Champions League: Inter, Roma Roll

By: Martha | November 27th, 2007

Yikes. That’s the first two Italian teams into the next round, then: Roma crushed Dynamo Kiev 4-1, while Inter struggled for an hour against Fenerbahce before coming out comfortably on top, 3-0.

In the first half in Milan, both teams were terribly sloppy, giving the ball away over and over and not really playing much football. Inter were particularly ragged, with Dejan Stankovic making his first appearance in a month, neither striker seeing much of the ball, and Roberto Mancini conducting a bizarre birthday experiment by playing Cristian Chivu as a centermid. Yes, you read that right. (Needless to say, it didn’t work.)

The second half, though, was better, thanks in no small part to the fact that Chivu was pushed out wide and out of the damn way. The first goal came just before the hour mark, when Julio Cruz, who can’t stop scoring, turned in a Maxwell cross, and it was 2-0 minutes later on a bizarre Ibrahimagic goal. He settled the ball in the box and didn’t move for a long beat while he and Roberto Carlos just looked at one another, possibly conversing mentally; then Zlatan swung his leg without moving anything else, and crushed the ball over the Brazilian’s shoulder and into the top corner of the next. After making a hash of two great chances for a third, Inter just sat back and let Fenerbahce keep the ball; the third was scored on the counter in the 92nd minute by little Luis Jimenez, who was on the pitch for practically the first time all season.

In freezing Kiev, meanwhile, an under-manned Roma side were up for it from the start, opening the scoring in the fourth minute through either an Old Man Panucci cross or a late touch by Vucigol who, given that he had two later in the match, can probably afford to let the old man have his fun. Dynamo had periodic chances and forced a few saves out of Doni in the Roma net, but reports make it sound like Roma were the awesome version of themselves for the first time in a long while, and were tearing through Dynamo’s injury-ravaged defense. They doubled their advantage in the 32nd minute when Ludovic Giuly walked around the keeper, and added a third just minutes later, through Vucinic (for real this time). The hosts got one back in the second half, but their hope was short-lived because Vucinic restored the lead in the 72nd minute, finishing from Max Tonetto’s good work to cap off the scoring. (RomaChris’ giddy match report is here.)

The wins mean both Inter and Roma are through to the knockout stages and can use Matchday Six to rest as many people as possible — that’ll be crucial to both teams, because they’re dealing with the same horrific calendars from now until the winter break. (Plus, Zlatan can burn off the suspension he earned with a card for time-wasting.)

ETA: Roma goals (thanks, Mike); Inter goals.