Internazionale vs. Olympique Marseille Preview

Spectators and punters alike will be hoping for a far better spectacle than the first ninety minutes in France when Inter Milan clash with Marseille in the second leg of the Champions League last 16 at the San Siro on March 13.

And it is Inter, in particular, who will require an improved performance after they succumbed to a late Andre Ayew header in the Stade Velodrome which gifted Marseille a slender lead going into the reverse fixture.

Claudio Ranieri’s side, who had won just the solitary match from their last seven before the tie, demonstrated exactly why they had been struggling throughout the past few weeks after turning in another nondescript display, which did little to please the Nerazzurri supporters or ease the mounting pressure on the former Chelsea boss.

Ayew’s winner, however, did come as somewhat of a surprise as although they failed to penetrate, Inter did look reasonably comfortable for the majority of the game, with Marseille equally inept in the final third despite showing signs that they were athletically superior to their Italian counterparts.

The word ‘Italian’ has to be used rather lightly nevertheless, considering that there were no home grown players in the Inter line-up – a contributory factor perhaps towards their gradual slide down the Serie A and European pecking order since lifting those respective titles in 2008 and 2009.

Uruguayan forward Diego Forlan was, however, a shining light in an alarmingly flat Inter side which will have to rely upon his talents at the San Siro if they are to turn things around and qualify for the quarter-finals.

In many ways, the lack of spark in the Inter team explains why Forlan has only struck once in nine appearances this campaign as he was offered little support in the first leg and basically fed off scraps from the support of a second rate midfield.

He did nonetheless show signs of absolute quality when handed the opportunity and should be able to thrive at the San Siro if Ranieri decides to complement him with Diego Milito and thus be a little more positive in approach.

Inter have the luxury of a three week break before the second leg and have to be regarded seriously if they utilise that window of time to rediscover their ailing domestic form.

If they can get back to winning ways sooner rather than later, a second leg riposte can be expected from the hosts and the aforementioned Forlan can cause Marseille some real damage.

It is probably best to wait up until the last minute to place a bet on this tie which is based on a knife edge with all to play for.

At the moment, Inter look a potentially good bet at evens if they can find their old selves in time – and the noise and atmosphere of their home support at the Guiseppe Meazza will certainly help.

Ayew’s scrambling late goal may prove crucial, however Didier Deschamps may be hopeful rather than confident with just the one goal lead and Inter will definitely not let them off the hook.

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26/02/2012     © Frixo 2024