AC Milan 1-1 Olympique Marseille: Group C Goes Down To The Wire

All square in San Siro...

Nov 25, 2009 9:46:34 PM

More On :  AC Milan, Olympique de Marseille, AC Milan vs Olympique de Marseille
Milan fans - Milan-O.Marseille - Champions League (Goal.com)

AC Milan and Marseille will have to wait until the last matchday of this season's Champions League campaign to discover their fate as both sides played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at San Siro this evening.
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Marco Borriello's early opener was cancelled out by Lucho Gonzalez but neither side could summon the requisite gumption to locate a winner.

Brandao should have given OM a second half lead when he missed a close ranger with the goal at his mercy but Didier Deschamps' side will now need to find a favourable result in their final game against Real Madrid while Milan visit FC Zurich with the odds stacked in their favour.

The openness of this encounter was as much down to poor defending as it was to capable attacking play. Defenders on both sides struggled to exert any sort of authority throughout, with the jitters not discriminating whom they struck.

Marseille had set themselves out to use a counter-attacking tactic, which was defenestrated once they submitted to an early-striking Milan. Gianluca Zambrotta, from an Andrea Pirlo pass, had forced a fine early save from Steve Mandanda but only nine minutes had elapsed when Borriello had his name in lights.

Alexandre Pato fed the Italian on the right side of the Rossoneri attack and in the absence of Taye Taiwo, the former Genoa man roasted a static Gabriel Heinze before firing a cool finish under the legs of Mandanda.

It did not take OM long to rouse themselves into a response though, with the leveller coming in the next significant passage of play and prompted again by some abject back work.

Lucho fed Mamadou Niang and the captain beat Massimo Oddo all too easily on the left wing to cross; Dida could only punch the ball into the area, from where Lucho stroked home a crisp equaliser.

The Argentinian was the midfield protagonist, playing ahead of the enforcer Eduardo Cisse, and put a limiter on Pirlo's contributions with some rough-house tackling.

By the middle of the half, les Phoceens were in charge; Fabrice Abriel fired narrowly over and Niang forced Dida into action. A move involving the neat Abriel, Niang, Benoit Cheyrou and Lucho was close to locating Brandao in the area but Milan managed to remain steadfast just after the half hour.

Alessandro Nesta's game form betrayed his recent hot streak and his loose pass then gave Niang the chance to cross for Brandao as the half drew to a close, but Pirlo was on hand to block in front of Dida before the Brazilian forward could strike.

For all their attacking fluidity, OM could have been undone by some maladroit defending during the first period.

Zambrotta should have made more from an excellent Clarence Seedorf pass and Souleymane Diawara was exposed twice from a pair of Thiago Silva long range passes.

The first fell to Borriello, who was denied by a great last ditch tackle from the Senegalese international; the second saw Pato lift a lob narrowly over the top.

Milan had an initial period of dominance at the start of the second period which eventually segued into sustained Marseille pressure, as the French side sought the win.

Early in the half, Borriello should have done better from a Seedorf cross when his header failed to register on target; Pirlo and Pato both had long-rangers that failed to trouble Mandanda sufficiently before Ronaldinho's exquisite flick put Borriello again in the clear. His finish, on his left foot, was again lacking.

Marseille re-announced themselves onto the game and should have led when Eduard Cisse's run and pass was turned into the centre by Niang; Brandao will not need reminding that his finish, over the bar, was the worst attempt on goal in this season's Champions League.

With the pressure on, OM went for broke and left gaps in their rearguard; on one such occasion, Clarence Seedorf, from a Pato, pass, was expertly denied by a block from Cisse. Borriello was again at fault when a headed attempt from a sumptuous 'Dinho cross hit his shoulder and it preceded a frenetic last few minutes when Marseille threw it all at the Diavoli.

Milan's legs were heavy in midfield as energetic OM came on strong in the closing stages. Had Bakari Kone's touch been better in the 85th minute he might have won more than a corner; nonetheless, Diawara stole a march on Nesta from the delivery and Dida could only look on as the African's header rebounded, cruelly, off a post.

Peter Staunton, Goal.com
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