Super Pippo at the double to punish Marseille

Milan left their mediocre form in Italy's Serie A well behind them to beat Marseille 2-1 at the Stade Velodrome and strike a first blow in their Champions League group C on Tuesday night.

Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi proved a thorn in the side of Didier Deschamps's team on a wet and rainy night in Marseille scoring a goal in either half of an entertaining match and coming close on several other occasions.

Marseille scored early in the second half through defender Gabriel Heinze but despite plenty of pressure from the hosts, Leonardo's visitors held on to claim their first ever victory in Europe over the team that beat them 1-0 to win the trophy in 1993.

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani enthused: "Pippo is extraordinary, his second goal was incredible, I can't see any other way to describe it. Seedorf played a great game too.

"When we people from Milan hear the Champions League music we change. To explain that you'd need a psychiatrist!

"Florentino Perez (Real Madrid president) has just called me to say we're going through to the next round with them - I hope he's right."

Deschamps said: "At the highest level only the result counts. We can say we did some things well but like I said before the game... Milan are Milan.

"They are among the great sides, used to this level.

"As is often the way Italian realism made the difference... we're now in a tricky position for the start of the competition."