THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — Djibril Cisse looked determined Tuesday to wipe clean the painful memories of a recent World Cup campaign.
The heavily-tattooed French striker scored twice to lead Panathinaikos to a 3-2 victory over reigning European champions Inter Milan in an exhibition match in front of 17,169 fans at Rogers Centre.
Cisse, who scored 23 goals for his Athens-based club last season, was a member of France’s national squad, whose World Cup experience in South Africa could only be described as disastrous.
"It’s only natural for Cisse to put the past in the past and look forward," said Panathinaikos coach Nikolas Nioplias. "He’s a hungry player and he’s very much looking forward to the season, and moving forward from where he left off last year."
Cisse, sporting a dyed blond mane, opened the scoring for Panathinaikos and added another in the 22nd minute. Sebastian Leto had the other goal for the Greek side, while Sam Eto’o and Coutinho scored for the Italian powerhouse.
In the 13th minute, Greek midfielder Sotirios Ninis found Cisse all alone at Inter goalkeeper Paolo Orlandoni’s doorstep.
Orlandoni saved what looked to be an easy tap-in from Cisse, but the French forward found his own rebound and ripped it beyond the goalkeeper’s diving reach. Cisse celebrated his goal with a round of acrobatic flips, much to the delight of the chanting Greek supporters in the crowd.
Cisse made it 2-0 in the 22nd minute, taking the ball practically from the midfield line and showing Colombian-born defender Ivan Cordoba some dizzying footwork before blasting the ball over Orlandoni, further quieting the Milan supporters. Cisse opted to celebrate his second goal by patting the clover leaf on his jersey, rather than another round of gymnastics.
"They were patient and when we made a mistake they played well," said new Inter Milan head coach Rafael Benitez. "We were pressing in the second half and getting more chances but they were doing the job."
Benitez is in his first year with Inter Milan. He succeeded current Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho in June after Inter completed a spectacular treble — a Champions League victory, Serie A title, and the Copa Italia title. It was the Nerazzurri’s fifth consecutive Serie A title, giving them 18 in total.
Benitez has some big shoes to fill and knows expectations will be high.
"We have an opportunity to win trophies and that is a challenge and I am really pleased to be in this situation," he said. "So we try to do our best and to win as much as we can."
Inter Milan pulled one back in the 32nd minute when a driving Victor Nsofor Obinna fought off defenders left of the goal to send a cross into the box. The ball found Eto’o waiting in front with a clear path to the net’s right corner.
In the 42nd minute, Ninis brought the ball from midfield up through centre before passing to a streaking Leto on the left flank. Orlandoni came out to challenge the Argentine forward, but could only watch helplessly as the ball sailed over his outstreched arms and into the net to put the Greens up 3-1.
Milan outshot Panathinaikos 11-8 in the first half.
New Inter Milan coach Rafael Benitez emptied his bench in the second half as substitute Amantino Mancini drilled a left-footed shot from 20 yards out in the 55th minute that skimmed the crossbar. Mancini also had a nice chance on a set piece in the 59th minute, but Tzorvas was up to the task.
Benitez brought on some of his best with just under 20 minutes left to play, hoping to ignite a late Italian rally, and he almost pulled it off. Maicon, Lucio, Sulley Muntari, Walter Samuel and Diego Milito were welcomed by raucous applause from the Nerazzurri faithful as they took the pitch.
Lucio immediately made his presence felt by getting into a shoving match with Cisse. The two had to be separated repeatedly before cooler heads prevailed, leading to Cisse’s departure from the game in the 79th minute.
"These things happen but we will see if we can change and have more control in the future," said Benitez.
Substitute Coutinho made things interesting in the 85th minute when he fired a rocket from the left side, making it a one-goal game.
Inter is on a pre-season tour of North America, and is coming off a 3-0 victory over Manchester City in a friendly played on the weekend in Baltimore.
Conspicuously absent for a second straight game on Inter’s roster was young striker Mario Balotelli, who has been the subject of persistent transfer rumours with Manchester City. The 19-year-old forward was not risked in a friendly played against Man City, fuelling debate his departure was imminent. However, Benitez said the team held Balotelli back in Baltimore because of a "muscular problem."
"We have no news (about Balotelli), so everything is like it was before," said Benitez.
Panathinaikos is also coming off a highly successful year, winning the Greek Championship against Macedonian club Iraklis to secure its 20th league title and first in six years, as well as the Greek Cup.
Notes: It was Panathinaikos’s opening game of its two-match North American tour. They will next travel to Detroit on Friday to take on another Italian powerhouse, Inter’s crosstown rival, AC Milan. … Inter Milan will wrap up its North American jaunt with a match against FC Dallas on Thursday at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. … French defender Jean Alain Boumsong, who recently signed with Panathinaikos, did not make the trip. … Both clubs were founded in 1908.