SOCCER CHAMPION'S LEAGUE: Manchester Utd 2 Inter Milan 0THE SOLE shock lay in the agreeable nature of a game that ushers Manchester United into the Champions League quarter-finals. While Alex Ferguson has a rare win over Jose Mourinho, this was an engaging affair.
Mourinho walked away full of regret from the ground where he had charged along the sideline to celebrate the Porto goal that eliminated United at this same point five years ago. He is too knowledgeable to be taken aback by the loss.
This match looked in the balance for a period, but Ferguson surely understood that he has the better squad even if he did exercise care in its deployment.
All the expectations had been of resilience and long deadlock. Instead there was a goal in the fourth minute from Nemanja Vidic after absurd defending from Inter.
In itself that was scarcely a decisive blow when a leveller from the visitors would have put them ahead on the away-goal rule. Such calculations had their impact on the play.
The managers were in agreement that this was a night for prudence. Each club had implanted veterans deep in midfield, with Paul Scholes chosen for United and Patrick Vieira for Inter. Steadiness is at least as marked a trait as adventure at Old Trafford nowadays.
Inter did not open as if they were capable of the security to make this game feel claustrophobic. United had breathing room and more when they opened the scoring. Ryan Giggs’s corner from the right was sent deep and a reeling Vieira was no impediment as Vidic leapt to place his header low into the net.
The incompetence proved misleading, and the visitors appeared encouraged long before half-time. Still, Vieira did not appear after the interval and the former Arsenal player will recall the occasion for his blunder and for the jeering of the crowd.
Despite their reputations the defences were far from iron-clad. United, unusually, were close to playing a 4-4-2 system at times as Wayne Rooney stayed close to Dimitar Berbatov and the visitors thereby had scope in midfield that they would not have anticipated. Mourinho, contradicting his reputation, had shown the speculative aspect of his character.
The teenager Mario Balotelli, commonly a substitute, started in an advanced position on the left, with the lumbering Adriano among the substitutes.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic had some prospect of banishing his reputation for floundering in the knock-out phase of this competition, but floundered. With 30 minutes gone, Maicon’s free-kick eluded the United defence before the Sweden attacker headed the ball down so steeply that it reared up on the bounce to clip the crossbar.
In midfield, Scholes and Michael Carrick were not showing their customary authority.
Inter were animated and an excellent drive by Dejan Stankovic from Ibrahimovic’s flick was tipped behind by Edwin van der Sar, even if the officials failed to spot the goalkeeper’s touch on the ball. The early opener had prised the contest open.
Ibrahimovic missed after superb service by Balotelli, but United had reason to believe that they could end Mourinho’s hopes of revival. Rooney set up John O’Shea but the full-back drove straight against the advancing goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
The first leg of the tie had shown United to be the more accomplished group and that superiority, coupled with home advantage, had suggested they would ultimately impose their will. They did so in the 49th minute. Giggs picked out Rooney on the left and the forward feinted as if to try to take on Maicon before putting the ball on his right foot and lifting in a cross that Cristiano Ronaldo headed home.
Inter’s hopes were all but extinct yet the tenor of the game was unaltered. The Serie A club still pushed forward and Adriano, on for Stankovic, at least illustrated that he can get into menacing positions even if he is no athlete. After 59 minutes a lapse by Scholes allowed the Brazilian to connect with an Esteban Cambiasso pass. The drive beat Van der Sar, but banged against a post.
This continued to be an open contest, even if common sense dictated that Inter’s efforts must be futile. Mourinho’s men were never disheartened and the opposition were lenient on occasion. Berbatov ought to have extended the lead after Cesar fumbled Rooney’s shot but the Bulgarian forced the ball against the goalkeeper.
There must be high hopes for a side that can enter the last eight by overcoming Inter while knowing they can show greater command.
Guardian Service
MAN UTD:Van der Sar; O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Carrick, Scholes (Anderson, 70); Ronaldo, Rooney (Park, 84), Giggs; Berbatov. Subs not used: Foster, Evans, Fletcher, Gibson, Tevez. Booked:Rooney.
INTERNAZIONALE:Cesar; Maicon, Cordoba, Samuel, Santon; Vieira (Muntari, half-time), Cambiasso, Zanetti; Stankovic, (Adriano, 58), Balotelli (Figo, 70); Ibrahimovic. Subs not used: Toldo, Maxwell, Cruz, Rivas. Booked:Samuel, Muntari.
Referee:W Stark (Germany).
(Man Utd win 2-0 on aggregate)
BARCELONA BLITZ
BARCELONA BOOKED their place in the quarter-finals with a 5-2 win on the night and a 6-3 aggregate scoreline against Lyon.
The hosts strolled into a 4-0 lead in the first half courtesy of a double from Thierry Henry and strikes from Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto’o.
Jean Makoun pulled one back just before half-time and Juninho struck three minutes after the restart.
Keita got the last for Barcelona in injury-time.
