Filippo Inzaghi scored twice, including the match-winner in the 74th minute, helping AC Milan pick up a huge road win Tuesday in its return to Champions League play, 2-1 at Marseille.
AC Milan missed the Champions League last season, but Inzaghi returned to form with his 67th and 68th career goals in European competitions.
Inzaghi scored the opener at the rainy Stade Velodrome, and shocked the French side with his second goal midway through the second half - which Marseille had dominated.
Gabriel Heinze scored Marseille's goal in the 49th, but now the French club is in a big hole in Group C, which also features Real Madrid.
Milan got control of the first half in the 28th when Inzaghi, an Italian World Cup winner, managed to stay onside before latching onto a perfect cross to the right post from Clarence Seedorf. Inzaghi placed a right-footed shot from just a few yards out inside the right post for his 67th goal in European play.
Marseille nearly answered before half, but AC Milan goalie Marco Storari made his only save in the opening 45 minutes to deny Benoit Cheyrou. The Marseille midfielder found enough space at the top of the area to unleash a left-footed shot, but Storari dove to his right to knock the ball wide.
The French side took control less than five minutes after the break, though, when Heinze headed a free kick from Cheyrou through Storari's legs in the 49th minute.
Lucho Gonzalez, who nearly leveled seconds earlier, earned a free kick on the right side and Cheyrou delivered a perfect pass to Heinze. The Argentine raced away from AC Milan defender Massimo Oddo and used the pace of the pass to snap a header down and past Storari.
Heinze's goal ignited the sold out crowd in Marseille, and the energy was also apparent on the field as the home side continued to pressure Milan in the hard soaking rain.
Cheyrou had one of the better chances in the following 10 minutes but his shot from the right, that was dipping inside the far post, was saved by Storari.
Although Marseille dominated the first 30 minutes of the second half, AC Milan created a quick scoring chance in the 74th and Inzaghi buried his second goal. Off a short free kick on the left, Milan found Seedorf on the top left edge of the area, and he chipped a quick pass to the far post to a charging Inzaghi.
Inzaghi slid in just in front of a Marseille player and poked the ball toward the left post from 10 yards out, hitting the back of the net for the 68th goal of his career in European competitions.
AC Milan held on the for the win, and sits behind Real on goal differential.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Its The Pippo Factor!!
Posted by Rokku at 12:11 AM
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