Inter Milan vs Chelsea Preview

It is that time of the season again when Inter Milan enter the Champions League knockout stage surrounded by huge fan expectations, and the media repeating the question “will this be the year when Inter replicate their dominance in Italy on the European stage, or will they fail to deliver, yet again?” For the third season running Inter have been drawn against one of the favourites for the Champions League and another strong English team, this season in the form of Chelsea. It will be the first time Inter manager Jose Mourinho will face the team where he cemented his reputation as one of the world’s best managers since his controversial departure from the club in 2007. Inter are looking for their first victory in Europe’s premier competition since 1965, whereas Chelsea are looking to go one step further than their 2008 heartbreak in Moscow. Inter go into the game having drawn their last three Serie A games (scoring only once), and Chelsea visit the San Siro top of the Premier League, but with a questionable away record in all competitions this season. It will be a mouth watering tie. A tie for which so many football fans love the biggest club competition in the world. Here is my preview to most anticipated tie of this season’s Champions League first round knockout stage.

Managers
Both Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti were hired with bringing Champions League glory to their respected clubs as their top objective. Mourinho’s debut season as Inter manager still saw Inter get eliminated by Manchester United at this stage of the Champions League last season for the third consecutive season, but unlike against Valencia and Liverpool, Inter created chances and showed grit and determination. During the summer Mourinho created a better team than last season’s. Ibrahimovic, the player Inter were built around, left and in came a number of players that fitted into the team Mourinho wanted to create, which overall made a better Inter side. Mourinho is an experienced and successful coach, and has tasted Champions League glory before. He is technically and tactical skilled, disciplined, and a great man manager and motivator.

Ancelotti is a big game specialist. Just like Mourinho he is experienced and successful. In the Champions League, Ancelotti has the edge over Mourinho. He is one of very few managers who has won the Champions League on two occasions. Ancelotti is a no fuss manager who asks, but never demands anything from his chairman. He makes the best of the resources given to him, which is what he did at Milan (winning two Champions League titles in the process) and what he has done with Chelsea thus far. His team is pretty much exactly the same as Phil Scolari’s last season and he has had far more success than the Brazilian did. Zhirkov is the only noticeable addition, a player who Chelsea signed before Ancelotti arrived.

As a former Chelsea manager Mourinho knows Chelsea all to well. The team has hardly changed since his dramatic departure in 2007, and on his return from a recent scouting trip of Chelsea he claimed the players engage in the same training regimes and pre match warm ups as they did when he was manager. Ancelotti also knows Inter well. He managed their city rivals Milan for eight and a half years, playing and competing against them (and quite often getting the upper hand). Also, last season Ancelotti managed Milan when Mourinho led Inter to Scudetto success (beating Milan in both Milan derbies in the process), so they know each other reasonably well both professionally and psychologically.

Inter
First leg predicted starting line up:

---------------------Cesar---------------------

Maicon-----Lucio-----Samuel-----Zanetti

----Stankovic---Cambiasso---Muntari----

--------------------Sneijder--------------------

-----Pandev-----------------------Milito-----

Key player = Sneijder

For Inter fans, as highly anticipated as the tie itself is the formation Mourinho will start the game with. Since the lacklustre performance in the Nou Camp against Barcelona earlier in the season, Mourinho has flirted with different formations from the 4-3-1-2 formation he used to win the Scudetto last season, most notably a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-3-3, and the acquisition of Pandev during the January transfer window has aided these. Nevertheless, in the last three Serie A games Mourinho has returned to using his trusted 4-3-1-2 formation, and I feel he will again turn to it on Wednesday night, despite the immense struggles Inter had creating chances during the Champions League group stage and in pretty much all Serie A games this season under this formation.

As an Inter fan I have watched them closely all season and can say with accuracy that Inter have been most dangerous when three strikers have been on the pitch at the same time. I feel having Milito, Eto and Pandev in the attacking half of the pitch, along with the dangerous midfielder Sneijder just behind them will cause Chelsea, and especially their defence, a lot of problems. A 4-3-1-2 formation is far too narrow for my liking, and there is only one real channel of attack (through the centre), with Sneijder being the key man to make things happen. It is a very predictable formation for the opposition to control and counter easily as they only really have to worry about attacks coming through the centre, and not the wings as well. If Chelsea can control Sneijder then they will make Inter very ineffective. Furthermore, as all of Inter’s midfielders are in the centre it leaves teams the perfect opportunity to spread play down the wings and strike on the counter attack, something Chelsea are deadly at with the likes of Zhirkov, Joe Cole, Lampard, Malouda, Anelka and Drogba. I think playing a 4-3-1-2 formation will not cause Chelsea enough trouble and will allow Chelsea to exploit Inter, especially down the wings where Chelsea are so strong. I hope Mourinho surprises me with either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 formation.

Chelsea
First leg predicted starting line up:

--------------------Cech--------------------

Ivanovic---Carvalho---Terry---Zhirkov

---J Cole------Ballack------Lampard---

---Anelka------Drogba------Malouda---

Key player = Drogba

Unlike Inter, Chelsea’s formation is far more predictable Since he took over Chelsea in the summer Ancelotti has played a 4-3-3 formation, and thus far it has worked well.

One of the most important factors going into the first leg, besides the managers, is injuries. Chelsea will be missing two key players for the first leg in Essien and Ashley Cole (who will also miss the second leg). Essien is one of, if not the best all round centre midfielders in the world and plays a very important role in Chelsea’s midfield in both a defensive and support role. He will be deeply missed in the San Siro for Chelsea, who do not really have another player with the same attributes. Given his Champions League experience, I think Ballack is more likely than Mikel to attempt to fill in for Essien. Ballack is physical strong, technical and an intelligent midfielder who will look to control and marshal the midfield for Chelsea.

Ashley Cole is another important absence for Chelsea. He is the best left back in the world, so in that respect it will be difficult for Chelsea to replace him. The most likely player to replace him in the San Siro will be Zhirkov. He has looked fairly uncomfortable when playing for Chelsea so far this season. He has good attacking attributes as he is more of a wingback/winger than a full back, but he is defensively vulnerable. That makes for a good battle with Inter’s pacey power house right back Maicon down Chelsea’s left wing. Carvalho and Lampard missed Chelsea’s game at the weekend against Wolves, but are expected to be fit for the game against Inter.

Defence vs Defence
Inter have one of the best goal keepers in the world in Cesar, and Chelsea have a well respected goal keeper in Cech, who in recent weeks has appeared to rediscovered some of his best form and finally growing in confidence after fracturing his skull in late 2006.

At right back Inter have the pacey power house Maicon, whose glowing performances in recent seasons has established him as the best right back in the world. He is physically strong, defensively sound, has great acceleration, good crossing ability and can spark devastating counter attacks in an instant. Maicon’s presence is the reason why Ashley Cole’s absence is such a blow for Chelsea because Ashely Cole, despite being good going forward, is a very good defender for a full back and consequently he could have handled Maicon’s threat better than his likely replacement Zhirkov. Zhirkov’s presence, and strong imbalance of attacking and defensive attributes, could be one of Inter’s favouring factors which Maicon’s attributes could exploit, especially when Zhirkov leaves space when advancing forward. For this reason I would much rather Inter play 4-3-3 formation, and I feel Quaresma could be of great use in this tie. Vice versa, Maicon also has to be cautious when bursting forwards for the same reason, with both Zhirkov and Malouda almost certain to take full advantage of any free space.

Mourinho stated on Friday that Santon is unlikely to be fit to play in the first leg. Although this may have been media spin by Mourinho and Santon may actually be fit to start on Wednesday night, if he is not it will be a big blow for Inter for two reasons: 1. Despite a poor run in form and drop in confidence at the beginning of the season, his performances in recent weeks have been a return to the form which made his name last season, which is what Inter needed to cope with Anelka considering Santon did a great job marking Cristiano Ronaldo at this stage last season. 2. Zanetti is likely to replace him at left back, which is not a bad thing, but Inter will be loosing his bursts of pace and dribbling from centre midfield, which no other Inter centre midfielder offers. Nevertheless, Zanetti is vastly experienced and can be a very strong defender, so I have faith that he can do a good job at marking Anelka, and the occasional burst of pace forward from left back will help make up for Inter’s lack of width. Ivanovic is a centre back more than a full back. He does not offer the same attacking threat the absent Boswinga would so is unlikely to leave the same gaps Zhirkov is likely to do on the opposite flank.

Both centre back pairings will have a tough job. The biggest problem for Samuel and Lucio is that Inter have to deal with defending against the power house Drogba, as well as the on rushing Lampard from deep. Chelsea are devastating on the counter attack so Lucio needs to be careful not to leave his defensive team mates exposed when going on one of his characteristic runs from the back. The clinical Milito and dribbling ability and unpredictable movements of Pandev are likely to cause Terry and Carvalho problems, especially with Terry’s recent personal problems affecting his performances and Carvalho returning from injury.

Midfield vs Midfield
As mentioned previously, both team’s midfield will be affected by injury, with Chelsea loosing Essien and Santon’s injury likely to force Zanetti to left back. Lampard and Sneijder are the respected players which need to be control by the opposition. Lampard plays a pivotal role in Chelsea’s midfield, and his long shots and late runs into the penalty area will be a threat which ball winner and box to box midfielder Cambiasso needs to deal with. Sneijder is Inter’s key player and spear heads Inter’s midfield. He is their most creative player and most moves go threw him, especially in a 4-3-1-2 formation. If Chelsea can control him then Inter will be made very ineffective. Sneijder’s set piece taking ability is up there with the best in the world so Chelsea have to be on guard. Ballack and Stankovic are both big game and experienced players, who will be invaluable for their respected teams in this game. The tricky Joe Cole, if on form, will be a constant thorn in Inter’s side. Skill, pacey and good link up play, it is a must that Inter limit his effectiveness and time on the ball. Muntari can be a great asset as a combative midfielder in this game where dangerous opposing players need to be controlled. He needs to time his challenges well, not give away pointless fouls, and not collect unnecessary yellow cards (the last thing Inter needs is a sending off), something he has not done all season.

Forwards vs Forwards
Both teams have quality forwards. Drogba is Chelsea’s key player and spear heads their attack. He is physically strong, a good finish, has great movement and pace, and is very strong in the air. The Inter defence needs to mark him and read his movements carefully, and Cesar needs to wary of his free kicks. Wide forwards Malouda and Anelka are very dangerous, and are key to Chelsea’s counter attacks. Zanetti and Maicon need to be on guard to break up their counter attacks. Milito is one of the most clinical strikers in the world. Like Drogba he is strong, but is a better finisher. The Chelsea defence have to make sure not to give him too much space in the penalty area otherwise he will punish them in an instant if given the chance. Pandev has good dribbling and drifting ability. He has strong unpredictable movements which make it hard for defenders to play against him. He has built up a good partnership with Milito in his short time at the club as he compliments him better than Eto. Speaking of Eto, he has a wealth of Champions League experience and a proven record in Europe’s premier competition (he is the only player to have scored in two separate Champions League finals). He is bound to make an appearance at some point, whether it is from the beginning (if my predicted starting line up is wrong) or from the substitute bench, and his European pedigree will be invaluable for Inter.

I cannot wait for this intense affair.

Yours sincerely,

Luke Best.