Champions League: Inter, Bayern shocked
Marseille, Basel spring up surprise results in knock-outs’ first-leg.
MARSEILLE:
Marseille coach Didier Deschamps was left to revel in an Italian-style victory after Andre Ayew’s injury-time header gave his side a last-gasp 1-0 Champions League win over Inter Milan.
The first-leg of the last-16 tie had been drifting towards a goal-less draw when Ayew put Marseille in the driving seat ahead of the second-leg. Deschamps spent six years in Italy with Juventus and he admitted it was refreshing to finish on the right end of a scoreline in which Italian teams traditionally specialise.
“When we scored, there was no chance for them to come back,” said Deschamps. “It’s true that it feels good when you’re on the right side of it. Often it’s the Italian sides that do that, but this time it was us.”
Marseille fell to Manchester United at the same stage of last season’s tournament, after a 0-0 draw at home, and Deschamps was pleased his side had avoided a similar trap this time.
“Compared to last season, we’ve progressed. It’s a source of pride for me and my players, because they believed right until the end.”
Having returned recently from Africa Cup of Nations duty with Ghana, Ayew sounded the rallying cry by forcing Inter goal-keeper Julio Cesar into a pair of saves before finally breaking the deadlock in the final minute of added time.
“He has that desire, that determination — it’s inside him and he’ll always have it,” said Deschamps of his match-winner.
Meanwhile, Inter coach Claudio Ranieri admitted that conceding a goal with the last action of the game was ‘a real blow to the head’.
“We played good football, we counter-attacked well and made more chances than Marseille.
“They lost, but they didn’t deserve to lose.”
Bayern chief fumes at Ribery criticism
Elsewhere, Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness watched his German giants crash to a shock defeat at FC Basel and then lashed out over the criticism of Franck Ribery.
The French international was taken off by coach Jupp Heynckes with 20 minutes left in the 1-0 defeat. Ribery refused to shake the hand of the coach as he trudged off.
“I don’t care about that,” Hoeness fumed at a reporter. “Why ask about a handshake when there’s football to talk about? He was upset about being substituted, so what?”
Heynckes took a calmer approach and said a 2-0 win back at Munich in the return-leg would rescue the situation.
“The alarm bells are ringing, but we have a second-leg and we can still correct this result,” said Heynckes.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 24th, 2012.
Marseille coach Didier Deschamps was left to revel in an Italian-style victory after Andre Ayew’s injury-time header gave his side a last-gasp 1-0 Champions League win over Inter Milan.
The first-leg of the last-16 tie had been drifting towards a goal-less draw when Ayew put Marseille in the driving seat ahead of the second-leg. Deschamps spent six years in Italy with Juventus and he admitted it was refreshing to finish on the right end of a scoreline in which Italian teams traditionally specialise.
“When we scored, there was no chance for them to come back,” said Deschamps. “It’s true that it feels good when you’re on the right side of it. Often it’s the Italian sides that do that, but this time it was us.”
Marseille fell to Manchester United at the same stage of last season’s tournament, after a 0-0 draw at home, and Deschamps was pleased his side had avoided a similar trap this time.
“Compared to last season, we’ve progressed. It’s a source of pride for me and my players, because they believed right until the end.”
Having returned recently from Africa Cup of Nations duty with Ghana, Ayew sounded the rallying cry by forcing Inter goal-keeper Julio Cesar into a pair of saves before finally breaking the deadlock in the final minute of added time.
“He has that desire, that determination — it’s inside him and he’ll always have it,” said Deschamps of his match-winner.
Meanwhile, Inter coach Claudio Ranieri admitted that conceding a goal with the last action of the game was ‘a real blow to the head’.
“We played good football, we counter-attacked well and made more chances than Marseille.
“They lost, but they didn’t deserve to lose.”
Bayern chief fumes at Ribery criticism
Elsewhere, Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness watched his German giants crash to a shock defeat at FC Basel and then lashed out over the criticism of Franck Ribery.
The French international was taken off by coach Jupp Heynckes with 20 minutes left in the 1-0 defeat. Ribery refused to shake the hand of the coach as he trudged off.
“I don’t care about that,” Hoeness fumed at a reporter. “Why ask about a handshake when there’s football to talk about? He was upset about being substituted, so what?”
Heynckes took a calmer approach and said a 2-0 win back at Munich in the return-leg would rescue the situation.
“The alarm bells are ringing, but we have a second-leg and we can still correct this result,” said Heynckes.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 24th, 2012.