Liverpool's Fernando Torres celebrates his tie clincher with his new best mate Steven Gerrard in Milan.Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool {Agg:0-3, Liverpool advances}
The task was always going to be difficult for Inter as they started the night down 2-0 on aggregate to visiting Liverpool. But with this week's celebration of the club's centennary and the raucous San Siro in full voice the tremendous atmosphere seemed to buoy the Nerazzuri as they launced wave after wave of attack at the Reds. Captain Javier "the Tractor" Zanetti worked like a demon in midfield but clear chances by Argentine striker Julio Cruz and the ever dangerous Swede Zlatan Ibrahimović were to no avail. The tie tide turned when Inter's Nicolás Burdisso was dismissed after his second yellow card for a foolish challenge at the halfway line leaving the Nerazzuri down a man just as they were in the first leg. In the 64th minute Liverpool put the final nail in the Italians coffin when Spanish starlet Fernando Torres, in a sick display of athletic brilliance, received the ball from Fabio Aurelio at the edge of the box, turned it, and fired it into the inside edge of the left post. In his press conference after the loss, Inter boss Roberto Mancini announced that this would be his final season at the helm of the Milanese. Mancini has been highly successful in Serie A, leading the Nerazzuri to Italian titles the last two seasons and has them positioned for their third this year, but has failed to replicate their domestic form on the European stage. With their win, Liverpool continue their European dominance under master tactician Rafa Benitez and become the 4th English club to make it through to the CL Final 8 -- the first time a single country has ever had that many representatives in the quarterfinals.
This Friday is the draw for the Round of 8 matchups. Stay tuned...
No comments:
Post a Comment