Strugglers Inter earn rare win

19 November 2011 19:16

Troubled Inter Milan earned only their third league win of the season on Saturday as they beat Cagliari 2-1 at the San Siro.

The result left the 2010 Champions League winners still down in 16th position ahead of the rest of the weekend's games and only three points above the relegation zone.

Thiago Motta scored a controversial opener before Coutinho secured the points although Joaquin scored a late goal for the visitors to give Inter some nervy moments at the death.

The victory was crucial for Caludio Ranieri's players who have struggled at the bottom of the table all season.

And they weren't helped before kick-off when playmaker Wesley Sneijder pulled up with a muscle problem, although his replacement in the starting line-up Coutinho grasped the chance with both hands.

For Calgiari, who were being guided by their third coach this season in Davide Ballardini, it continued their recent slump that has seen them now lose their last three and fail to win in six scudetto matches.

The first decent chance of the game came when Cagliari's Albin Ekdal burst 40 yards from the halfway line, holding off Walter Samuel before firing wide.

Thereafter the game settled into a predictable pattern with Inter dominating possession and pushing forward, although they struggled to break down the stubborn Sardinians.

Their best two chances came a couple of minutes apart halfway through the first period.

Giampaolo Pazzini took aim from 20 yards but his fizzed effort was tipped onto the bar by goalkeeper Michael Agazzi.

And moments later Mauro Zarate lined up a free-kick that he sent curling towards the top corner but again Agazzi got a finger-tip to it and the ball struck the crossbar.

Inter broke the deadlock nine minutes into the second half after Ricardo Alvarez, who had replaced Zarate at the break, swung over a free-kick from the left which Pazzini flicked on for Motta to bundle home.

There was a suspicion of both offside and handball from Motta but the officials let the goal stand and there was a huge sigh of relief in the stands.

Brazilian starlet Coutinho came close with a skimming shot that went just wide but then on the hour mark he finished off a swift attacking move with a daisy cutter from 17 yards that crept just inside the near post.

Cagliari looked to have pulled a goal back 20 minutes from time as Davide Biondini played in Larrivey who finished with aplomb but he was ruled offside.

Television replaays suggested he was a lot less offside than Motta had been earlier though.

He was well onside a minute from time, though, when he turned home Radja Nainggolan's shot from the left.

Source: AFP