Pressure on strikers to break deadlock in Milan derby
They are four of the best paid strikers in the world and when Inter and AC Milan renew their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday the pressure is on them to do what they failed to manage last week -- score a goal.
They are four of the best paid strikers in the world and when Inter and AC Milan renew their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday the pressure is on them to do what they failed to manage last week -- score a goal.
The first-leg at the San Siro ended goalless and while the match was an interesting encounter between two evenly-balanced sides the frontmen rarely caused problems for either goalkeeper.
It was not just the undoubted quality of the defending from the likes of Inter's Fabio Cannavaro and Milan's Paolo Maldini that ensured a stalemate -- none of the strikers on show were anywhere near their best.
Milan's Filippo Inzaghi spent more time complaining at offside decisions than testing Francesco Toldo and his partner Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko looks badly short of confidence.
For Inter, Uruguayan Alvaro Recoba missed the two best chances of the game while Hernan Crespo's only real effort at goal did not come until injury time.
Inter's top scorer in Serie A, Italy international Christian Vieri, is still sidelined with a knee injury and while the burly forward is battling to get fit as soon as possible, Tuesday's game is probably too soon for him.
Crespo himself had a three-month injury lay off but despite his lack of goals he insists he is in shape.
"I am in form, I just need to get a chance. Give me a good ball and I will stick it away," Crespo told the daily Gazzetta dello Sport on Monday insisting that his partnership with Recoba could deliver the goods.
"I really enjoy playing with 'Chino' We appreciate the same kind of football -- we love getting the ball on the floor and there is an excellent understanding between us as we have shown many times on the field," said the Argentine.
Shevchenko's place in the Milan starting line-up was brought into question after his hesitant display in the first-leg but his most likely replacement, Brazilian World Cup winner Rivaldo, failed to take his chance in Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Brescia.
The Ukrainian remains upbeat about his and Milan's chances of ending the season with glory in Europe.
"I have some positive feelings at the moment -- there has been a lot of bad luck both for me and the team but sooner or later things change. I have never felt so good."