Inter Milan defeats Chelsea, 2-1, in first leg of Champions League matchup
After all the hype and all the bluster, it turned out to be an ordinary sort of game after all -- nothing to paste into the scrapbook of soccer memories.
Chelsea went to Italy to play Inter Milan in a European Champions League round-of-16 match Wednesday and was duly beaten, 2-1, in front of a sellout crowd at San Siro’s Giuseppe Meazza Stadium.
Neither team turned in a convincing performance. Neither one suggested that it really has the credentials to win the tournament -- not with the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Real Madrid alive and kicking.
Inter Milan Coach Jose Mourinho talked a lot, as usual, much of it about himself. Chelsea Coach Carlos Ancelotti remained stone-faced throughout the 90 minutes and said little.
Afterward, both coaches proclaimed themselves more or less satisfied. Mourinho had the satisfaction of defeating the club he led to two English Premier League titles. Ancelotti had the satisfaction of knowing that the Blues will have a slight upper hand when the teams play again in the second leg March 16 in London.
“It is not a good result . . . but it is not a bad result,” Ancelotti said, referring to Chelsea’s away goal, which means that a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge will be enough to put his team into the quarterfinals.
Mourinho, involved in his first game against Chelsea since he left the club in 2007, expressed similar sentiments.
“Obviously, it’s not the best result,” he said. “The most important thing for us was to win, not draw.”
Inter Milan got off to a fast start, with Diego Milito putting the Serie A champions in front inside the first three minutes.
Taking a pass from Thiago Motta, Milito cut inside defender John Terry and took a shot that flew past Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech at the near post. Cech later suffered a calf injury that will sideline him for an undetermined length of time.
Chelsea could have pulled even just before halftime, but what appeared to be a foul on Salomon Kalou went uncalled by Spanish referee Mejuto Gonzalez. Earlier, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba had sent a thundering shot off the crossbar.
“I thought it was a penalty,” Ancelotti said of the foul on Kalou. “But it is only a penalty when the referee whistles.”
Kalou got a deserved goal in the 51st minute by steering shot past Inter goalkeeper Julia Cesar, who should have done better with his sprawling save attempt.
The tie score did not last long, and Inter Milan’s Esteban Cambiasso scored the game-winner three minutes after Kalou’s goal when he fired the rebound of his own shot past Cech to give the Italian team the victory.
Mourinho said he was looking forward to the March 16 game in London.
“I have to control my emotions and be professional, like I was today. In the tunnel, it was not a normal game for me and nor was it normal for them,” Mourinho said, referring to his former players with Chelsea.
“At Stamford Bridge, I think people will be pleased to have me back because we had such a good time -- but I will go to a different dressing room and a different bench.”
In Wednesday’s other Champions League match, a superb 35-yard strike by Mark Gonzalez midway through the second half earned CSKA Moscow a 1-1 tie at home against Sevilla, which took the lead when Alvaro Negredo turned a cross from Jesus Navas past Moscow goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev in the 25th minute.
“It would have been better to win, but this can be considered a good result,” said Sevilla Coach Manolo Jimenez, echoing the comments made by Mourinho and Ancelotti.
Jones reported from Los Angeles.
