Calcio Debate: Ibrahimovic – A Big Game Flop?
Inter face an uphill task of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Champions League following last night’s 2-0 defeat at Liverpool. Carlo Garganese offers his post-match anlaysis...
Inter may be accused of being favoured by referees in Serie A this season, however in the Champions League nothing could be further from the truth.
Marco Materazzi received his marching orders after half-an-hour at Anfield following two of the softest yellow cards you will ever see. Inter have every right to be aggrieved with the Belgian official Frank de Bleeckere, who if there is any justice, should be immediately suspended from the next round of Champions League matches.
This sending off forced Inter to play two-thirds of the game with 10 men, and it was clear that from this point onwards a draw was always going to be a good result. They almost managed this, until a rather fortuitous goal by Dirk Kuyt five minutes from time.
Inter would have still been confident of overcoming a 1-0 deficit in the second leg, however Steven Gerrard’s last-minute strike puts Liverpool in firm command ahead of the trip to San Siro.
One of the major disappointments on the night was Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It must be recognised that the Swede was up against it and isolated for most of the game following Materazzi’s sending off. Perhaps this caused him to controversially blame the defender for Inter’s defeat.
However instead of laying into Materazzi, who did not deserve to be sent off, maybe Ibrahimovic should take a look at his own performance. The odds may have been stacked against him from minute 30, but supposedly great players should show their true colours in these situations.
Ibrahimovic is starting to garner a reputation as something of a big-game choker. There can be no doubting that he is a brilliant player, however his record against top teams/defences/defenders, or in big matches, is not impressive.
This season alone he was dominated by Giorgio Chiellini in the match with Juventus, while against Milan in the derby he was completely played off the park by Alessandro Nesta.
It is in the big Champions League games where Ibrahimovic has most disappointed. Yes he has scored five times in the group stages this campaign, but I am talking about the decisive matches - those knockout games that really matter.
Last season he failed to make the difference when Inter needed him as they crashed out to Valencia in the second round. While at Juventus the forward became notorious for his impotent displays, and if my memory is correct, he failed to even hit the back of the net in Europe in his first season in Turin.
He was completely anonymous in both legs of the Bianconeri’s quarter-final exit to Liverpool that year, and this was exactly the case the following season during the defeat to Arsenal at the same stage.
The one exception in the Champions League when Ibra really turned it on was in a tie against Real Madrid at the Stadio Delle Alpi when he was simply brilliant, so good in fact that the Spanish-side immediately lodged a huge bid for him.
However performances such as these in big games, particularly in Europe, have been very scarce, and a big performance is required from Ibra against Liverpool in the second leg if he is to get anywhere close to justifying his tag as one of, if not the best forward in Europe.
Inter will certainly need their star striker in top form if they are to turn the tide at San Siro in three weeks time.
For a start they face huge problems in the centre of defence. Materazzi is suspended, Ivan Cordoba, who was outstanding last night, is injured, while Walter Samuel is of course out for the season.
Breaking down Liverpool will not be easy. With the simply world-class Javier Mascherano protecting the back four, space will be at a premium.
Of course there is also Rafa Benitez, one of the most tactically astute managers in Europe. The Spaniard may not, and probably never will, grasp how to succeed in the Premiership, but in the Champions League he really is a genius. Just ask the long-line of top-class coaches he has outwitted in the past, such as Fabio Capello and Jose Mourinho.
You can bet your bottom dollar that Benitez will have Liverpool set-up in the correct way, and if they grab a goal on the counter-attack this will leave Inter needing four, which will surely be too much to ask.
The tie is certainly not over however. If Inter can score before half-time they can certainly go on and win the tie, but there is no doubt that the odds are stacked against them.
What are your views on this topic? Is Zlatan Ibrahimovic a big-game choker? What did you think of the sending-off last night? Can Inter turn around the result in the second leg? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think.
Carlo Garganese [this guy really has got something against Inter!]