Pro Eleven Headline News

Serie A Preview: Inter - Roma

Crunch Time

With the first legs of the Champions League ties last 16 behind us, it can finally be said that the crucial, and therefore most exciting, stage of the season is under way. In perhaps the biggest match of the round it was Jose Mourinho v Sir Alex Ferguson all over again as the Special One’s Inter hosted Manchester United at the San Siro. It was one of three Anglo-Italian face-offs in this round, and it wasn’t a successful week at all for the Italian sides, as the Nerazzurri were the only ones that avoided a defeat, but like Juventus and Roma they didn’t manage to score.

The first half between Inter and United can only be described as an onslaught from the Club World Champions that Inter miraculously managed to survive - the English side showing an embarrassing superiority both psychologically and in their football. Once again, the Italian champions disappointed with their scared, submissive approach to a big European match, but they did manage to improve in the second half, creating at least three good chances to score. Overall though, the Reds had the most and better chances, and would have deserved a victory.

Meanwhile, at the Emirates Stadium Arsenal welcomed Roma in what promised to be a highly enjoyable match between two sides known for their stylish football. In this match too, it was evident that the top sides in the Premier League are simply stronger than their Serie A counterparts at the moment. Even though they were coming off an inconsistent run in the league, the Gunners created by far the most chances, and won the first leg 1-0 thanks to a Robin Van Persie penalty late in the first half.

The good news is that both teams still have a decent chance to make it through, and that also goes for current Serie A runners-up Juventus, who lost 1-0 away to Chelsea. It is too early now to say whether the Premier League sides have won this much anticipated confrontation with Serie A clubs, but at the same time the English sides all remain firm favourites to make it through following the first-leg results.

For now it’s back to Serie A action for Inter and Roma, who meet on Sunday evening at San Siro. With a nine-point lead on top of the table, the Nerazzurri look to be cruising towards a third consecutive Scudetto on the pitch, but unlike past years, this fixture will not be a decisive match in the title race.

No Longer A Title Decider

Since the infamous Calciopoli scandals that left Juventus and to a lesser degree Milan picking up the pieces, Inter and Roma have been the sides fighting it out for the Scudetto. The Nerazzurri triumphed in both 2007 and 2008, the first time with five matches to spare (so in that case it wasn’t much of a fight) and the second time only on the final matchday, but this season Roma have been unable to stay close to the top of the table at any stage due to a horrible start.

At one point they even lost five consecutive matches in all competitions, which is the kind of nightmare run that almost automatically condemns a team to say goodbye to their season’s main objectives. There’s no doubt the Giallorossi initially aimed to challenge for the title, after coming within half an hour of winning it last season, but a combination of injuries and poor form saw them under-perform in the crucial first couple of months of the season. At the moment, Luciano Spalletti’s side are battling it out for a Champions League spot, which is currently only two points away.

That has left an improved Juventus and Milan to keep the Scudetto race alive, but as said before, the Nerazzurri look unstoppable when it comes to Serie A. However, surely a defeat to Roma would liven up things a bit, as it would allow Juventus to move within six points if they win, so this is certainly one of the most important fixtures for Inter in this last part of the Serie A season.

Recent matches between these two sides have been unpredictable. Inter have tended to perform better at the Stadio Olimpico than at home, winning 4-0 there this season and 4-1 last term. The two teams met at San Siro in January for the single-leg Coppa Italia quarter finals, where Inter gave a convincing performance and won 2-1 thanks to goals by Adriano and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. However, last season in Serie A Inter needed a last-minute wonder goal from captain Javier Zanetti to get a draw in this fixture and maintain a nine-point lead on top of the table. Also last summer’s Italian Supercup match, Mourinho’s first as Inter coach, finished in a 2-2 draw, although that was a match the Nerazzurri deserved to win, which they eventually did on penalties.

In the end, it was that league match which pretty much proved the difference between these two sides last season, as Inter only finished three points above Roma to claim their 16th Scudetto. Still, the fact that they at one point had an 11-point lead on top and only won the title in the last match will likely keep the players and fans on their toes right until the end, which will probably only help them to avoid complacency.

FORM GUIDE

Inter

24/02 (Champions League): Inter-Manchester United 0-0

21/02 (Serie A): Bologna-Inter 1-2

15/02 (Serie A): Inter-Milan 2-1

07/02 (Serie A): Lecce-Inter 0-3

01/02 (Serie A): Inter-Torino 1-1

Roma

24/02 (Champions League): Arsenal-Roma 1-0

21/02 (Serie A): Roma-Siena 1-0

15/02 (Serie A): Atalanta-Roma 3-0

08/02 (Serie A): Roma-Genoa 3-0

01/02 (Serie A): Reggina-Roma 2-2

TEAM NEWS

Inter

Inter only have defender Walter Samuel out injured.

Possible formation (4-3-1-2): Julio Cesar; Maicon, Cordoba, Chivu, Santon; Vieira, Cambiasso, Zanetti; Stankovic; Adriano, Ibrahimovic.

Roma

Christian Panucci could be back for this one after reportedly apologising to coach Luciano Spalletti following their recent fall-out. Meanwhile, Marco Cassetti, Alberto Aquilani and Juan, who will likely be replaced by Panucci in defence, are out injured.

Possible formation (4-2-3-1): Doni; Motta, Mexes, Panucci, Tonetto; Perrotta, De Rossi; Brighi, Pizarro, Totti; Vucinic.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter)

In the earlier match this season between these two sides at the Stadio Olimpico, where Inter triumphed 4-0, the Swede scored two well-taken goals early in the first and second halves, before Dejan Stankovic and Victor Obinna rounded off the scoring. That shows he is not quite the big game flop he is often made out to be, but it must be said he disappointed against Manchester United. While the whole team looked a shadow of the dominant side we see every week in Serie A, which obviously made it very difficult for him, he failed to come up with any dangerous individual moves. His big chance will of course come in the second leg against United, but Inter need to improve as a whole for him to be able to express himself.

Francesco Totti (Roma)

It’s been a quieter season than usual for the Roma captain, although a number of fitness problems have allowed him to make just 14 appearences in Serie A, during which he has found the net six times. For the first time in a long while, he is not the team’s top scorer, as he has scored two less than Mirko Vucinic. Perhaps this relative lack of goals has something to do with the fact he is no longer playing as a lone striker due to Vucinic’s good form, but he remains Roma’s deadliest player. He also has a good goalscoring record against Inter, so Julio Cesar will definitely have to watch out for him.

PREDICTION

Inter have their full squad available, apart from Samuel, while Roma have a couple of key injuries. Considering that Mourinho is unlikely to play anything less than his best team, a victory for the Nerazzurri seems the most logical prediction as they have a touch more quality than Roma, even though the Giallorossi play the better football. Goal


Tuncay ends Liverpool's title dream

Madrid? Yes. Middlesbrough? No. The frustrating contradiction that is Rafael Benitez's Liverpool was in evidence once again yesterday when three days after winning at the Bernabeu Stadium in the Champions League, Liverpool lost in meek fashion at the Riverside.

Middlesbrough had not won a Premier League game here since October, they had not won anywhere in the league in fact for 15 games and had not scored in any of their previous five league games - 526 minutes in total.

But when a Stewart Downing corner deflected off the left leg of Xavi Alonso in the 32nd minute yesterday, Boro were on their way out of the relegation zone and Liverpool were on their way out of the title race. When, half an hour later, Tuncay Sanli steered in a second, Liverpool's large travelling support began to make its way out of the ground.

They had chanted Benitez's name in the first half but will have debated the wisdom of that on the way home. They will also have wondered about Jamie Carragher's failure to shake hands with his manager when he was replaced on 72 minutes. Benitez said that was a tactical substitution but Carragher looked as peeved as the returning Steven Gerrard did when three excellent second-half chances he created were lost in poor finishing - or no finishing in the case of Dirk Kuyt's non-shot from six yards in the 68th minute.

Impressive Boro youngster Matthew Bates blocked one of the other two - from Alonso - while Nabil El-Zhar squandered the third, carelessly shooting over when teed up by Gerrard four minutes after half-time. And when taken together with the three good openings created in the first 16 minutes, Benitez was understandably infuriated by the wasted opportunities. Liverpool were not atrocious yesterday, but they were sloppy. Fernando Torres was missed.

But then Benitez has assembled this squad, it was his decision to drop Yossi Benayoun to the bench after his midweek winner against Real Madrid.

Benayoun replaced Carragher but Liverpool were two down then and were about to call on Pepe Reina to make a big save from Boro substitute Marlon King. King should really have made it 3-0.

Downing was the originator of that chance, breaking fast from the left into midfield and finding Tuncay and when Benitez admitted to being surprised by the hosts "in the second half" he must surely have been referring to the level of energy Downing and his colleagues sustained.

They too had played on Wednesday night, producing a morale-boosting win against West Ham in the FA Cup. Yesterday there were more than double the 15,000 who attended then and Gareth Southgate said afterwards that his players responded to the sight of a full stadium.

Southgate saluted fans who have "endured" Middlesbrough's depressing run but they may sense a renewal of belief that the manager has spoken of in the past few days. He deserves credit for his perseverance and for making a serious decision on record signing Afonso Alves, who has made way for two consecutive games.

Tuncay and Jeremie Aliadiere have begun those games and their willingness to bustle is an attribute in itself, one Alves lacks.

Behind them, goalkeeper Brad Jones has now kept three clean sheets in four in the league. It was ones who denied El- Zhar, Kuyt and Babel during that early spell when Gerrard was the hub of the game.

But it is Downing who sparks Boro and he gave Martin Skrtel an uncomfortable afternoon. It was Downing who took the corner that clipped Alonso. The cross flew over Gerrard's jump at the near post and perhaps wrong-footed by that, Alonso was off-balance when the ball struck his outstretched left leg. From there it sped the five yards over the line with Reina flummoxed.

Liverpool had their moments thereafter but Boro's appetite for the fight could be measured in Gary O'Neil's pursuit of a ball running out of play in the 63rd minute. O'Neil kept it in, then advanced.

Twenty yards out, wide on Boro's right, Aliadiere overlapped and O'Neil found him. This was now dangerous for the visitors if Aliadiere's cross was useful. It was, Tuncay scored, Liverpool drooped. Independent


Carling Cup: Harry Redknapp searches for historic fourth cup win against United

Forget talk of a Manchester United quintuple, it's the quadruple that interests Harry Redknapp. Having guided Bournemouth, West Ham and Portsmouth to domestic cup wins over United, Redknapp is eyeing another memorable upset at Wembley. Could it be a case of Harry the fourth? History suggests United will need to be on their mettle.

Bournemouth 2-0 Manchester United, FA Cup third round, 7 Jan 1984

Ron Atkinson's United were the holders and had lost just once away all season. Nobody gave Bournemouth a chance – nobody apart from Redknapp. "We were together the night before and he really had us believing we could win," recalls Ian Thompson, the striker who put the contest beyond United following Milton Graham's opener.

"By half-time we'd had the better of the game, and he just continued that theme. He said, 'Guys, you're going to win this – I'm so confident.' Once we were 2-0 up nobody thought we were going to lose.

So credit to Harry for making a bunch of Third Division journeymen totally believe in themselves. We played out of our skins and that's down to him. He got the best out of us by designing a system around our strengths and making us believe in it."

Manchester United 0-1 West Ham, FA Cup fourth round, 28 Jan 2001

Shaka Hislop attributes this victory to his former manager's team-building abilities. "Winning at Old Trafford is a fantastic achievement, a once-in-a-career happening," says Hislop. "We had to survive an almighty onslaught, but Harry had built a team that was a whole lot better than it should have been when you looked at it on paper.

He brought in players who were surplus to requirements elsewhere – me, for instance, and Paolo Di Canio – and got the best out of them. We managed to hold out, and then Paolo got that goal where [United goalkeeper] Fabien Barthez tried to freak him out. We were ecstatic." So was Redknapp.

"This is my greatest win as a manager," he said after Di Canio had shrugged off Barthez's audacious offside bluff.

Manchester United 0-1 Portsmouth, FA Cup sixth round, 8 Mar 2008

With United aiming for a repeat of the 1999 treble, Redknapp's side were once again cast as rank outsiders. "We'll play our usual system: two wide men who can't defend to save their lives and a front man who can't run about much," he quipped.

Kanu, the front man in question, attributed Pompey's win – capped when Sulley Muntari drove the decisive penalty past ersatz goalkeeper Rio Ferdinand following Tomasz Kuszczak's dismissal – to Redknapp's legendary motivational powers.

Kanu said: "Some coaches know what you can do and believe in you, but they don't tell you. He knows what you can do and he gives you freedom. If the gaffer believes in you and you are happy then you produce." Redknapp's view? "I haven't got a magic formula on how to beat them." Some might disagree. Telegraph


Real put pressure back on Barcelona

Real Madrid reduced the gap on bitter rivals Barcelona at the top of the Spanish League table to four points when substitute Guti and veteran skipper Raul scored in a 2-0 win at Espanyol.

Espanyol, who had defeated Barcelona last weekend, were in charge at the Olympic Stadium through Ivan de la Pena's promptings in midfield, but their inability to create clearcut chances was to prove crucial.

An impressive run from De la Pena from the midfield and a strike from Nene, which went close, were all that Espanyol had to show for their possession in the first half.

Real soaked up the pressure before Guti put them ahead from a free-kick conceded after a rare attack in the 67th minute.

He curled a left-footed shot from 30 yards into the top corner and five minutes later Raul slotted home to give Real the three points and extend their winning run to ten matches.

Real coach Juande Ramos singled out Guti for special praise.

"We knew that the game was not going to be easy but we were very motivated," said Ramos whose team had been stunned by a home midweek Champions League defeat to Liverpool.

"There was little difference between the teams in the first half but after the break Guti changed the match and after his goal Espanyol had to take risks which led to the second goal."

Espanyol coach Maurico Pochettino felt his side deserved more.

"We knew that the only way they would get a goal would be from something like a set-play. It was the only way they could break us down," said Pochettino.

"We tried to play football and we had chances to score but the game changed with the free-kick. In basically one and half chances they have scored two goals against us."

Earlier, a Frederic Kanoute brace helped Sevilla come from behind to beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 in a dress-rehearsal of the Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday.

Sevilla are third in the table, but 13 points behind leaders Barcelona.

Mali international striker Kanoute scored either side of half-time to see off the challenge of Bilbao who took the lead through Inaki Gabilondo.

Both sides started with weakened sides but while Sevilla were dominating it was Gabilondo who made the breakthrough after the visitors' defence made a hash of clearing a corner and the left-winger fired home from 12 yards.

Kanoute deservedly brought the sides level, bringing the ball down inside the area before beating the keeper in the 38th minute.

Just before the hour mark, he calmly finished in the corner as Sevilla continued to take the game to Bilbao whose coach Joaquin Caparros defended his decision to leave out players with on eye on the Spanish Cup.

"I had to rest them for Wednesday so that they would be fresh but still we had options in the game. We had possession but we committed two silly mistakes," he said.

Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez said: "Our intention was not to think about Wednesday, we are an ambitious team and we have set ourselves targets in the league which we have to achieve."

On Sunday, Barcelona face Atletico Madrid and midfielder Yaya Toure feels it's imperative they don't allow any more points to slip away.

"We cannot allow Real to make any ground on us. Our last three games have been difficult for us in the way that the opposition have played," he said.

Elsewhere, Villarreal will be looking to consolidate their Champions League place when they face Real Betis, while misfiring Valencia aim to pick up ground with a win against Valladolid.

At the other end of the table Numancia are in deep trouble and have asked for a big crowd to get behind the players against Deportivo La Coruna.

Mallorca, who have put together back-to-back wins, know that a further victory against Sporting Gijon could take them clear of the relegation zone. AFP