Talk about a baptism of fire. Milan coach Leonardo walked into his first Champions League game at the helm of the Rossoneri to be confronted by heavy rain, a hostile and partisan crowd and one of the most improved sides on the continent.

And Marseille began the game in just the sort of highly energetic, ultra physical fashion that their coach Didier Deschamps would have asked for.

For the first ten minutes, Milan didn't get to put their foot on the ball and weren't allowed to settle as the French side did a passable impersonation of a Premier League team, all muscular drives from midfield, shoot-on-sight attitude and penalty area pinball. 

Then the somewhat artless Milan began to show some class. Pirlo, Ambrosini and Seedorf began to slow things down in the middle of the park, passing backwards in order to go forward.

Just before the half hour mark, the Rossoneri finally got their reward. The increasingly impressive Seedorf skipped past a couple of challenges and sent a loopy, inch-perfect pass to the unmarked Inzaghi at the back post and the veteran goal-poacher beat the 'keeper from a couple of yards out.

Milan looked to have doused the Marseille fire, although Storari did have to make his first meaningful save just a minute before half time.

It was a bit of a shock when Deschamps' side came out in the second half like a team who had swallowed a lake full of isotonic drink. It must have felt like deja vu for Milan and they were immediately on the back foot just as they had been in the first period.

This time, however, the home side would get their reward.

After a sloppy foul from the still naive Pato, Cheyrou swung in a free-kick and Gabriel Heinze rose highest to fire a header between Storari's legs for the equaliser.

The next 20 minutes were all about Milan weathering a storm as the home side threw everything they had at the Rossoneri. It wasn't subtle and certainly not pretty but Marseille are simply not that kind of side. 

In the end, though, all the huffing and the puffing and the thumped crosses into the box amounted to not very much at all as on 72 minutes Seedorf again lifted a neat pass into the box and Inzaghi jabbed the ball home with the outside of his foot to score his 68th European goal.

A baptism of fire for Leonardo then, but he will be delighted that it was his side's class that made the difference and snatched all three points. That, and the instinct and guile of one of the greatest goalscorers of all time.

Mandanda: 7 - Strong and decisive throughout, especially when coming for crosses. Neither of the goals were his fault.

Heinze: 7 - Scored the equaliser with a cracking header and turned in a composed performance.

Diawara: 6 - Reckless at times, although he was able to outmuscle Pato and kept the Brazilian at bay for the entire 90 minutes.  

Taiwo: 6 - Did well going forward where his maurauding runs allowed Cheyrou to drift wherever he liked but he fell asleep at the back and was nowhere to be seen when Inzaghi arrived to give Milan the lead.

Kabore: 6 - Pushed forward with power down the right-hand flank but was less effective when dealing with the tricky bursts of Seedorf.   

Cheyrou: 7 - Quick and dynamic, he was the force behind most of his sides' assaults on goal. A few too many hopeful crosses into the box, though.

Cisse: 6 - Involved in the midfield battle but offered little in the way of subtlety, alot in the way of bite.

Lucho: 5.5 - Often looked like an expensive spare part in a game that largely passed him by.

Mbia: 6 - Got lost in the general chaos of Marseilles' attacking play.

Niang: 6 - Strong and imposing, he made a number of runs into the left hand channels but was let down by his wayward shooting.

Brandao: 6 - A large and often threatening figure in the box but he fell over almost as often as he fouled.

Subs:

Morientes N/A

Ben Arfa N/A

MILAN

Storari: 6.5 - Responded sensibly to the slippery surface by punching when necessary. Also made a couple of fairly spectacular saves.

Nesta: 7.5 - A vision of calm, unflappable assurance in an otherwise over-crowded madhouse of a penalty area. His pace was also crucial when Marseille counter-attacked.

Zambrotta: 6 - Replaced Jankulovski at left-back and was mostly more convincing than the Czech although he was beaten a couple of times and rarely ventured forward.

Oddo: 6.5 - Showed the physical side of his game to good effect tonight, using impressive upper body strengh to shake off the attentions of the powerful Marseille forwards.

Silva: 6 - Didn't see much of the Brazilian during the game but he was always in the midst of any potential trouble in the Milan area and dealt with it well.

Ambrosini: 6.5 - A typically tenacious performance from the skipper who was instrumental in slowing the flow of the French sides surges and denting their spirit in the process.

Pirlo: 6 - Not a game for the faint-hearted this one and you couldn't help feeling that Pirlo was somewhat out of place as he attempted to be the wall between the Marseille hordes and his own back four.

Flamini: 6.5 - Proved his worth tonight with a disruptive and sometimes brutal display which surely cements his place in the team for the forseeable future.

Seedorf: 7.5 - As his confidence grew, so did his contribution. He laid on both goals for Inzaghi and was easily the most skillful player on the pitch.

Pato: 6 - Suddenly seemed like a little boy in a game full of giants, the Brazilian clearly has talent in spades but he also showed more than a little naivity tonight.

Inzaghi: 8 - What can you say? He was a thorn in the Marseille backside all night and crowned a man-of-the-match performance with two typically clinical strikes on goal.

Substitutes:

Huntelaar: N/A  

Abate: N/A