Steve McManaman slams AC Milan for first half performance in Champions League semi-final
‘They look shocked!’: Steve McManaman slams AC Milan for showing up in the first half of the Champions League semi-final – as Rio Ferdinand hails ‘phenomenal’ Inter who ‘came out like a bunch of sprinters at the Olympics’ while their rivals ‘couldn’t react’
Steve McManaman has criticized AC Milan for their poor start to the Champions League semi-final against rivals Inter.
Inter raced to a 2-0 lead at San Siro and had a penalty decision reversed after they fired too much at the post in what was a frenetic first period.
Former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko opened the scoring after eight minutes before ex-Manchester United and Arsenal man Henrikh Mkhitaryan doubled Inter’s lead after just eleven minutes.
Inter looked to score every time they went forward in the game and could have been further up by half time as the theoretical hosts struggled.
Speaking on BT Sport, McManaman criticized AC’s defense for both goals, but was keen to praise Inter for their performance as they already appeared to have set foot in the final.
Steve McManaman criticized AC Milan for their first-half performance against rivals Inter
Inter raced to a 2-0 lead in the game in a dominant first half in the Champions League
McManaman said AC looked “shocked at times” as they struggled throughout
“Two old lads from the Premier League have come back to make their mark in this semi-final,” he said. “Like the parting of the red sea, it opens up for Mkhitaryan to step into. Glorious freedom and just crush it in the back of the net. What a start for Inter Milan.’
“Milan is still trying to adapt to this game, they look shocked sometimes.”
Rio Ferdinand echoed McManaman’s view, insisting that Inter were well worth their lead at the break.
Edin Dzeko (pictured) opened the scoring in the opening ten minutes before Henrikh Mkhitaryan added a second
“You have to come here and you have to be prepared for this,” he said. “The Inter team came into the Olympics like a bunch of sprinters, they were phenomenal and AC Milan couldn’t react.
“One of the main things you talk about as players, when you’re the away team like Inter, is to calm this crowd down. They were loud and ferocious before the game, within ten minutes they were quiet. AC Milan must do something to turn that around now.’
The score left Milan with a mountain to climb in the second half, but they started the 45 well with a couple of early tries.
The team was without keyman Rafael Leao after he missed the race to be fit for the game, while they also lost Ismael Bennacer to injury in the first period.
