Saturday, 01 April 2006 22:15:51
MILAN - Inter beat Messina 3-0 at the Meazza to narrow the gap on second-placed AC Milan, who lost 1-0 at Lecce in Week 32 of the Serie A.

The Nerazzurri dominated from start to finish, with Santiago Solari scoring either side of an Obafemi Martins goal to make it a losing start on the Messina bench for Giampiero Ventura.

Solari put Inter ahead on 15 minutes with a lob over Storari after headed passes from Cruz and Martins.

Four minutes later Martins doubled with his second goal in as many games, a near-range header from a Kily Gonzalez cross.

Solari fired in from a yard out after Storari parried a Materazzi header to put Inter in total control before the half-hour mark.

Messina came out of their shell slightly in the second half but did little to threaten Julio Cesar's goal.

Goalscorers Solari and Martins carved out chances for a fourth goal, with second-half substitute Recoba going close in injury time with a cracking left-foot strike that hit the post.

The Nerazzurri are next in action on Tuesday with the Champions League quarter-final return-leg match against Villarreal at the Estadio El Madrigal.

INTER 3-0 MESSINA (HT: 3-0)

Scorers: Solari 15, 26, Martins 19

INTER: 12 Julio Cesar; 3 Burdisso, 23 Materazzi (20 Recoba 76), 11 Mihajlovic, 33 Wome; 21 Solari, 8 Pizarro (19 Cambiasso 83), 6 C.Zanetti, 18 Kily Gonzalez; 9 Cruz (31 Cesar 68), 30 Martins
Subs not used: 1 Toldo, 2 Cordoba, 4 J.Zanetti, 5 Stankovic,
Coach: Roberto Mancini

MESSINA: 1 Storari; 8 Zoro, 27 Zanchi, 6 Aronica; 14 Sculli (78 Antonelli 73), 25 Nocerino (18 Floccari 53), 7 D'Agostino, 5 Donati, 19 Parisi; 20 Muslimovic (41 Sullo 53), 11 Di Napoli
Subs not used: 88 Caglioni, 2 Rezaei, 9 Nanni, 28 Innocenti
Coach: Giampiero Ventura

Arbitro: Pasquale Rodomonti (Teramo)

Booked: Donati 54