Inspirational Inzaghi fires Milan

By Ivan Carvalho

As he proved on Matchday 2 in scoring the vital second goal in AC Milan's 3-1 victory against Celtic FC, the UEFA Champions League brings the best out in striker Filippo Inzaghi.

Late goal
With 89 minutes on the clock, the 31-year-old striker latched on to Andriy Shevchenko's cross to put Milan ahead at the San Siro, and score his 32nd Champions League goal. For some it revived memories of how his 12 goals in 16 games helped win the competition for Milan in 2002/03.

Barça threat
However, Carlo Ancelotti's side's European ambitions will receive a thorough examination in their next two games as they take on Primera División leaders FC Barcelona. The two teams meet in Milan on Wednesday with six points apiece from their opening games against Celtic and FC Shakhtar Donetsk.

Ankle surgery
Inzaghi will be hoping to play some kind of role in the game, although he is still being used largely as a substitute following surgery to remove a fragment of bone in his left ankle in May - an operation which meant he missed out on a place in the Italy squad for UEFA EURO 2004™.

Important step
He was a 77th-minute substitute against Celtic - and indeed has yet to play a full 90 minutes in any match this season - but scoring a goal marked an important step on his road to recovery. "I had been dreaming of that moment for six months," he said.

Six-month gap
It was indeed six months since Inzaghi had last found the net, in a 4-1 Champions League win against AC Sparta Praha on 10 March. That in itself was one of the few highlights of a dismal 2003/04 season, when injuries limited Inzaghi to just 14 appearances and only three goals.

Title charge
Milan managed to win the title without him - thanks in part to the magnificence of Shevchenko - but Ancelotti would none the less welcome his return. In his absence, Argentinian Hernán Crespo has yet to shine while Danish international Jon Dahl Tomasson is most effective coming off the bench.

Fitness concerns
Inzaghi has not hit the heights in his last two Serie A outings, against Reggina Calcio and Cagliari Calcio, and has admitted that he is not yet fully fit. "To see the best of Inzaghi we will need a little more time," he said. "For the moment though it is enough for me to feel useful.

Pressure on
"I felt that there was a lot of confidence in me and I always want to give my best but after all this time it was hard," he added, although Milan supporters will have been hugely reassured to hear that the striker was eager to return to his best. "I have a huge desire to help and to repay the club," he said.

Poaching instincts
At peak form, Inzaghi is a priceless addition to any strike force, such is his ability to poach goals. Every defender's nightmare, his speciality is exploiting mistakes, scoring from rebounds and pouncing on half-chances in the penalty area - skills which make him an ideal foil for the slick Shevchenko.

Important player
His coach is certainly delighted to see the former Parma FC, Atalanta BC and Juventus FC striker back on his feet again. "He is very important to the side and really gives us a boost," said Ancelotti after the victory against Celtic. He would dearly love Inzaghi to give his side another boost against Barça.