ronaldo looked to over run a ball but dived for all he was worth over the trailing leg of Chivu on the right hand side of the penalty box. He takes the free kick himself from about 25 yards out but it’s easily caught by Julio Cesar.

1′ United kick things off but Park’s advancement down the left comes to nothing and Inter win an early throw in.

0′ Fergie surprises us with his team selection – picking Evans to partner Ferdinand in central defence and leaving Rooney on the bench. The striker has scored on his last two runouts and is just the sort of hard working player needed for tonight. I cannot fathom why he isn’t on from the start, but what do I know about managing a team in the Champions League?

0′ Good evening. This is where the Champions League starts to get interesting and I cannot wait for this match to kick off. Who is going to take an advantage into the second leg? It may not be as easy to predict as you may think because Inter are yet to beat an English club in Italy in four Champions League attempts while United have lost 10 out of their 15 visits to Italy.

Reaction

On reflection, a draw was a fair result as United were by far the superior side in the first half and Inter the second. United squandered a hatful of chances and half chances in the first period but also had two fantastic opportunities in the second half. If  a United player had gambled when Ronaldo slid the ball across the face of the Inter goal or if Cordoba hadn’t so heroically blocked Giggs’ effort from the edge of the box, United could have got that precious away goal. The home side could also have snatched a goal themselves, with a penalty decision not going their way and a corner which could have gone anywhere but ended up in Van Der Saar’s grasp. Inter are not the world beaters manager Jose Mourinho claims them to be, but they gave United plenty to think about in the second half. On this performance, you would think United will progress to the quarter finals with home advantage in the second leg, but Rooney starting the game is a must.

Man of the Match

Ronaldo had enough opportunities in the first half to win this accolade hands down, but his set pieces were not quite up to scratch and he missed a headed chance which he should have buried. With that in mind, I am going to award the MoM to the man who thwarted him all night, Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar. The Brazilian stopper was equal to two free kicks from Ronaldo within the first 10 minutes of the match and again on 27 when he tipped one around the post. Julio Cesar was also on hand late on in the game to keep the score at nil nil, when he rushed out of his area to deny Rooney and then deny Ronaldo yet again from a set-piece in stoppage time.

Match Preview

AC Milan held the bragging rights after surprising Serie A champions and city rivals Inter with a 1-0 victory earlier in the season. However, it is Inter who lead the table by six clear points, while Milan are playing catch-up in third.

Inter are unbeaten at home this season but the “Special One” Jose Mourinho has struggled against counterpart Carlo Ancelotti. The duo have faced eachother five times, in three friendlies, one European Supercup and one Serie A game and it is Ancelotti who boasts the superior record of three victories and one loss.

David Beckham is expected to play for Milan, but Kaka is ruled out with a foot injury. The match will also be the 56th and final Milan derby for veteran Paolo Maldini. The Milan legend, at 40 years old, is finally calling it a day at the end of the season and a sold-out Giuseppe Meazza stadium will be a fitting end to one of the true legends in the game.

Line Ups

Inter: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Samuel, Chivu, Santon, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Muntari, Stankovic, Ibrahimovic, Adriano.
Subs: Toldo, Cordoba, Maxwell, Figo, Cruz, Vieira, Burdisso.

AC Milan: Abbiati, Zambrotta, Maldini, Kaladze, Jankulovski, Beckham, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Seedorf, Ronaldinho, Pato.
Subs: Dida, Emerson, Inzaghi, Favalli, Senderos, Antonini, Flamini.

Goals

Inter: Adriano (29′), Stankovic (43′)

Milan: Pato (71′)

Live Blog

90+3′ Milan desperately try to get the ball forward but their attack comes to an end when the referee blows for a foul on Samuel by Ambrosini.

90+2′ Chivu is booked for some shameless timewasting. He eventually humps the ball upfield but any threat posed by Ibrahimovic and Maicon is snuffed out.

90′ Inzaghi squanders a glorious chance to equalise. He’s sent into the box from a Pato flick and remains onside for once. However, his low shot is well blocked by Julio Cesar who may well have just ensured Inter take all three points from this game.

89′ Milan are giving it one final push. Seedorf blasts one from the edge of the box but it’s defelcted behind for a corner following some neat footwork by Pato.

88′ Vieria, barely on for 10 minutes and sweating profusely, is booked for a foul on Pirlo. Maxwell replaces Muntari for Inter. It’s Mourinho’s final substitution so there will be no cameo for Figo.

86′ Maicon sends in a cross from the right hand side which heads towards goal but Abbiati is wise to it and tips it behind for a corner.

84′ Stankovic is replaced by Argentinian centre back Nicolas Burdisso whose first involvement in the game is to get himself booked.

82′ Inzaghi is flagged for offside again as he heads a Zambrotta cross inches over the bar. He looks Milan’s best bet for an equaliser, as long as he can avoid the linesman’s flag.

80′ Adriano has had enough for one game is replaced by veteran midfield enforcer Patrick Vieria.

79′ Julio Cesar needs to be alert to a sharp effort from Pato but the whistle should have gone for a penalty. Inzaghi was bear hugged to the ground by Chivu but the referee saw otherwise.

78′ Inzaghi crashes in a spectacular volley and peels away to celebrate. However, the whistle had already gone for offside and the game was denied another goal of high quality.

76′ The out-of-sorts Kaladze is replaced by a player you’d love to come on when your already-shaky defence has shipped two goals. Yes, it’s Phillipe Senderos.

75′ This is frenetic stuff from a bunch of 30 and 40-somethings. Ronaldinho does one of his famous step-overs to make Samuel look foolish and plays the ball into the path of goal scorer Pato. The ball is cut out before it reaches him and is cleared away.

73′ Adriano finds someone slower than him in Maldini and beats him for pace. He charges towards goal with the veteran left back in hot pursuit but his effort from a tight angle is beat away expertly by Abbiati.

71′ Goal! Inter 2 Milan 1. Despite being out of the game for long periods Milan are right back in it. Ronaldinho plays in Jankulovski down the left who pulls the ball back across the face of goal for Alexandre Pato to sidefoot in his 13th goal of the season. Game on!

69′ Pato and Seedorf combine to carve through the resolute Inter defence. Seedorf is perhaps guilty of wanting one touch too many and Chivu rushes in to clear the ball behind for a corner. Inter break quickly and a faster player than Adriano may have found themselves one-on-one with the keeper. Abbiati is quick to come out of his area and clear the danger. Cambiasso is booked for hacking at Pirlo.

67′ The marauding Maicon decides to take on a shot himself after a good run but blazes high and wide from the edge of the area. He rushes to get back but needn’t bother. He could walk and back into position faster than his labouring Milan counterparts.

62′ The chances are coming in number for Inter, who are intent on wasting every single one of them. Ibrahimovic threads in a delightful ball to Muntari, who thunders it over the bar under a challenge from Kaladze.

61′ Adriano slips the ball through to Ibrahimovic who strikes it first time towards the top corner. Abbiati is equal to it and turns it behind for a corner. The resulting corner finds Adriano who attempts a spectacular mid-air volley but unfortunately it goes wide.

57′ David Beckham is replaced by the greying Filipo Inzaghi due to a hamstring injury. He may be another Milan player pushing 40, but it’s goals they need and he can certainly provide them.

56′ Maicon is crudely bodychecked by Ambrosini on the edge of the box but successfully pleads with the referee not to send him off, after he had been booked in the first half. Ibrahimovic thunders the free kick straight into the wall and then over the bar from the rebound.

55′ Milan have a great case for a penalty when Ambrosini breaks into the box and is definitely felled by Stankovic, but nothing is given.

54′ Dead ball specialist Pirlo strikes a free kick from distance but it arcs wide and goes behind for a goal kick. Milan are getting back into the game but need to get a goal quickly.

52′ Ronaldinho sends a good ball into the far post but Seedorf can only poorly redirect it across the face of goal rather than get an effort on target. Pato and Zambrotta try to get the ball back into the box but their efforts are dealt with comfortably.

48′ Kaladze makes another dreadful error on the right when he misses a long ball, allowing Ibrahimovic to latch onto it and send the ball across the face of goal. Adriano isn’t fit enough to reach it and it rolls out for a goal kick. Adriano is clearly frustrated by the overhit pass, or perhaps it’s his lack of pace? Damn those hamburgers!

47′ Adriano had the chance to end Milan’s interest in this game when he skipped past a feeble challenge from Kaladze but blasted wide from the edge of the box. It was a dreadful miss with the whole of the goal to aim at and it should be game over for Milan.

46′ Walter Samuel finds himself instantly acquainted with the referee’s notebook after a crude challenge on Pato.

Half Time. Milan are going to have to perform infinitely better if they are to overturn their City rivals and end the remarkable home record which Joe Mourinho smugly discussed before kick off. While the first goal was farcical, the second was sublime. Everything about it was sheer beauty. A perfectly clipped in ball to Ibrahimovic, glanced perfectly into the path of Stankovic who smashed it in with real venom. I don’t care if nothing happens in the second half, I don’t think I’ll see a better goal than that again tonight.

45′ Milan are getting frustrated by their own ineffectiveness. Ambrosini gets booked for a challenge on Maicon and does the same on Adriano merely seconds later. He is lucky to still be on the pitch.

43′ Goal! Inter 2 Milan 0. Inter turn the screw just before half time. Dejan Stankovic dispells the myth he’s a labouring oaf with a well-timed run from an Ibrahimovic flick-on from a free kick and thunders it in, first-time, from 12 yards out. It was an excellent strike which left Abbiati in the Milan goal with no chance.

40′ Ambrosini provides a comedic moment when chasing after an aimless long ball. He fails to stop in time and goes A over T into the advertising hoarding. It’s the stuff You’ve Been Framed thrives on, so get that recording in and earn yourself £500.

37′ Inter break quickly but the lumbering Adriano is slow enough to allow the geriatric Maldini to put in a sliding tackle and end any danger there was.

35′ Ronaldinho picks out Pato who in turn sends it forward to Seedorf. The Dutch international rides one challenge before firing in a low shot which is blocked desperately by Chivu.

29′ Goal! Inter 1 Milan 0 Big boned striker Adriano guides the ball into the back of the net with his arm after he shook off the challenge of Maldini following Maicon’s sweeping cross. How on earth did none of the officials see it? Shocking.

26′ Ronaldinho looks really up for this now and pings one out to Pato on the wing. He cuts inside but the attack fizzles out to nothing.

20′ Ronaldinho bends a cross into the box towards Pato. The Brazilian couldn’t get on the end of it but the ball bounced all over the place and Julio Cesar had to claw it away in the Inter goal.

18′ An unmarked Stankovic ponders on the ball like an 80-year-old rather than hammering the ball from six yards out. His indecision allows Ambrosini, himself no spring chicken, the time to come sliding in from behind to clear the ball behind for a corner.

16′ Penalty shout for Inter when Maicon’s cross looked to be blocked by a hand on the edge of the box but the referee is having none of it.

10′ Walter Samuel misses a corner in front of Abbiati by mere inches, allowing the keeper to punch it clear. It falls to Muntari at the edge of the area who thumps it into orbit.

5′ Muntari fouls Beckham and there is a little bit of afters. The referee decides not to produce any cards. Milan continue down the right but Beckham’s cross is easily cleared.

3′ “Maicon is like a two for the price of one player” chirps the Beeb’s Jon Stevenson, who can’t believe his luck that he’s doing some live commentary. “You get a full back, a winger and a goal scoring centre forward all in one”. So that would be three for the price of one then?

1′ Inter have the first chance of the game before a minute is recorded on the clock. Cambiasso sends a free kick into the Milan box and it is met by the head of the unmarked Ibrahimovic but it’s directed over the bar. It was a great chance and wasted by one of the world’s deadliest strikers.

1′ Milan get the 270th Milan derby underway. It’s an incredible achievement for Paolo Maldini who has featured in almost one fifth of them.

0′ Juventus could only draw with Sampdoria earlier on, a result which means AC Milan would leapfrog them into second if they beat Inter tonight. However, if Inter win, they will go nine points clear of Juve and a whopping 11 ahead of city rivals Milan.

0′ Any punters reading this blog had better get their money down on Inter, but cover the draw for safety, Incredibly, Jose Mourinho has not lost a home match for 109 games. The last time he lost at home was when he was a first-year wetback at Porto and the record continued during his time at Chelsea and now at Inter. Utterly incredible. What odds on a record-ending 1-0 win for AC Milan then?

0′ This is the first (and possibly last) live blog from Serie A. I can’t say I’m a particular fan of Italian football and cannot remember the last time I watched an entire match from start to finish. What’s the point when you already know the score is going to finish 0-0?

Reaction

A fantastic advert for Italian football. Inter should have been home and dry after going 2-0 up but they allowed Milan back into the game through Pato. Some frenetic defending by the home side and Inzaghi’s habit of straying offside ensured Jose Mourinho beat Carlo Ancelotti for the first time. Breathtaking stuff from start to finish and hopefully more matches will be broadcast by the BBC, who did a decent enough job after some early sound synchronising issues. Serie A looks to be Inter’s to lose as the victory sees them edge nine points clear of second-placed Juventus and of course, Mourinho has now taken charge of 110 home matches without defeat.

Man of the Match

Some excellent performances from Inter, but I’m going to award it to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He’s not a player who huffs and puffs, but his contributions were sublime this evening. His flick on to Stankovic for the second goal was perfect and he was at the heart of all Inter’s attacks this evening. Honourable mention should also go to Milan striker Pato, who did not deserve to finish on the losing side. It was a shamce Paolo Maldini also finished a loser on his final derby game. However, he even got a standing ovation from the Inter fans as he left the field and that doesn’t happen very often.