Bleacher Report - Articles by Crossoficio

Internazionale in England: A Review of Past Performances

Crossoficio — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:28:47 -0400

Much has been spoken about how Manchester United are odds on favorite to outclass Inter at Old Trafford. However, Inter have been a bogey team of sorts for many English teams in the past, particularly when playing in England.

Inter have met English opposition three times in the past seven Champions League seasons and have been more successful on English soil than any other Italian team during this period.

Newcastle v. Internazionale

The first time Inter met English opposition in this decade was in the 2002-03 season, when they visited St. James' Park to meet Newcastle in the second group stage of Europe's premier club competition.

Inter utterly outplayed Newcastle, putting four past the Magpies in a fairly one-sided affair. Domenicio Morfeo scored in the first minute with Matias Almeyda adding another before the break. Crespo and Recoba completed the rout with Solano scoring a consolation for the home side.

In the return leg, the Nerazzurri drew 2-2, with Shearer getting a brace for the Toon, while Vieri and Cordoba scored for Inter.

Inter went on to lose the semifinals that season to city rivals AC Milan.

Arsenal v. Internazionale

The very next season, Inter travelled to Highbury to meet Arsenal in the group stages of the competition.

During this time, when Arsenal were dubbed "the Invincibles" and went on to win the Premiership undefeated, it was Inter again who shot down the Gunners in front of their home supporters. The scoreline stood at 0-3 in Inter's favor with Cruz, Van der Meyde and Martins getting onto the score-sheet.

Of course, Arsenal beat Inter comprehensively in the return leg at the San Siro with a 1-5 thrashing and knocked them out of the tournament.

Liverpool v. Internazionale

Last season, Inter again met English opposition in the knock-out phase, when they drew Liverpool. Inter however, were not as lucky as their last two visits. Two late goals saw Inter crash to a 2-0 defeat at Anfield, with Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard doing the damage.

To Inter's credit however, they played down to ten men for the better part of the game as Materazzi was sent off in the 30th minute following a second bookable offense, and the first goal was a rather fortuitous one, taking a wicked deflection off Maicon on the way in.

Inter succumbed again in the knock out stage with Liverpool securing a 1-0 victory at the San Siro.

In retrospect, Inter have usually played better in England than at the San Siro against English opposition and they were the only ones to defeat Arsenal during their dream 2003-04 season.

With a scoreless draw at the San Siro, their best result at home against English teams in the last decade, things look good for the team from Northern Italy since England has proven a happy hunting ground for them in the past.

Let us just hope the trend continues and Inter have a ball at Old Trafford. They remain Italy's best chance to have a representative in the final eight of this year's competition with Juventus already beaten and Roma struggling with severe injury crisis when they host the Gunners at the Olympico tomorrow.

Will Wolfgang Stark Come Back to Haunt Internazionale?

Crossoficio — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:10:29 -0400

UEFA appointed Wolfgang Stark as the match referee for the all important clash between Internazionale and Manchester United at the Old Trafford.

The German referee certainly doesn't bring pleasant memories for Inter, who have never won while Stark has been officiating the match.

In the past when Stark has been referee, Inter has drawn Ajax 2-2 in the 2005-06 season and crashed out of the competition in the next season, when they drew Valencia at the Mestalla, in an ugly game which erupted into a brawl in the later stages.

In the 2003-04 season, it was again Stark who was officiating, when Inter were beaten 1-5 at the San Siro by a rampaging Arsenal side. To date, this loss remains their heaviest home defeat in Europe.

Stark has always been a controversial referee with a passion for giving out cards. He was the infamous referee in the 2007 Under-20 World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and Chile, where he dished out seven yellow and two red cards against the Chilean team, who later chased him around the park for his erroneous decisions.

The German also gave out three red cards in the match between Celtic and Barcelona a few seasons ago and is not the best appointment considering the occasion and magnitude of the game between Manchester United and Inter.

It remains to be seen, however, as to which side will be playing with 12 players and if the Italians add his name on the toilet walls alongside Byron Moreno's in the near future.

Defensive Woes Mount as Inter Sink Genoa

Crossoficio — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:35:51 -0400

Inter responded well to their thrashing at the hands of Sampdoria, as they won comfortably against Genoa at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Goals in both halves from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mario Balotelli respectively gave Inter yet another controversy marred victory over a Genoa side, who were unbeaten at home up until this point.

However, the victory came at a heavy price for Inter, who lost two of their central defenders within the first half hour as both Materazzi and Burdisso were taken off due to injury.

First Half:

The game began in frantic pace, as Zlatan Ibrahimovic struck in the second minute for Inter, lobbing the ball beautifully over Genoa goalkeeper Rubinho.

At the other end of the pitch, Materazzi limped off with an injury barely 15 minutes into the game, making way for Columbian international Ivan Cordoba.

Julio Cesar showed why he is amongst the best keepers in the world when he denied Thiago Motta's powerful header from point blank range resulting from a Biava free-kick.

Half an hour into the game, Sulley Muntari replaced Burdisso, who picked up an injury following a challenge on Milito.

Inter took their single goal lead into the second half after Julio Cesar denied both Motta and Milito just before the half time whistle.

Second Half:

Genoa, who were yet to lose at the Ferraris stadium, started the second half full of determination and pressed forward. However, it was Inter who scored again, this time through Balotelli with Ibrahimovic being the play-maker.

Controversy erupted again, as so often with Inter this season, when Balotelli's goal stood despite appearing that the ball had not fully crossed the goal line, but the linesman thought otherwise.

Genoa tried to fight back with Olivera and Padallino doing some good work after coming on as substitutes, but Genoa failed to find the back of the net handing Inter a confidence boosting victory ahead of their trip to Manchester United.

In view of the upcoming fixture with Manchester United, the defensive worries are mounting up for Inter, with Materazzi and Burdisso joining the treatment table along with Samuel and Chivu.

The good news for Inter however, is that Walter Samuel and Christian Chivu are both expected to be fit to make the trip to Old Trafford. Given the way Inter were outplayed in the first leg of their tie against Manchester, it is imperative that both of them recover on time and are fit enough to play on Wednesday.

The Best Football Stadiums in Europe

Crossoficio — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:18:05 -0500

Soccer is a religion for most people in Europe and the stadium where games are held are nothing short of Mecca. Lets take a look at the best stadiums in Europe in my opinion. If I ever got a chance to go to Europe, I will definitely visit these football pilgrimages. Find out if your favorite soccer stadium made the list.

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Concerns For Inter Going to The Old Trafford

Crossoficio — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:48:53 -0500

These last few weeks have been less than convincing for Inter as a team. A horrendous show at the San Siro against the Red Devils, barely scraping through with a draw against Roma, and a thrashing at the hands of one Antonio Cassano from Sampdoria have all made the squad look mediocre at best.

So, going forward, Inter have to really pull up their socks unless they want to be beaten 'black and blue'. The key concerns for Inter as they head to Manchester United are:

1) Leaky Defense:

This is the main concern for Inter. In their last two games, the Milanese side have conceded six goals! This is concerning because against a speedy Manchester side, they'll have no chance if they're this porous.

Rivas is a disgrace for an Italian side, the kind that takes pride in defensive tenacity. However, Inter has few replacements. Burdisso gets cold feet in big games. Fielding Matrix is like playing with a man down, since he is bound to get himself sent off.

With Walter Samuel unavailable, the best options to go with would be Cordoba and Chivu, though they don't really inspire a lot of confidence. Santon and Maicon should complete the lineup with the two center backs.

The only good news is that Julio Ceasar has been in sublime form and a huge presence between the sticks.

2) Lack of Creativity:

The midfield of Inter is a powerhouse, but it's also another area that leaves much to be desired. There is no spark of creativity in there.

Cambiasso and Zanetti should provide cover to the defense. But I might field Luis Jimenez and/or Luis Figo in place of Muntari and/or Stankovic to provide that extra spark in the middle of the park. Figo in particular should be called on for the big game, given his immense Champions League experience.

3) Attacking Doldrums:

Inter are finding it difficult to score goals, and the game against Sampdoria provided ample proof of that.

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic looking to gain fitness, the "Special One" will undoubtedly start with the "Sublime Swede," but I believe that Balotelli and Adriano should get a start, with Ibrahimovic coming on as an early second half substitute so that he can torment the defenders.

Balotelli, with his youth, has shown no fear, and a goal at the Theatre of Dreams will do immense good for his confidence.

All that said, I believe that Manchester will be favorites going into this tie, given their confidence going into the game. But at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if Inter snagged a historic win at the Old Trafford to avenge their quarterfinal defeat at the hands of the Red Devils ten years ago.

Forza Ragazzi!