Internazionale vs Liverpool, 2007/08 UEFA Champions League, Round of 16

· 2nd Leg - Liverpool win 3-0 on aggregate

Internazionale

50': Nicolás Burdisso

FT
0 - 1
2nd Leg - Liverpool win 3-0 on aggregate

Liverpool

63': Fernando Torres

About

Internazionale are hosting Liverpool at Giuseppe Meazza, , , starting on . The match is a part of the UEFA Champions League.

Match Commentary

0': The teams are in. Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Hyypia, Aurelio, Babel, Mascherano, Gerrard, Lucas, Kuyt, Torres. Subs: Itandje, Riise, Voronin, Benayoun, Crouch, Pennant, Arbeloa.
0': Inter Milan: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Burdisso, Rivas, Chivu, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Stankovic, Vieira, Ibrahimovic, Cruz. Subs: Toldo, Figo, Jimenez, Crespo, Maniche, Suazo, Pele.
0': Well it is all or nothing for Inter Milan tonight. They need to score at least two goals to force extra-time or penalties; but if Liverpool score then Inter need to score four goals.
0': The teams are on the pitch an the UCL anthem is blaring. Inter wear blue and black stripes and Liverpool are all in red.
1': Inter get the game underway - kicking from left to right. Liverpool boss Benitez says his side will attack... let's see.
2': Carragher, playing at rightback instead of centreback, makes the first real tackle of the game on Cruz.
3': Gerrard sweeps in a freekick but Rivas Lopez heads clear; Liverpool win an early corner...
3': ...Gerrard delivers but it is cleared of the head of Dirk Kuyt. the first goal in this game will be so crucial. If Inter get it Liverpool will be nervous. If Liverpool score it is all over.
4': Zanetti probes the midfield. Vieira crosses from the right, Ibrahimovic collects and his pass is cut out at the near post by Lucas.
5': Aurelio slips and loses the ball for Liverpool. Neither team can get possession and the ball is hoofed from defence to defence.
6': Gerrard plays a good ball out to Kuyt on the right; again the move breaks down. Scrappy stuff so far and Liverpool will be happy for it to stay like that.
7': Inter win a corner. Cruz shoots from the edge of the box and Reina palms the shot past the post.
8': Liverpool deal with the resulting corner much better. It was poor delivery from Chivu.
9': Zanetti battles through midfield. Carragher fouls Stankovic and Inter can put the ball in the box. Liverpool clear the danger.
10': Zanetti drives through midfield and Kuyt brings down the Inter skipper. A freekick within shooting range.....
11': Ibrahimovic strikes a shot straight into the wall. The ref says the wall encroached and Babel gets booked. The freekick will be taken again...
12': ...Ibrahimovic gets it over the wall this time but also over the goal. Ibrahimovic needs a good game tonight if Inter are to get the result they need.
14': The referee won't let the game flow, he is very whistle-happy.
15': Ibrahimovic flicks it over the head of Aurelio and then back-heels it to Cruz, but the clever pass doesn't reach his strike partner.
16': So much for Liverpool attacking - it has been all Inter so far.
17': Gerrard drives down the right flank and finds Torres in the box. Rivas tackles the Spanish striker as he prepares to shoot.
18': Cruz wins a flick-on and Ibrahimovic brings the ball under control. Cruz spnis Skrtel, who fouls the striker and Inter have yet another freekick...
19': Stankovic shoots from 30-yards, but the ref blows for a foul in the box against Inter.
20': Aurelio out paces Ibrahimovic in a chase down the left. Carragher is caught by Cruz as he clears the ball and Liverpool can get a breather.
21': Zanetti drives forward again and he looks like the dangerman tonight; but despite Inter's huffing and puffing Liverpool have looked comfortable at the back.
22': Kuyt breaks on the right and Liverpool have four on four in the box. Kuyt's cross is dire and Maicon heads clear at the back post.
23': Liverpool loft the ball over Inter's defence and Babel is racing onto the loose ball. Julio Ceasr, the goalkeeper, races out of his area to clear the danger.
24': Gerrard's cross hits Cambiasso and the Argentine is poleaxed. Carragher kicks the ball out of play so he can receive treatment.
25': Inter give the ball back to Liverpool. Cambiasso is fine.
27': Gerrard takes a corner but Inter clear and break. Some excellent one touch football is incisive but Cruz's final ball to Vieira is hurried, under pressure from Aurelio, and Liverpool escape.
28': Torres drives into the box, Rivas slips but the Reds striker takes too mnay touches, is forced wide and Julio Cesar makes an easy save at his near post.
30': Ibrahimovic's reverse pass puts Cruz clean through. He shoots for the far post but his effort goes just wide. If the striker had looked up he had a team-mate screaming for a pass and he would have had an easy tap in.
31': Chivu slips and Torres has space on the right. his cross is too deep; but Babel collects the ball and Kuyt scuffs his return cross well wide from a snatched shot.
32': Cruz has space to shoot on the edge of the box, but he shifts the ball to his other foot and using up too much time and Liverpool block his shot.
33': Maicon chips the ball across his own area and Kuyt latches onto it. The striker shoots from a wide angle but hits the first defender. Kuyt should have done much better there.
34': Ibrahimovic holds off two Liverpool players as his team-mates rush to join the attack. But the Swede's excellent play is all for nothing as Stankovic loses possession.
35': Babel, who has already been booked, deliberately handles the ball. The ref gives a freekick but no card for the Liverpool forward.
37': Liverpool pass it around trying to draw out the Inter defence. The Italian side won't budge so Torres drives into the box and is tackled by Rivas.
38': Maicon beats Babel and delivers a curling cross inot the box for Cruz. Hyypia reads the danger and hooks the ball clear - good defending.
39': Zanetti dances through midfield and chips the ball forward for Ibrahimovic. Reina sees the danger and comes off his line to pluck the ball out of the air as Ibrahimovic waits.
41': It's all got a bit scrappy again.
42': Maicon beats Aurelio and drives in a low cross. Cruz flicks the ball at goal from the near post and Reina makes a great reflex save; but it wasn't a powerful effort on goal.
43': Skrtel fouls Cruz on the left flank. Stankovic fires in a low and hard freekick that the Liverpool defence could deal with with their eyes shut.
44': Reina smashes the ball up the pitch and Torres takes a blow in the face as Maicon heads clear.
45': The ref blows for half-time.
45': Well Liverpool will be happy to be 0-0 at half-time, given all the possession Inter have had. Kuyt has been wasteful for the Reds in attack - no surprise there - and they could have had a few better chances themselves.
45': Reina has made a couple of good saves and Cruz shot wide but other than that Liverpool have been comfortable.
46': Liverpool get the second-half underway.
47': Rivas gives the ball away to Gerrard, who takes a heavy touch and as he attempts to win the ball back he fouls Burdisso and gets booked.
48': Cruz combines with Cambiasso, but the return ball is cut out by Skrtel and it needed to be; Cruz would have been in then.
49': Burdisso challenges Lucas for a high ball, both have their feet high but the ref books Burdisso. He has already been booked so he is off.... that was very harsh.
50': Inter had ten men in the first leg and now they are down to ten men again. The difference this time is that they need to score at least two goals.
52': Zanetti has been moved back to leftback for the moment. Liverpool will be delighted to see that as he has been the best player on the pitch.
53': Liverpool just happy to keep possession now. With Inter down to ten men they have more time on the ball.
54': Stankovic crosses but Hyypia heads clear. chivu collects the loose ball and is body-checked by Aurelio. Freekick to Inter and yellow card to Aurelio.
55': Ibrahimovic blast the freekick so far over that it nearly clears the stadium.
56': Ibrahimovic pounces on a mistake and drives into the box he shoots from a tight angle and his effort goes past the post. Once again there was a man unmarked in the centre who would have had a easy tap in.
57': Rivas pings the ball 50-yards, Cruz controls it excellently but then can't get his foot on the ball.
58': Rivas hauls down Babel and gets booked. The yellow card count is mounting.
59': Gerrard stands over the freekick. His dipping effort is heading for the top corner but Julio Cesar palms the ball over the bar.
60': From the corner Lucas has great chance to head at goal but doesn't get a good enough connection on the ball.
61': Liverpool make a change. Babel, who has been booked, is replaced by Benayoun.
63': Maicon loses the ball on the left. Aurelio drives forward and lofts the ball to Torres. The striker spins on the edge of the box a smashes the ball past Julio Cesar. GOAL!!!!
64': That is the difference between Torres and Ibrahimovic; the latter has wasted numerous chances but Torres has taken his.
65': Inter now need four goals and that is not going to happen.
67': It looks like there will now be four English teams in the quarter-finals for the first time. And only one Italian team.
68': Torres is looking for another goal. He can't beat his man but sets up Gerrard on the edge of the box, who scuffs his shot.
69': Ibrahimovic flicks the ball to Vieira, who falls over as Lucas breathes on him and wins a freekick right on the D.
70': Cruz takes it but it is no better than any of his other efforts, or those of his team-mates.
71': If this is the best team in Italy then it doesn't say much about Serie A.
72': Benayoun flashes a shot/cross across the face of goal; Julio Cesar gets a touch and knocks the ball away from Torres at the far post.
73': Mascherano wins the ball from Stankovic, who gets the hump and fouls the Liverpool midfielder. Guess what? That's right another yellow card.
74': benayoun jumps for the ball with Maicon, who takes a blow to the face. Benayoun gets booked - that is eight yellow cards in the game so far.
75': Ibrahimovic races down the left but just runs the ball off the end of the pitch. Rubbish!
76': Ibrahimovic has many fans who constantly say how great he is, but this commentator is yet to see him have a good game. I only see him play on the big stage but surely that is where you must perform?
77': Inter make a change. Vieira goes off and Pele comes on. Unfortunately not THAT one, this one is a Portugal U21.
78': Maicon latches onto a loose ball on the right flank. He looks up, sees all his team-mates waiting and instead shoots from a speculative distance.
79': Ibrahimovic beats the offside trap, one on one with Reina, but he spoons the ball over the bar. More rubbish!
80': That is his Ibrahimovic's last contribution to the game. He is taken off and replaced by Suazo.
81': Liverpool also make a change. Kuyt is replaced by Riise.
82': I know a man who bet 100 euros that Inter would win this match 3-1. I would wager that even he has given up on the Italian side now.
83': Keep ball now for Liverpool, whose minds must already be thinking about who they might get in Friday's draw... which is live on Soccernet, of course.
84': Back to the match and Inter have made a change. Stankovic is replaced by Jiminez.
85': Chivu challenges Gerrard and gets booked for having his foot raised. Yet another yellow card. If it was a competition for bookings Inter might actually win it.
86': Pennant is waiting to come on for Liverpool but the Reds are keeping the ball so well the action has not stopped so he can't get on.
87': Inter win a freekick and Pennant gets on - replacing Mascherano.
88': Well, with two mintues to go Inter still have enough time to win this game if they can score four goals at 30 second intervals.
89': It just remains for the referee to put Inter out of their misery and Liverpool into the quarter-finals.
90': We are in added time but nothing is happening.
90': It's all over.... thank goodness!
90': Inter go out with a disappointing whimper and Liverpool head into Friday's draw for the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Statistics

LIV		INT
17	Fouls	18
4	Yellow Cards	3
0	Red Cards	1
2	Offsides	2
4	Corner Kicks	2
2	Saves	3
50.5	Possession	49.5
11	SHOTS	13
4	ON GOAL	2
0.4	On Target %	0.2
0	Penalty Goals	0
0	Penalty Kicks Taken	0
320	Accurate Passes	302
395	Passes	387
0.8	Pass Completion %	0.8
4	Accurate Crosses	5
21	Crosses	22
0.2	Cross %	0.2
97	Long Balls	50
69	Accurate Long Balls	24
0.7	Long Balls %	0.5
3	Blocked Shots	2
16	Effective Tackles	18
26	Tackles	23
0.6	Tackle %	0.8
0	Interceptions	0
28	Effective Clearances	13
50	Clearances	24

Game Information

Competition: UEFA Champions League

Venue: Giuseppe Meazza
Location: ,
Attendance: 80,000

Line-Ups

Internazionale

No.	Name
12	Julio César De León (GK)
16	Nicolás Burdisso
26	Cristian Chivu
13	Maicon
24	Nelson Rivas
14	Patrick Vieira
19	Esteban Cambiasso
4	Javier Zanetti
5	Dejan Stankovic
8	Zlatan Ibrahimovic
9	Julio Cruz

Internazionale Substitutes:

Luis Jimenez, Pelé, Luis Figo, David Suazo, Francesco Toldo, Maniche, Hernán Crespo.

Liverpool

No.	Name
25	Pepe Reina (GK)
37	Martin Skrtel
12	Fabio Aurelio
23	Jamie Carragher
4	Sami Hyypiä
8	Steven Gerrard
20	Javier Mascherano
21	Lucas Leiva
19	Ryan Babel
9	Fernando Torres
18	Dirk Kuyt

Liverpool Substitutes:

Yossi Benayoun, Charles Itandje, Andriy Voronin, Álvaro Arbeloa, John Arne Riise, Jermaine Pennant, Peter Crouch.

UEFA Champions League News

Van Dijk's warm welcome for Alexander Isak

Virgil van Dijk was on hand to welcome Alexander Isak to Liverpool's training ground.

Barcelona's Camp Nou return delayed again: When will they be back?

Barcelona closed Europe's largest stadium for renovations in May 2023. They were meant to return in 18 months, but they still don't know when they'll be back.

Maresca cautious on the fitness of Cole Palmer

Chelsea boss Enzo Mareca says they are "trying" to get Cole Palmer fit for their match vs. West Ham this Saturday.

Slot: Don't expect Isak to play 90 minutes every week

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has called for patience when it comes to Alexander Isak due to the striker's lack of preseason with Newcastle.

Metropolitano to host '27 Champions League final, Warsaw gets women's event

The 2027 men's Champions League final will be staged at Atlético Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium and the women's event will be held at Warsaw's National Stadium.