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ATANIA 2-5 INTER
Sunday, 25 February 2007 16:56:35
CESENA – Five different Inter players hit the target as the table-toppers saw off Catania 5-2 in Cesena.
The Nerazzurri remain 14 points clear of second-placed Roma, who won 3-0 at home to Reggina.
Walter Samuel opened the floodgates on the stroke of half time, with Santiago Solari and Fabio Grosso increasing Inter’s lead with two splendid solo goals before Ibrahimovic and Cruz cancelled out replies from Spinesi and Corona.
Inter had the lion’s share of the chances behind closed doors at the Stadio Dino Manuzzi, Ibrahimovic testing Catania keeper Pantanelli in the 12th minute with a fierce low strike from 20 yards.
Julio Cesar kept out a thunderous volley from Caserta before the Nerazzurri took control.
Solari had a first-time effort blocked by Pantanelli, with Stankovic shaving the post with a 25-yard stinger.
Ibra then dragged a Stankovic through ball agonisingly wide before Samuel headed in a corner by the Serbian midfielder to give Inter a half-time lead.
Solari added to Inter’s lead four minutes after the restart. The Argentine winger drifted across the face of the Catania area before sending a low left-foot shot past Pantanelli and in off the right post.
Cruz hit the underside of the crossbar from close range before Grosso made it 3-0 with a spectacular cross-shot from a tight angle that sailed over Pantanelli and into the far corner.
The Sicilians pulled one back through Spinesi in the 65th, but Ibrahimovic controlled a Solari through pass and fired home restore the three-goal lead.
Catania reduced the arrears for the second time when substitute Corona lashed a low volley under Julio Cesar, but once again, Inter’s reply was swift, with Cruz chesting down a Maicon pass and slotting past Pantanelli to seal Inter’s 17th consecutive Serie A victory.
Pasquale Marino’s side played the final minutes with ten men after the sending-off of Spinesi for a second booking.
INTER 2 – VALENCIA 2
MILAN – Villa and Silva replied to Esteban Cambiasso and Maicon goals as Inter were held 2-2 by Valencia at the Giuseppe Meazza.
The Brazilian notched his second for the Nerazzurri after Cambiasso’s fifth of the season was cancelled out by a Villa free kick.
But Silva’s late volley levelled the tie to give Valencia two important away goals ahead of the return leg at the Mestalla.
Roberto Mancini had to reshuffle his midfield pack for the Champions League last 16 first leg after Patrick Vieira was ruled out with a thigh injury, opting for a four-man line of Stankovic, Cambiasso, Figo and Zanetti operating behind strike partners Crespo and Ibrahimovic.
The Nerazzurri soaked up some early Valencia pressure before Crespo, at full stretch, poked wide a Cambiasso through ball.
Ibrahimovic went even closer when his flicked header from Stankovic’s centre came back off the inside of the post.
Valencia keeper Canizares then got down at his near post to keep out a fierce drive by Zanetti.
Inter’s perseverance paid dividends on 29 minutes when Cambiasso headed in at the back post after Canizares parried Ibrahimovic’s near-range effort from a Figo cross.
But two minutes after his goal the Argentine midfielder pulled up with a suspected thigh strain and was replaced by Dacourt.
Inter could have doubled from a devastating counter-attack just before the break when Crespo sent a diving header wide after Stankovic’s inch-perfect delivery from the right.
Villa then wasted a chance for a half-time equaliser when he dragged his right-foot shot wide after turning Cordoba in the box.
Crespo set up Figo just after the restart, but Canizares made an easy save after the Portuguese winger’s diagonal effort was softened by Miguel.
The Spaniards equalised against the run of play when Villa beat Julio Cesar with a powerful curling free kick.
Maicon restored Inter’s advantage on 76 minutes, sliding home after a defence-splitting one-two with second-half sub Julio Cruz.
But Silva crashed home a low volley from the edge of the box with four minutes remaining as Valencia came back from behind again.
MANCINI: “AN UNDESERVED DRAW”
Wednesday, 21 February 2007 23:23:38
MILAN – “I think the 2-2 draw is a deceiving result,” admitted Roberto Mancini after Inter’s Champions League stalemate at the Giuseppe Meazza. “Valencia were dangerous on few occasions, and almost never in the first half. Inter deserved to win the match today.
“We didn’t deserve this draw, even though my ex-coach Vujadin Boskov would have said a draw is better than a defeat… We should have taken better advantage of our chances, but I’m confident and calm ahead of the return leg, and I think we will qualify. I know my team’s abilities so this is why I say I’m sure we will go to Valencia to win, although it won’t be easy.”
Asked to explain why he replaced Cambiasso in the first half, Mancini replied: “He had a muscular problem, but Dacourt came on and played a wonderful match.”
The Inter boss concluded: “We might not have been as brilliant as usual but like I have already said, we deserved to win. The draw is a deceiving result. But I’m sure and confident we can win in Valencia.”
Training pics (Feb. 23)
MANCINI’S SQUAD FOR CATANIA V INTER
Saturday, 24 February 2007 17:44:01
APPIANO GENTILE – Roberto Mancini has named a 21-man squad for Sunday’s match against Catania. The fixture will be played behind closed doors at Cesena’s Stadio Dino Manuzzi.
Goalkeepers: 1 Francesco Toldo, 12 Julio Cesar Soares, 79 Fabian Carini.
Defenders: 2 Ivan Ramiro Cordoba, 4 Javier Zanetti, 6 Maxwell, 11 Fabio Grosso, 13 Maicon, 16 Nicolas Burdisso, 23 Marco Materazzi, 25 Walter Samuel.
Midfielders: 5 Dejan Stankovic, 7 Luis Figo, 21 Santiago Solari, 45 Daniel Maa Boumsong, 57 Attila Filkor, 91 Mariano Gonzalez.
Strikers: 8 Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 9 Julio Cruz, 10 Adriano, 18 Hernan Crespo.
INTER V VALENCIA: STARTING LINEUPS
Wednesday, 21 February 2007 19:49:58
MILAN – Starting lineups for tonight’s UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (kick-off at 20:45):
Inter: 12 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 2 Cordoba, 23 Materazzi, 16 Burdisso; 5 Stankovic, 4 Zanetti, 19 Cambiasso, 7 Figo; 18 Crespo, 8 Ibrahimovic.
Subs: 1 Toldo, 6 Maxwell, 25 Samuel, 21 Solari, 15 Dacourt, 9 Cruz, 10 Adriano.
Coach: Roberto Mancini.
Valencia: 1 Canizares; 2 Miguel, 4 Ayala, 20 Albiol, 24 Moretti; 10 Angulo, 5 Marchena, 6 Albelda, 21 Silva; 7 Villa, 9 Morientes.
Subs: 25 Butelle, 23 Curro Torres, 17 Navarro, 15 Joaquin, 16 Hugo Viana, 18 Lopez, 31 Pallardo.
Coach: Quique Sanchez Flores.
Referee: Martin Hansson (Sweden).
