Serie A and Premier League Fight for Pride in Champions League Tie

Two of the Serie A’s biggest clubs will go head-to-head against two of the Premier League’s big guns in what will undoubtedly be the highlight of the UEFA Champions League draw for the first knockout round beginning mid-February next year.

Inter —Chelsea

Both Internazionale and Chelsea currently hold the top spot in their respective leagues, with both teams favoured to win the Serie A and Premier League, respectively.

Despite dominating Serie A once again, Inter struggled in the Champions League group stages, winning only two games and drawing three.

In a tight group, Inter managed to hold off surprise Russian outfit Rubin Kazan to finish second in the group behind defending Champions League winners FC Barcelona.

Although Jose Mourinho’s men secured qualification to the knockout stages, they are yet to hit top gear as a unit and will need to have all their class players firing if they are to have a chance of upsetting Chelsea.

Unlike their Italian rivals, The Blues secured their qualification fairly comfortably, winning four games and drawing two to finish top of their group.

Key figures Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Frank Lampard, John Terry, and Michael Essien all contributed significantly to Chelsea’s success and will be difficult for Inter to contain over two legs.

Midfielders Esteban Cambiasso, Wesley Sneijder, Thiago Motta, and Dejan Stankovic will all have to play critical roles in destabilizing a Chelsea unit who will look to secure qualification at the San Siro.

No doubt Inter will need forwards Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito to be on target if the Serie A leaders are to post a good enough advantage in the first leg.

Chelsea will most likely adopt a counter attacking approach at the San Siro, and will back the goal-scoring prowess of Anelka and Drogba to score the away goal, which will severely turn the tie in their favour.

If the Blues are successful in Italy, Carlos Ancelotti’s men have the class and experience necessary to complete the job comfortably at Stamford Bridge.

AC Milan —Manchester United

This tie puts together two clubs who each lost their most dominant player to La Liga giants Real Madrid during a hectic transfer season.

Whilst Cristiano Ronaldo’s loss has done little to dent Manchester United’s cause for a third consecutive Champions League final appearance, Kaka’s departure from Milan saw the Italian giants struggle early on.

During the group stages, Milan looked hardly the unit which won the 2007 Champions League title so convincingly.

The Serie A club lost 1-0 to FC Zurich at the San Siro to really jeopardise their qualification to the knockout stages.

Milan’s lack of fortune however turned around against Real Madrid, beating the La Liga team 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It was a win where Milan’s key players Alexandre Pato, Ronaldinho, Andre Pirlo, and Clarence Seedorf managed to rediscover their touch with the football and help guide the Serie A squad out of a difficult situation.

Things won’t get any easier against a United outfit which has become accustomed to appearing in the latter stages of the Champions League.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s men were comfortable winners in their group, winning four games and losing only one en route to a knockout birth.

The clash against Milan however will be United’s first real challenge in a Champions league which has presented few obstacles for the Premier League team.

Milan have the players necessary to really cause Ferguson’s men problems, and should be keen to attack at all costs in the first leg at the San Siro.

United’s defence has shown a few cracks in the past couple of Premier League games and Milan will do well to exploit its inadequacies come February next year.

The Rossoneri however will also have to improve in defence, considering United possess a frontline with world class forward Wayne Rooney and inform striker Michael Owen.

In what should be an engrossing tie, Milan just have the edge in both class and experience to eliminate a United outfit which will really feel Ronaldo’s departure against the seven-time Champions League winners.