AC Milan were held off a barrage from Marseille but secured victory thanks to a Filippo Inzaghi double.
AC Milan hold off home pressure to secure Group C win
AC Milan were put to the test in Marseille but managed to escape with a 2-1 victory thanks to a Filippo Inzaghi double.
The hosts piled on the pressure throughout a match held in torrential rain but it was Italian front-man Inzaghi who grabbed the first goal of the night.
Gabriel Heinze levelled the scores shortly after half-time but as Marseille went in search of a winner, Inzaghi struck at the other end to secure victory for Milan in their Champions League Group C opener.
Marseille made the better start in the treacherous conditions, with Mamadou Niang's cross almost finding the head of Benoit Cheyrou and Brazilian striker Brandao also looking dangerous in the box.
Moments later, Niang surged into the Milan area and lifted a shot over Marco Storari but the ball did not find the net and the Italian team escaped.
Lead
Inzaghi then gave the away side the lead against the run of play after Clarence Seedorf sent in a pinpoint cross that the 36-year-old tapped in at the far post.
As the first half wore on, Milan began to look more comfortable in possession as Massimo Oddo frequently found space to cross down the right flank.
Senegal striker Niang was at the forefront of Marseille's attacks but struggled with his finishing, sending a curling shot well wide of the mark just before the break.
In stoppage time at the end of the first half, Storari was forced into an acrobatic save after Cheyrou rifled in a left-footed effort from the edge of the box.
Four minutes after the restart, Marseille's pressure was finally rewarded after Cheyrou curled in a wide free-kick and former Manchester United defender Heinze headed home an equaliser.
Pressure
The hosts continued to surge forward with Storari doing well to keep out a Taye Taiwo effort that skidded across the wet surface.
Another free-kick from Cheyrou caused problems in the Milan area as Storari elected to punch clear rather than risk catching the slippery ball.
Former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini was lucky to escape with only a yellow card after a reckless two-footed lunge on Stephane Mbia.
Taiwo drove forward again in the 65th minute and his shot eventually cannoned into an unsuspecting Lucho Gonzalez, who sent the ball inches wide of the post.
Inzaghi again struck in the midst of a spell of home pressure when he poked home another Seedorf cross to give the Serie A side a lead they would hold until the final whistle.
| Marseille |
Team Statistics |
Milan |
| 1 |
Goals |
2 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
1 |
| 4 |
Shots on Target |
3 |
| 11 |
Shots off Target |
2 |
| 6 |
Blocked Shots |
2 |
| 5 |
Corners |
3 |
| 22 |
Fouls |
22 |
| 2 |
Offsides |
4 |
| 0 |
Yellow Cards |
3 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 78.2 |
Passing Success |
76 |
| 25 |
Tackles |
20 |
| 84 |
Tackles Success |
65 |
| 50.3 |
Possession |
49.7 |
| 61.9 |
Territorial Advantage |
38.1 |
|
