Basel - Inter

[M.M#23]

A few moments ago the draw for the 3rd Round of the Champions League Qualifiers was finished. We will be facing Basel (Switzerland). The first game will be played in Basel on 10 or 11 August and the second leg in the "Giussepe Meazza" on 24 or 25 August.

So now we may all talk about this game. We all know that there will not be Burdisso and Kily, so my prediction for the starting 11 is:

============Toldo=====================

J.Zanetti===Cannavaro===Cordoba===Coco(Favalli)=

Stankovic==Veron=====Davids======Emre======

===========Vieri=====Martins===========


What do you think?

 

[Miki]

Whenever i think of Champions League qualifiers, i think of Helsingborg, and that gives me the shudders.

Still, Basel should prove to be a tough game indeed. However, that could bode well, as this will give Inter a good matchup, leading into the Champions League proper. All we have to do is keep our heads in place, and do our best - the worst we could do is underestimate Basel and have 2000/2001 take place all over again. =/

Anybody have any info on how Basel has been doing over the last season? As in actual viewing of their matches? I am sure all the info shared would throw some light on our opponents.

Ciao,
Tim

 

[cool_cuchu]

Hmm mine will be :

--------------------- Toldo

J Zanetti --- Matrix --- Cordoba --- Coco


Stankovic --- Veron --- Davids ---- Emre


------------ Vieri ----------- Adriano

subs :
1. Fontana
2. Martins
3. Christiano Zanetti
4. Cannavaro
5. Favalli
6. Recoba
7. Cambiaso

 

[Frisko]

Right, if I'm not mistaken FC Basel were the big surprise in the CL 2 seasons ago. They were impressive and they beat big teams (maybe Valencia and Mant Utd but I could be very wrong, I can't remember very well).

Last year they didn't do so good I think.

About your formation M.M#23, I don't think Vieri will be playing (Mancini said it's unlikely). Adriano will be joining the others in training today or tomorrow I think, so I don't know wheather he will be an option (he played the Copa America so he's match fit, but maybe he needs to take it easy?). If he's not available we'll be playing Martins-Cruz I'm sure. Or maybe Recoba-Martins.

The other thing is Emre. Who watched the Tim Cup matches said that Emre's injury looked serious, but then I didn't hear a word from inter.it or gazzetta.it, so I'm not sure about him. I looked at the training pics yesterday and I couldn't see him. I suppose Cambiasso could play in his place.

Even with some players missing that line-up looks awesome anyway!

 

[Frisko]

I'm trying to gather more info on Basel.

This is the official web site:

http://www.fcb.ch/

The current squad is:

GK: Mandl-Beili-Rapo-Zuberbühler

Defenders: Atouba-Correa-Degen-Dzombic-Preisig-Quennoz-Smiljanic-Yakin-Zwyssig

Midfielders: Barberis-Cantaluppi-Chipperfield-Degen-Delgado-Ergic-Huggel-Mesbah-Sterjovski

Strikers: Carignano-Gimenez-Petric-Rossi

 

[Pravesh]

MILAN - "They deserve lots of respect," said president Giacinto Facchetti in reaction to the Champions League third qualifying round draw, which saw Inter drawn against Basel. "They won the Swiss championship and are already ahead in their preparations. Basel are certainly one the strongest opponents we could have drawn."

:fero:

====================

MILAN - The city of Basel is in the north of Switzerland and is roughly 340km from Milan. The Swiss championship has already begun, with two rounds of matches played so far (thankfully, it's just 2. But that also is a plus point for Basel.). Inter's Champions League third qualifying round opponents have garnered four points, with a win and a draw.

Basel, who won the Swiss league last season and reached the second group phase of the 2002/03 Champions League, play away to Servette at 20:00CET tonight in the third round of their domestic championship.

In Europe last season Basel played in the Uefa Cup and were eliminated by Newcastle in the second round (Basel 2-3 Newcastle, Newcastle 1-0 Basel).

====================

NYON - After the Champions League third preliminary round draw Basel president René C. Jäggi commented on his club's two-legged tie with the Nerazzurri.

He said: "We have been drawn against a very difficult side to face and it would have been easier to play the return match at home. However, we have the advantage that the Swiss championship has already begun, while Inter are still in the summer preparation phase. We have a chance and we will try to take it."

 

[CafeCordoba]

I believe Adriano can play in the first leg. If he starts training in today's afternoon session, it's about week and a half training and rest time before the first match. I think it's enough but let's see. Adriano-Recoba or Adriano-Martins sounds delicious.

 

[NickyYe]

Maybe it will be a hard match

 

[Frisko]

The general opinion around (Facchetti's comments, sites such as Eurosport.co.uk and Gazzetta.it) is that Inter was very unlucky and faces a very difficult challenge against the Swiss champions.

 

[SB9Dragon]

It doesn't matter who we drew. Just as long as the team goes onto the field with serenity and play its A-Game then we can beat ANYONE. ANYONE. It doesn't matter if it is Basel, or Benfica, Kounas, whoever. We can beat them.


Here's the lineup I'd like to see

---------------Adriano----------Martins

---Emre-------Davids---------Veron---Stankovic

----Favalli------Materazzi------Cordoba----J.Zanetti

--------------------------Toldo

The squad I sorta expect

----------------Recoba/Vieri-----------Adriano

-----Emre-------Veron-------Cambiasso----Stankovic

--------Favalli------Materazzi----Cordoba------J.Zanetti

-------------------------------Toldo

 

[MoH]

We could have asked for an easier opponent (A random club that no one heard of before, would have been excellent) Still, we should be able to beat them quite convincingly with the right mentality. :hopefull:

FC Basel 1893

Honours:
Swiss League Winners (2003, 2002, 1980, 1977, 1973, 1972, 1970, 1969, 1967, 1953)
Swiss Cup Winners (2003, 2002, 1975, 1967, 1963, 1947, 1933)

Famous ex-players:
Antonio Esposito, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Seppe Hügi, George Koumantarakis, Karl Odermatt, Marco Schällibaum, Admir Smajic, Marco Streller and Hakan Yakin

I’m no FC Basel expert, but certain players do have international recognition, and I’ll add a (*) after their names to indicate that. In any event, I do expect some of these players to make it in their line-up...

GK: Zuberbuhler a.k.a Zubi* – Switzerland’s No.2
DR: Degen – Has a twin brother David, who plays as RM.
DL: Smiljanic
DC: Yakin* – Thankfully not Hakan Yakin (Quite underrated if you ask me, he’s in Stuggart by the way) but Murat Yakin, who share’s his brothers talent for set piece situations.
DC: Atouba – Cameroon international
MR: Cantaluppi – Swiss international, didn’t make it to the Euro 2004 Squad.
ML: Chipperfield* – Australian international, scores vital goals in crucial situations, which is quite a feat for any midfielder.
CM: Delgado
CM: Sterjovski – Australian international.
FC: Petric - Young Croatian center forward, was considered one of the brightest prospects in Swiss football before he choose to play for Croatia instead. Didn’t make the Euro 2004 squad thanks to injury problems. Has 5 caps and 1 goal.
SC: Julio Hernan Rossi – Unpredictable forward, never managed to be as prolific as his Argentine pal Jimmy, but still managed to score 5 goals in Basel’s successful CL run.
SC: Christian Gimenez a.k.a Jimmy* - Seems to score for fun in Switzerland, his goal record for FC Basel, 88 Appearances, 62 goals. :wallbang:

So here is what I think will be FC Basel’s line-up...

[4-4-2]

---------------------Zubi---------------------

P. Degen---M. Yakin--Atouba---Smiljanic

Cantaluppi---Delgado--Sterjovski/Petric---Chipperfield

--------------Jimmy---Petric/Rossi--------------

 

[Frisko]

It doesn't matter who we drew. Just as long as the team goes onto the field with serenity and play its A-Game then we can beat ANYONE. ANYONE. It doesn't matter if it is Basel, or Benfica, Kounas, whoever. We can beat them.


Here's the lineup I'd like to see

---------------Adriano----------Martins

---Emre-------Davids---------Veron---Stankovic

----Favalli------Materazzi------Cordoba----J.Zanetti

--------------------------Toldo

The squad I sorta expect

----------------Recoba/Vieri-----------Adriano

-----Emre-------Veron-------Cambiasso----Stankovic

--------Favalli------Materazzi----Cordoba------J.Zanetti

-------------------------------Toldo

I love your ideal squad mate, just I would play Coco instead of Favalli. (if Coco is match-fit)

Do you really think that Mancio will play Cambiasso over Pitbull? NOOO!!

 

[Pravesh]

Great !!

I thought Basel was a good club, but thankfully, I couldn't recognize a single player from that list. So great of me. It's gonna be a icing on cake victory for us. Don't worry guys.

Seriously, we definitely should make it to the group phase, otherwise we don't dersevr eto be in the Champions League. Sadly, they have had more match practices than us, but we are Inter, the Inter of new era :stuckup:

 

[Giorgio]

The one team I wanted to avoid A potential banana skin :scared:

I personally think it is too early to predict our starting line up, but here's what I want to see:

Toldo

Javier Cordoba Cannavaro Favalli

Stankovic Veron Davids Recoba

Martins Adriano

 

[Gaetan]

I hope our players are sincere in their interviews when say that this qualifier shouldn't be taken lightly and FC Basel have a strong squad. We want to avoid another Helsingborg, and quite frankly if we can't qualify then we're going for one hell of a roller coaster ride this season. I feel that our chances are high, but Mancio will have trouble deciding who to play. Right now, i doubt he knows if we're gonna keep such a big squad or finally sell some dead wood. Way too many players that will be useless during the season.

The key to this is to be fit mentally and physicall. We've obviously got a good enough squad to be in this tournament, so go out their and kick some butt.

I thought Basel was a good club, but thankfully, I couldn't recognize a single player from that list. So great of me. It's gonna be a icing on cake victory for us. Don't worry guys.

The names don't mean squat when you step on the futbol pitch. It's going to be a nightmare out there if the Inter players are sharing the same mentality as you, Pravesh.

 

[Frisko]

I think we might be slightly surprised at the actual formation on the 10th of August. This is because Mancio will probably play the 11 most fit players, not necessarily the best line-up possible. We could see Pasquale playing, for example.

 

[SB9Dragon]

I put Cambiasso instead of Davids since he has received so much praise and he has been with Mancini since the beginning of the retreat. I'm also thinking that Davids isn't match fit yet, though knowing Davids he will probably be ready in time if needed.

BTW don't underestimate Basel guys. They're sorta like Greece. No big name player but when they work as a team they can be really effective, ala CL 2 years ago. Hopefully they turn out to be a Bulgaria though

 

[Pravesh]

Inter - Basel

August 11 - First leg in Switzerland.
August 25 - Second leg in San Siro, Milan.



Lets hope that we finish off the game in Basel, coz I don't want to see a nervous wrecking game in San Siro hoping for the opponent not to score away goal/s. Just imagine, a scoreless draw in Basel, and then getting nervous watching the 2nd leg.

 

[CafeCordoba]

Lets hope that we finish off the game in Basel, coz I don't want to see a nervous wrecking game in San Siro hoping for the opponent not to score away goal/s. Just imagine, a scoreless draw in Basel, and then getting nervous watching the 2nd leg.

That would be really, really...really exciting. But yeah, I believe we can score couple of away goals and something like 1-2 win should do it. We can't lose the return leg at home. No way. I completely trust our team right now.

 

[M.M#23]

Well we are all beleiving the team right now, we didn't have this winning mentality for years. And yes i am quite sure that we are going to win the first leg. And as for Davids I think he will play 99%.