Internazionale Milano - Valencia
First knockout round - 21 February 2007 20:45 (CET) - Stadio Giuseppe Meazza - Milan

Link to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F.C._Internazionale_Milano

Old rivals renew acquaintances

As FC Internazionale Milano and Valencia CF prepare to meet for the fourth time in six seasons, it is doubtful they have any secrets from each other. The Spanish side showed the better form in the group stage and emerged as winners of their section but Inter have had the upper hand in matches between the sides. Valencia also have one particularly unhappy memory of the Giuseppe Meazza stadium as they lost the 2001 final there on penalties to FC Bayern München.

• Last Thursday, UEFA announced the match would take place in Milan following consultations between the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and the Italian Ministry of Home Affairs in the wake of recent spectator incidents in Italy. The permitted capacity will be 36,000. The FIGC told UEFA that the stadium was already in conformity with some of the measures provided for by Italian law, and that additional work had been undertaken to fully comply with new measures that have come into force.

• Inter eliminated Valencia in the quarter-finals of both the 2001/02 UEFA Cup and 2002/03 UEFA Champions League. Two seasons after the second of those meetings, Inter recorded a remarkable 5-1 group-stage win at Mestalla and now face the same opponents as they pursue a place in the last eight for the fourth time in five seasons.

• The sides first met in UEFA club competition in the last eight of the UEFA Cup five seasons ago, with Inter held 1-1 at home before triumphing 1-0 in Spain thanks to Nicola Ventola's early strike.

• Inter and Valencia were reunited in the last eight of the UEFA Champions League the following season, when Christian Vieri's 32nd-minute effort proved enough for Inter - whose coach Héctor Cúper had recently joined from Valencia - to win the home leg. The same player scored again five minutes into the return and that proved crucial as the Italian side advanced on away goals despite goals from Pablo Aimar and Rubén Baraja for Valencia.

• In the 2004/05 group stage it was even worse for Valencia as they conceded five goals at home to Roberto Mancini's men for whom Dejan Stanković, Adriano and Julio Cruz were all on the scoresheet. They regained some respect with a scoreless draw in Italy but Inter went on to win the group with Valencia finishing third.

• Inter's first home game this season ended in a 2-0 defeat by FC Bayern München but FC Spartak Moskva (2-1) and Sporting Clube de Portugal (1-0) were then defeated, helping the Italian outfit take second place in Group B. Inter managed only five goals in their six games, three of them scored by Cruz in only 174 minutes of action.

• The Nerazzurri were successful at this stage 12 months ago, recovering from AFC Ajax's storming start to draw 2-2 in the away game as Stanković and Cruz scored second-half goals. Stanković then sealed a 1-0 win in the return.

• Inter were European Champion Clubs' Cup winners in 1963/64 and again the following year and that first triumph, a 3-1 victory in Vienna, came at the expense of Spanish opposition in the shape of Real Madrid CF. At home Inter have lost just once to Spanish visitors, 2-0 to Deportivo Alavés in the fourth round of the 2000/01 UEFA Cup. Of the other 14 games they have won eight with six draws.

• Valencia won four of their six group fixtures to finish top of Group D with 13 points and with five goals, Fernando Morientes is the joint leading scorer in the competition. In three of their four previous UEFA Champions League campaigns the Spanish side reached at least the quarter-finals.

• Valencia's final game in this year's group stage took them to Italy and an encounter with AS Roma. A 1-0 defeat meant the Mestalla club have won just once in nine matches on Italian soil – against Roma in the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League second group stage – with six defeats. The second leg is on 6 March.

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/fi ... index.html

I think Inter was maybe the last team I wanted Valencia to face. They have very potent scoring threats up front, Adriano, Ibrahimovic, Cruz, and Crespo, but they all can't play at once. I think if Inter has an Achilles heal, it probably is in midfield. Vieira was only so-so last year for Juve, and I'm not sure what his form is like now, but I think he's on the decline. But, since this will be a big game, he may step up. Figo is old too, but he can still conjure up some magic. I think Cambiasso is a good midfielder as well, maybe the best they have, but I'm uncertain of what Gonzalez brings to the table. Dacourt is okay, not great, but again, like Vieira, I think he's on the decline. He has a penchant for bad fouls.

I think Inter's domination in Serie A is inflated this year due to a weakened Serie A. No Juve, Milan is on the decline because many of their core players are old, Roma is somewhat young and inconsistent, and generally speaking, a lot of the better talent has been avoiding Serie A for greener/more profitable pastures elsewhere such as England or Spain.

I think if Valencia is to have a chance, they will without question have to play the Marchena/Albelda two headed monster in midfield. Hopefully Inter plays the slower Samuel in central defence so that Villa can exploit his sloth with his speed. If that dirty bastard Materazzi plays, I hope he keeps his elbows to himself. I still remember that nasty elbow he levelled on Sorin in last year's CL. And he wasn't even called on the play!

Amunt Valencia!

It's time to revenge

I didn't forgot last clashes.

I had some intentions to go to San Siro, but all my plans are dropped in the water, because I haven't time and it's very difficult to find a tickets

Some lucky bastards (with love) of the forum are going
http://www.sentimentche.com/foro/viewtopic.php?t=12511

Who is going? Our Saryon for example?

How do you know it?

Is it safe to assume that Quique will play the same starting 11 against Inter, with the exception being that Canizares will play instead of Butelle? I wouldn't mind the same starting 11, as Marchena and Albelda will have their hands full.

Here's a nice write-up from Reuters, but found at soccernet:

Inter Milan v Valencia: Preview

MILAN, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Inter Milan and Valencia go into their Champions League last 16 tie buoyed by outstanding domestic league form in recent months although neither side will be taking anything for granted on Wednesday.

Inter have won their last 16 Serie A matches - a record winning sequence in Europe's big four leagues of England, Germany, Spain and Italy - but coach Roberto Mancini chose his words carefully as they prepared for the first leg.

'The Champions League is a strange competition. You can be having an extraordinary season and then, because of one off night, you risk ruining everything,' he was quoted as saying in La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Mancini's caution was justified. His team last suffered a defeat when they went down 2-0 to Bayern Munich in the group stage of the competition in September.

Inter's dominance of Serie A has allowed him to rest several key players in preparation for playing the Spanish side.

Defenders Marco Materazzi and Douglas Maicon stayed on the bench during Saturday's 1-0 home win over Cagliari, while Brazilian striker Adriano should be fresh to face Valencia after playing only the final 30 minutes.

The expected return of midfielder Patrick Vieira from a foot injury will push Dejan Stankovic forward into the playmaker's role behind Adriano and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Valencia eased into the last 16 of the Champions League as group winners ahead of AS Roma, and look to have hit form once again on the eve of the first knockout round.

Quique Sanchez Flores's side have won eight of their last 10 league games, culminating in an authoritative 2-1 win at home to Barcelona at the weekend.

Valencia were thrashed 5-1 by Inter when they met at the Mestalla in the group stage in 2004 and the Italians knocked them out of Europe in each of the two seasons before that.

But Sanchez Flores is confident his side will pose the Italians more problems than they have encountered on the domestic front.

'I've said before that Inter are a great team, but Valencia are not like the sort of teams they have been playing in their league,' he said after the win over Barcelona.

Valencia midfielder Carlos Marchena told reporters: 'We have to take a humble approach as we are facing one of the top teams in Europe and they are carrying everything before them in Italy.

'We both play a similar style of football and we will have to plan the game carefully. We know they have a great team and we will have to play a near perfect match to beat them.'

Goalkeeper Santiago Canizares will be available after missing the Barca match because of 'flu and is likely to play despite Ludovic Butelle's impressive performance as stand-in.

Probable teams:

Inter Milan: 12-Julio Cesar; 13-Douglas Maicon, 2-Ivan Cordoba, 23-Marco Materazzi, 4-Javier Zanetti; 14-Patrick Vieira, 15-Olivier Dacourt, 19-Esteban Cambiasso; 5-Dejan Stankovic; 10-Adriano, 8-Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Valencia: 1-Santiago Canizares; 2-Miguel, 4-Roberto Ayala, 20-Raul Albiol, 24-Emiliano Moretti; 10-Miguel Angel Angulo, 6-David Albelda, 5-Carlos Marchena, 21-David Silva; 7-David Villa, 9-Fernando Morientes

Referee: Martin Hansson (Sweden)

I checked to see if referee Hansson is ranked in the top 10 for referees at the IFFHS webiste, but he is not. He's a relatively new ref, 2001, and besides, Anders 'Frisky' Frisk was THE Swedish referee, until of course he retired due to that strange bit of business with Chelsea/Barça in the CL a few years back.

Not that this referee talk makes any difference really, but it's always nice to have a good referee who lets teams play the game. I hope Hansson keeps an eye out for some of Inter's dirtier players, such as Vieira and Materazzi, and doesn't weakly bow to Inter's home field advantage.

It would have been nice to have Vicente marauding up and down the left flank, but hopefully he'll be healthy for the return leg. In Silva I trust!

Just read that no Vieira for Inter, so that helps. Seems he aggravated an injury in training. I think this will give Albelda and Marchena the chance to own Central Midfield, at least here's hoping they do.

Love to see a Valencia win by at least a two goal margin, as these away goals are so crucial. If it's more than three, you won't hear me complain.

not bad:)

2 away goals to take home to Mestalla.

Amunt!

this is great result for Valencia! also two beautiful goals! hope we will celebrate again for two weeks!

Did you see Villa's goal? Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Villa's goal

Silva's goal



Wow! What a good result!! The tie will be decided in Mestalla, but this draw does Valencia feels near next round

Really beutiful!!

what do you think about first goal scored by Cambiasso? i think he was in offside! what's your opinion?

It's not an opinion, it's a fact. He was off side.

I'm really happy that Valencia managed to get two away goals. Now all that is needed is a victory, or either a 0-0 or 1-1 draw to advance.

Villa's goal was beautiful. The fact that the wall was set-up well and that Julio Cesar didn't have a chance made it extra special. A wonderful goal. Silva's volley was also really nice, perfectly timed and wonderfully placed.

A few reflections on the game:

- Canizares looked a bit like Valdez in the first half, mainly when he tried to kick the ball up field only to boot it up against Ibrahimovic. He almost scored on the play, but luckily Albiol was there to kick the ball away. It reminded me of Villa/Valdez from last year. To be honest, Valencia was lucky not be down 3-0 in the first half, but as it is in football, bad bounces happen all the time, though fortunately for Valencia, they were good bounces. The whole team did not play really well in the first half. Maybe they were too concerned with their lack of luck/jinx in Italy?

- Again, Quique's substitutions weren't ideal, but player substitutions never are an exact science anyway. I thought that after the first half Angulo should have been dropped for Joaquin as he was particularly flat. Angulo let Ibrahimovic get into deep areas in Valencia's half; he wasn't properly contained. The Morientes for Viana substitution was a wash, so I won't complain.

-Materazzi is still a piece of garbage. Did everyone catch when Villa was down in the box and Materazzi was yelling/saying something to him?


Next match should be interesting, to say the least. No Albelda doesn't really help matters, but again, I think Marchena probably played the better match. I hope Vicente is healthy for the 2nd leg, as his presence on the left flank will help set-up Villa for some better touches.

I agree with Drakul, Cambiasso was offside.


I don't want my above post to sound too negative, as I think Valencia played much better in the second half. It's just that they were a bit shaky in the first half. Ah, I know why they were flat in the first half! Maybe Valencia didn't recognize themselves because they were playing in Real Madrid colours...


edited twice.