So remember that great “Serie A vs. EPL” section on La Gazzetta which I promised I’d partially translate?
Here’s the first batch of pink-goodness: a look at ALL THE PLAYERS from tonight’s Inter Milan vs. Manchester United UEFA Champions League match.
Boy I can’t wait for game-time. Meanwhile, feast your eyes on this. (oh, and credit goes where credit is due of course: the original)
Temperatura prevista per le 22:30, -11.
Translated: “Temperature forecast for 10:30pm: -11″. Those were the words exhibited by an Inter fan prior to this game, a clever (and prophetic) way to present the 270th Derby della Madonnina, the 56th (and last one) of Paolo Maldini’s career. And surely the Milan captain would have preferred a different outcome than tonight, a 2-1 victory which puts the Nerazurri 9 points above Juventus and 11 points ahead of their cousin rivals.
Too early to say “Scudetto race over”? Maybe, but not many points separate us from that conclusion. In the meantime, Serie A spectators Sunday enjoyed another vibrant, spectacular match, full of intensity and a perfect testimonial for Italian soccer worlwide. With the usual share (can’t do without it) of controversy, from ‘hand arm of God’ goals to non-given penalties.
In two days where (once again) the spotlight was focalized on bad officiating, Serie A’s evening match Inter vs. Samdporia was the final cherry on a week-end gone wrong for Italian referees. Those who thought that Roberto Rosetti’s “Best Referee” award (bestowed by the IFFHS last month) was an indication for optimism, now have to come back to the sad reality of things: there is still plenty of improvement required. Sunday’s 8:30 game between Nerazzurri and Blucerchiati only served as further evidence of that fact, as exemplified by Adriano’s showcase of boxing skills on Gastaldello, and a suspicious Cordoba challenge on Pazzini, right inside the Inter penalty box.
As for the match itself, it was a very tight & battled affair. Inter prevailed, and it was a very welcome victory for Jose Mourinho (who even earned the first Serie A red card of his career) & friends, especially given the unrelenting pressure of Juventus in the standings and the team’s shaky pyschological state following last week’s 3-1 loss to Atalanta. As for Sampdoria, Mazzarri’s boys fought hard and can find themselves unlucky for a variety of episodes, among which the aforementioned non-penalty call and a beautiful shot by Dessena in the dying minutes (well saved by Julio Cesar). The status quo is maintained at the top of Serie A, with Inter conserving their +3 lead on rivals Juventus.
Inter vs. Roma has sort of become like a Coppa Italia tradition in recent years. Since June 2005, these two teams have been contending the final of a competition which, at the cost of being snubbed by the big teams, has always served as the launching platform of many interesting youngsters and given rise to a variety of spectacular matches.
While it delivered on the former (keep an eye on Davide Santon —age 18, left full-back— in the coming years), despite a few “ooh” and “aah” moments Wednesday’s encounter probably won’t be remembered in the annals of the beautiful game. As was to be expected however, it was a tightly-contested affair between two bitter rivals, fighting to their dying breath until the very last minute of play. And as often been the case with the Nerazzurri this season, not without its moments of controversy.
Tolstoy once wrote that “the two most powerful warriors are patience and time”. Inter needed a lot of the former in order to beat their UCL opponents Wednesday night… and 44 minutes of the latter. But boy did those 44 minutes seem long. If there is one sure thing this year’s Champions League will remember, it’s that surprise teams are on the rise: a list which already includes names such as CFR Cluj, FC Zenit, and BATE Borisov, can safely add the “boys of Temuri Ketsbaia”, aka Anorthosis with a big fat marker pen.
With that said, somebody is really paying attention at Inter Milan these days. Manager José Mourinho demanded “dedication to the cause“ for this match, and the Nerazzurri promptly obliged the request. After conquering the top spot of Serie A Sunday, today was the turn for European supremacy. Well, in group B at least. More good news? Adriano continues on the way to “recovery”. O Imperador is back, and today he provided the match-winning-goal.
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