Preview: Anorthosis Famagusta - Inter

CelticKing · Nov 4, 2008

Preview: Anorthosis Famagusta - Inter

VS.

What: Champions League Group B - Matchday 4
Who: Anorthosis Famagusta (2nd, 4 points) vs Internazionale (1st, 7 points)
When: Tuesday 4 November 2008, 20:45 CET
Where: Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Larnaca

Inter Could Seal Qualification

After winning their first match at home against Champions League debutants Anorthosis Famagusta two weeks ago, Inter will be looking to seal their qualification from Group B with a second victory against the Cypriot side.

Although they only won the first match 1-0, it was hardly a close contest, as Inter controlled the game from start to finish. The winner was scored by Adriano, who has since been frozen out of the squad by coach Jose Mourinho after coming late to training following the goalless draw against Genoa, a few days after the match against Anorthosis.

Inter’s league form has been erratic lately. Last weekend, they interrupted a series of games in which they hadn’t conceded goals with a chaotic 3-2 victory away to Reggina. After two goalless draws against Genoa and Fiorentina, they had the ball in the net twice in the first 25 minutes against the relegation strugglers, but somehow allowed them back into the game with two easily avoidable goals.

It must be said that Inter were the better side before and after Reggina equalised, hitting the woodwork twice and missing a host of chances. But the winner by defender Ivan Cordoba came only in injury time, needlessly making it a very stressful afternoon for the Inter faithful. It was an important victory, although it was not enough to regain the top spot in Serie A, as new leaders Milan are one point ahead following their victory against Napoli.

Although Inter scored three times, the goals came from full back Maicon, defensive midfielder Patrick Vieira, and center back Cordoba, indicating that Inter’s strikeforce hasn’t really hit its stride yet. Mourinho fielded a very offensive side, including strikers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mario Balotelli, and wingers Amantino Mancini and Ricardo Quaresma, but only Ibra proved truly decisive with his perfect assist for Maicon’s first goal.

All in all, the Nerazzurri remain an unpredictable side. When you think their attack is fine, while the defence needs some work, they play a series of games without conceding goals. And when you think they are struggling to score while their defence looks solid, they win 3-2 against a relegation battling side like Reggina.

However, it’s likely that the ease with which Inter were winning against the Amaranto made them lose their concentration. That kind of thing is unlikely to happen against Anorthosis, because this is the Champions League, and even though the Cypriots are clearly inferior to Inter, the Nerazzurri know that in Europe complacency is fatal.

Anorthosis Still Looking Good

After making an excellent start to their Champions League campaign with a draw away to Werder Bremen and a home win against Panathinaikos, their second against a Greek side after eliminating Olympiakos in the preliminary round, Anorthosis were forced to surrender to their first defeat away to Inter on the third matchday.

It was by no means a humiliation, but it was virtually all Inter from start to finish, as the Cypriots resorted to highly defensive tactics in hopes of getting a point against the Italian champions. Still, their situation in Group B remains hopeful, as they are second with four points from three games, which is probably more than they had expected beforehand. With Werder one point behind and Panathinaikos three points behind, they are still in an excellent position to qualify.

Since their 1-0 defeat to Inter on Matchday 3, Anorthosis have been in action twice in their domestic league, suffering a shock 4-0 loss away to Omonia just five days later, and recovering last Friday with a 2-0 home win against APOP. The Cypriot champions lost their top spot in the league to APOEL, who are one point ahead of them.

Considering their very impressive home record in this competition so far, Anorthosis will certainly fancy their chances of getting a result against Inter. In the preliminary rounds, they beat Pyunik 1-0, and hammered both Rapid Wien and Olympiakos 3-0 when they played in their home stadium at Larnaca. In the group stage, they confirmed their strength at home as they beat Panathinaikos 3-1 on the second matchday.

Of course, Mourinho’s side are of another category compared to those teams, but a win for Inter in Cyprus is by no means a foregone conclusion. The Italian side are known to be vulnerable when playing in Europe, and have already suffered a number of surprising defeats to supposedly lesser teams, such as Fenerbahce last season, Sporting Lisbon two years ago, and even the likes of Malmö and Lugano going back more than ten years ago.

FORM GUIDE

Anorthosis Famagusta

31/10 (Cypriot league): Anorthosis Famagusta-APOP 2-0

27/10 (Cypriot league): Omonia-Anorthosis Famagusta 4-0

22/10 (Champions League): Inter-Anorthosis Famagusta 1-0

18/10 (Cypriot league): Anorthosis Famagusta-AEP Paphos 0-0

01/10 (Champions League): Anorthosis Famagusta-Panathinaikos 3-1

Inter

01/10 (Serie A): Reggina-Inter 2-3

29/10 (Serie A): Fiorentina-Inter 0-0

26/10 (Serie A): Inter-Genoa 0-0

22/10 (Champions League): Inter-Anorthosis Famagusta 1-0

19/10 (Serie A): Roma-Inter 0-4

TEAM NEWS

Anorthosis Famagusta

Ioannis Skopelitis (ankle), Stefanos Voskarides (foot), Georgos Theodotou (back), Nikos Nikolau (ankle), and Traianos Dellas (muscle) are out injured.

Possible formation (4-5-1): Begaj; Katsavakis, Samaras, Leiwakabessy, Constantinou; Dobrasinovic, Laban, Costa, Savio, Frousos; Sosin.

Inter

Luis Figo, Luis Jimenez, Sulley Muntari, Esteban Cambiassso, and Christian Chivu are out injured, while Adriano has not been called up for this one due to disciplinary reasons.

Possible formation (4-3-3): Julio Cesar; Maicon, Cordoba, Burdisso, Maxwell; Zanetti, Stankovic, Vieira; Quaresma, Ibrahimovic, Mancini.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Loukasz Sosin (Anorthosis Famagusta)

The 31-year-old Polish international is a typical targetman, a big, strong striker who is always a handful for the opposing defence. Since joining Anorthosis in 2007, Sosin has scored 20 goals, confirming his goalscoring chops after finishing as top scorer in the Cypriot league three years in a row between 2004 and 2006 while playing for Apollon Limassol. He’s yet to score a goal in the group stage of the Champions League, but he helped his side get there with 3 goals in the preliminary rounds, and is currently the team’s top scorer of the season.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter)

This season more than ever, ‘Ibra’ is proving to be Inter’s most important source of danger up front. Even when he doesn’t score, he’s always there to be provide that little something extra to break down a stubborn defence, like he did last weekend against Reggina with a wonderful pass to Maicon for Inter’s opening goal. Although he won’t win the Ballon D’Or this year, it seems only a matter of time for the Swede, and there’s little doubt that if he manages to lead the Nerazzurri to end their 44-year drought in the competition, he will be the front-runner to capture the accolade next year.
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CelticKing · Nov 4, 2008

We can say an easy with for Inter here. I really believe that Anorthosis have no chance at all.

CK Prediction:

Anorthosis 0 - 3 Inter

Claud · Nov 4, 2008

I'm going with Inter 2-1

Claud · Nov 4, 2008

Final score was 3-3.

CelticKing · Nov 5, 2008

Damn 3-3?

Clearly an upset.

Colonel Ronan · Nov 5, 2008

Rape.

Colonel Ronan · Nov 5, 2008

Dude, because I sold van Persie to Inter on FM, I keep thinking he's on that team in real life.

CelticKing · Nov 5, 2008

Main Event said: ↑

Dude, because I sold van Persie to Inter on FM, I keep thinking he's on that team in real life.
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Haha, yeah that happens. lol

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Preview: Anorthosis Famagusta - Inter

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Preview: Anorthosis Famagusta - Inter

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