MILAN, (Reuters) – Olympique Marseille substitute Brandao scored in stoppage time to send the French side into the Champions League quarter-finals on away goals after a 2-1 loss at Inter Milan yesterday earned a 2-2 aggregate draw. Marseille, labouring in eighth in Ligue 1 but flying in the cups, have not reached the last eight since 1993 when they won the competition.
Diego Milito’s scrappy goal 15 minutes from time had given Inter hope after the hosts had huffed and puffed before finally breaching Marseille’s defence.
The ball bobbled around in the box like a pinball before the Argentine striker prodded home.
Brandao then exposed Inter’s defence when he turned on a long ball and confidently netted while there was even time for Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda to be sent off for a foul in the box and Giampaolo Pazzini to score from the penalty.
The result was a like a dagger to the heart for Inter boss Claudio Ranieri, whose position could now be in jeopardy after a string of poor results, while Marseille counterpart Didier Deschamps could not stop smiling after easing his own pressure.
POOR FORM
Visiting forward Andre Ayew, who scored the stoppage-time winner in the first leg with a header, recovered from injury to start at the apprehensive San Siro with both sides in poor form.
Inter won their first game in 10 matches in all competitions on Friday when they beat Chievo 2-0 away in Serie A while Marseille had lost all four Ligue 1 games and not scored a goal since the first leg.
The hosts had the first glut of chances when Wesley Sneijder’s shot from close range was somehow saved by Mandanda, who soon after brilliantly blocked Diego Milito’s chested effort from point-blank range.
Marseille, playing in red, gradually grew into the game and a Loic Remy effort flew just wide before Jeremy Morel fired past the post and Souleymane Diawara’s header almost sneaked in. With Inter boss Ranieri desperate for goals, he replaced Sneijder and Diego Forlan with Joel Obi and Pazzini just before the hour mark and the ploy looked to have worked until the late drama. Substitute Esteban Cambiasso could have put Inter 2-0 up in normal time before Brandao struck but he nodded over from four metres out.
Struggling Inter – 2010 European champions – are already out of the Italian Cup and stand seventh in Serie A, eight points behind the third and final Champions League berth.
