Pazzini strike lifts troubled Inter

18 October 2011 22:35

Struggling Inter Milan gave their season a much-needed shot in the arm here on Tuesday as Giampaolo Pazzini's first-half strike proved enough to beat Lille 1-0 in Champions League group B.

Pazzini volleyed home midway through the first period before Inter dug deep to claim their second win in the group and seize top spot from CSKA Moscow, who beat Trabzonspor 3-0 earlier in the day.

The 2010 Champions League winners -- who were playing their 100th match in the competition -- now have six points from three games and are well-placed to qualify for the last 16, but Lille's hopes of a place in the knockout stages appear to be hanging by a thread after this draining defeat.

Rudi Garcia's side have taken just two points so far and prop up the group, with trips to the San Siro, and to Moscow, still to come.

And yet the French title-holders came into this game with such high hopes of beating an Inter side in crisis, and who Lille's star winger Eden Hazard had described on Monday as being "there for the taking."

Claudio Ranieri's Inter arrived in the far north of France on the back of a weekend defeat to Catania that left them fourth-bottom of Serie A with just four points from six games, and with defenders Andrea Ranocchia and Walter Samuel both missing through injury.

The hosts had problems of their own, with Mickael Landreau ruled out due to a thigh problem, leaving Nigerian Vincent Enyeama to make his debut in goal.

Joe Cole also started, and Lille looked lively early on, only to be undone by a well-worked goal on 21 minutes.

Wesley Sneijder exchanged passes with Pazzini before spreading the ball wide to Mauro Zarate on the left.

The Argentine then crossed for the former Sampdoria striker, who gave Enyeama no chance with a controlled volley from the penalty spot.

The nerazzurri had offered very little going forward up to that point, and were happy to sit back and soak up the pressure after too.

Lille are renowned in France for their attractive brand of possession football, and they looked dangerous whenever Hazard -- who was a transfer target for Inter in the summer -- or Cole in particular got on the ball.

However, the latter's shooting was wayward and Julio Cesar in the visitors' goal hardly had a serious save to make before the break.

The Brazilian was required to keep out a Moussa Sow shot that took a wicked deflection off Cristian Chivu shortly after the restart, though, and later made a decisive intervention to turn substitute Dimitri Payet's curling effort around the post.

Dejan Stankovic came off the bench for Inter and might have extended the three-time European champions' lead, but a committed defensive display in the end proved sufficient for Ranieri's side as they hung on for a 1-0 win that they will now hope can spark their domestic campaign into life.

Source: AFP