Observations from Marseille's Win over Internazionale

The final whistle has blown, Internazionale have lost 1-0 to Marseille.

The UEFA Champions League tie was not the most enthralling one, but it remains important for a number of reasons.

On the field this evening, there were several players that Premier League clubs could well be courting this summer. We saw two very different ways of playing the game of football go head to head, ultimately ending in a slim 1-0 win for the French side.

Read on to view six telling observations from the game. Enjoy the slideshow!

Neither of These Teams Will Win It

It has to be said, neither of these two teams can win the UEFA Champions League this season.

The game we just witnessed possessed a staleness to it that made for some rather average viewing.

Internazionale look like a shadow of the team who won this competition just two seasons ago, despite keeping the vast majority of their then-successful personnel.

Marseille look better than last year and started well, but ultimately don't have the cutting edge to trouble the best of defences.

If there's anything Internazionale are, it's solid. Marseille struggled to break them down, and the Nerazzurri lacked attacking flair in the final third.

The Best and the Worst of Wesley Sneijder

Wesley Sneijder has had a bad season.

After the heavily-touted move to Manchester United failed to materialise during the summer, the Dutch midfield maestro has had a problem turning in consistent performances.

He has only managed to contribute a single goal and three assists in Serie A this term from the central attacking midfield position he has come to use so effectively.

We saw some of the best bits of Sneijder tonight—the three or four quality passes he fed through to his teammates spring to mind.

We also saw some surprisingly poor moments from him, with a poor first touch letting him down on a few occasions and some uncertain passing also cropping up.

Which Wesley Sneijder would Manchester United have ended up with had they purchased him this summer?

Best Player on the Pitch? Mathieu Valbuena

Mathieu Valbuena will surely secure a move to a 'big club' sooner rather than later.

He represents a dying breed of player—one who can take the ball down the line and beat his man.

He consistently plays well and has played all over the field for Marseille this season, providing 11 assists and four goals from just 17 appearances so far.

When he receives the ball, anything can happen. His form has picked over the last few seasons and he just keeps improving—something which has been recognised by the French national team manager Laurent Blanc.

It was Valbuena who supplied the corner for Marseille's late-winning goal and it was a brilliant curling delivery.

Marseille Need Another Class Forward to Reach the Next Level

Brandao has a good goal-scoring record so far this season, whether he's playing in Brazil or France.

Unfortunately for Marseille, they needed cutting edge from their front man tonight and that's just not what he's about.

He doesn't do any of his duties exceptionally. In the air, he was often bettered by Lucio and Walter Samuel.

On the ground, Brandao's close control let him down and he made the most of several challenges in order to win free kicks. 

Marseille's star striker Loic Remy wasn't available tonight and the French side suffered for it. If Marseille want to better themselves year on year, they need to find another striker suitable to partner Remy or replace him when he's injured.

Can Jordan Ayew be that man?

Esteban Cambiasso Is Still Brilliant

Even after all these years, Esteban Cambiasso continues to prove he has the quality and the work rate to be ranked among the best central midfielders in the world.

Not only does he tackle well, stopping attacks and mopping up the pieces, but he also has an eye for a pass and gets into good positions in the attacking third.

He did his very best this evening to haul his team out of a goal drought and if his finishing skills were just a little better, he may have bagged himself a brace.

One thing is for certain, the Argentinian destroyer seems to have access to an unlimited supply of energy.

Marseille Play Refreshing, Exciting Football

If there's anything one might have learned about Marseille tonight, it's that they don't mess about.

They get the ball, put it on the ground and move it forward. The penetrating nature of their two marauding full-backs is good to see and resulted in an exciting, direct style of play.

Mathieu Valbuena and Andre Ayew are both direct, attacking players that move their team up the pitch quickly and efficiently.

This was, of course, in stark contrast to the classical steady Italian approach that Claudio Ranieri's Internazionale undertook.