Brandao foresaw heroics

Brandao says he predicted scoring the dramatic late strike which saw Marseille defeat Inter Milan on away goals in the Champions League.

With Marseille leading the round-of-16 tie 1-0 following the first leg on February 22, the return fixture looked set for extra-time after Diego Milito’s goal levelled the aggregate scores at 1-1.

Brandao, 31, had other ideas, coming off the bench to score a 90th-minute strike and put his team through on away goals, with Giampaolo Pazzini’s subsequent penalty merely a consolation for the home team in a futile 2-1 victory.

Brazilian forward Brandao has since claimed he entered proceedings confident in his ability to decide the outcome.

“(Deschamps) put me in to play extra time, since I was a fresh pair of legs,” Brandao told Globoesporte.

“He called me over and, before going on, I told him ‘I’m going in now, and I am going to score a goal’. He told me ‘so go in there and do it’.”

“After the game, into the camera, I remembered what I had said and I sent my love to everyone in Brazil. I showed once more that I came in and I came in to make a difference.”

Brandao and Marseille will discover their last-eight opponents on Friday, when the draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals is made in Switzerland.