Arsenal 'Judas' loses on Champions League debut

By Alessandro Schiavone at De Kuip, Rotterdam

Photo: Alessandro Schiavone

Feyenoord 0-2 Inter Milan

Goals: Thuram 38' , Lautaro 50' (Inter Milan)

A player Arsenal fan slagged off for 'betraying' them after he left for better things in 2012 lost on his first-ever European game in the dugout.

Robin van Persie’s managerial Champions League debut didn’t go as planned as Inter Milan claimed a 2-0 win in Rotterdam to leave Feyenoord with a mountain to climb ahead of next week’s return leg to reach the quarter-finals.

The last Italian side standing in Europe’s premier competition, Inter were under no illusion about the size of the task and took nothing for granted against the laborious Dutch.

Feyenoord gambled on a rookie boss like the former Arsenal superstar whose only previous experience as a manager was with lowly Heerenveen.

And in front of a vociferous crowd, Feyenoord laid siege to Inter’s goal from the word go.

Van Persie, who had perhaps the biggest influence on Man United's last Premier League win to date with his 26 goals in 2012/13, had an interesting game plan which his players failed to execute due to their lack of quality in the box and Inter's stubborn defending.

And despite pushing their boundaries and limits, Feyenoord did not manage to turn their possession and dominance into goals with Osman and Moder both failing to beat Inter understudy goalkeeper Josep Martinez.

Late in the first period Francesco Acerbi tried his luck at the far-post but only forced a routine save from Timon Wellenreuther. That was the first time Inter set Feyenoord’s alarm bells ringing since Denzel Dumfries flashed a shot wide in the early stages.

But quality often ends up prevailing and Marcus Thuram gave the Nerazzurri the lead after connecting wonderfully with Dumfries’ cross with the outside of his right boot.

Lautaro Martinez could have doubled the lead before half-time but was denied by the excellent German in Feyenoord’s goal.

But the Argentine made amends five minutes after the restart when he pounced on a loose ball in the box after Piotr Zielinski had his shot blocked.

The Pole also had a penalty saved while Dumfries came close to scoring in his city of birth with an angled effort.

But a lot has to go wrong for Inter to blow it like their fallen city rivals did.