UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16 DRAW: There are some fascinating reunions which hold many complexities, reports Kevin McCarra
IF ALL went well for Manchester United fans in the Champions League, David Beckham would sit on the Milan bench in the second leg until the visitors’ elimination in the last-16 tie was certain. Then, with the opposition tamed, the Old Trafford crowd could celebrate their former player unreservedly. The occasion, however, may not be so mellow as all that and a reunion elsewhere must also hold complexities.
Inter, who will take on Chelsea, are bound to hold the attention, for good or ill, when Jose Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge, but there may be a gathering strength in the Italian representatives as a whole. Fiorentina, who should now present a grave challenge to Bayern Munich, won five of their six group matches and played their part in the ejection of Liverpool by beating them home and away.
There has been a small but significant improvement at Milan, whom Beckham will join next month in a second loan spell from LA Galaxy. Having arrived for his first stint in good time to be part of the elimination by Werder Bremen in the obscurity of the last 32 of Uefa Cup, he did help his side achieve automatic qualification for the Champions League as they finished third in Serie A.
While there has been no transformation, Milan do feel more encouraged nowadays. Despondency had initially appeared likely after Leonardo switched from technical director to coach and so replaced Carlo Ancelotti despite lacking the usual qualifications. Early results, such as a 4-0 trouncing in the Milan derby, were galling. On the Champions League front, they must have been anguished after conceding a goal to FC Zurich in the 10th minute and then failing to counter.
The following match in the tournament, however, resembled a revolution when Alexandre Pato scored twice as Real were beaten 3-2 in the Bernabeu. It was a triumph, with a forthright team selection, that seemed to epitomise the way in which Leonardo has imposed himself. Difficulties remain, with Milan restricted to a 1-1 draw away to Zurich, but there is more vigour.
Beckham, indeed, faces a challenge to make the starting line-up. Pato, Marco Borriello and Ronaldinho, whose fitness has improved somewhat, make up a three-man attack that also has Clarence Seedorf in close support. If the Englishman has his eye on an elder statesman’s post in front of the defence, he may have to pull off the unlikely feat of deposing Andrea Pirlo. While Beckham could expect to be preferred to Massimo Ambrosini in that same area of the midfield, the Italian is more convincing at stopping opponents.
It will be a further sign of Milan’s progress if their defence, too, is obstinate. That could be beyond their scope, however, if Alessandro Nesta is unable to plug as many gaps as he does in Serie A. On the other hand, United have work ahead to demonstrate that they can still overwhelm opponents as they did so readily when Cristiano Ronaldo was on the books. Alex Ferguson should expect to advance, but the tie might still be more redolent than he would wish of gruelling encounters with Milan in the past.
In principle, Mourinho’s Inter should be even more formidable when it comes to putting Premier League adversaries in jeopardy. It is certain that he will be welcomed with an unqualified ardour that he cannot always enjoy at San Siro. The manager has always seemed to have a low boredom threshold and when Sandro Mazzola aired the possibility of Mourinho being sacked, the Portuguese spoke of his critic as if he were a nobody whose fame as a great creative midfielder of the 1960s had long since expired.
The origins of the dispute lay in the doubts that surrounded Inter’s prospects of qualifying from their group. Mourinho’s side only went through with the relatively undistinguished total of nine points after beating Rubin Kazan in the last match.
Mourinho’s squad is extensive but it can look stale. The arrival of Wesley Sneijder has, however, addressed that to a degree.
Last season, they were goalless against Manchester United at this stage in the tournament and conceded two at Old Trafford. The rivalry with Ferguson was, in effect, suspended because of Mourinho’s inadequate means. It remains to be seen if his resources are significantly enhanced this time.
A tie with Chelsea does fascinate because of the emotional tangle it may embody for the Inter manager, but a seemingly plain encounter elsewhere has its dangers for a Premier League club. Porto, who take on Arsenal, were second in their group purely because of their two defeats to Chelsea, opponents who also looked markedly better than Arsene Wenger’s team in the recent Premier League encounter.
The remaining group games were all won by Porto, with Atletico Madrid overcome twice and the manager, Jesualdo Ferreira, has taken the domestic title in each of his three seasons there. They may simply be a sound team, yet that will test an Arsenal side.
Guardian Service
