Leonardo will face Genoa for the fourth time in a competitive fixture as coach today: the previous three meetings produced 2 wins for the current Inter coach and 1 win for the Ligurian side, with no draws. Genoa have scored in each of these games - 5 goals in all.

This is the seventh match-up between Ballardini and Inter in a competitive match: the previous results have been 1 win for the coach (2-1 as Lazio coach in the 2009 Italian Super Cup played in Beijing), 1 draw and 4 wins for Inter. In these 6 games, Ballardini's teams have always conceded - 11 in total.

In Serie A 2010/11 Inter are the team that has earned the most points in the second half; compared to their first-half scorelines, they are 16 points better off after 90 minutes. Inter have scored more goals in the last half hour (including added time) of games than any other side on Serie A 2010/11: 27 of their 49 total goals (55.1%). 17 of those goals have been scored between the 61st and 75th minute (the highest number in Serie A 2010/11) and 10 in the last 15 minutes (including added time).

Inter haven't conceded a Serie A goal for 237 minutes, since the 33rd minute of Fiorentina 1-2 Inter on 16 February, when Pasqual scored. Since then, in the remaining 57 minutes of that game and the wins over Cagliari (1-0 at home) and Sampdoria (0-2 away), the Nerazzurri defence has been unbreached.

Inter are one of only 2 teams in the 2010/11 Serie A season - along with Cagliari - yet to have had a player sent off. The last player to be given their marching orders in a league tie for Inter was Muntari on 12 March 2010, in a game Inter lost 3-1 away to Catania. Since then they have played 37 league games without receiving a red card.

Inter haven't drawn a game in their last 16 league fixtures, winning 11 and losing 5. Their last draw was on 10 November away to Lecce (1-1). Leonardo hasn't drawn any of his last 17 Serie A games (12 wins and 5 defeats). His last draw was Milan 2-2 Catania on 11 April 2010.

Genoa are three goals short of 100 in competitive fixtures played against Inter since a single national league was introduced in 1929/30. The first of Genoa's 97 goals to date came on 26 January 1930 in Genoa 1-4 Inter (Serie A), when Banchero scored after 60 minutes; the Nerazzurri's goals were scored by Rivolta (20th minute penalty), Meazza (48 and 84) and Conti (55).

Inter are one of three sides in Serie A 2010/11, along with Roma and Bari, to have been awarded the most penalties: 6 so far, with 5 scored and 1 missed. Genoa are one of 3 teams in Serie A 2010/11 to have conceded the fewest penalties: just 1, the same number as AC Milan and Sampdoria.

MILAN - The final score was 5-2, and that means the seventh victory of the Leonardo era, as Inter took on Genoa in Week 28 Serie A 2010/11.

It was Palacio who got the scoring off to a start with a shot which beat Julio Cesar on the right, and hit the corner of the net on 40 minutes. Inter went into the dressing rooms one goal down but replied in the second half with two in sixty seconds from Pazzini and Eto'o (on 50 and 51 minutes) to turn the match around. The Cameroonian was inspirational and scored with the calm he has always shown. In the 57th minute his goal which brought the score to 3-1 was worthy of a footballing Oscar. San Siro then saw Goran Pandev's first home goal of the season as he hit the fourth. And that was followed by Yuto Nagatomo, who sealed the victory with his first goal for the club on 84 minutes. Genoa managed to pull one back though, in the 90th minute, as Boselli rounded off the match to bring the final score to 5-2.

FIRST HALF - To face Genoa, Leonardo confirmed the defensive duo of Lucio and Ranocchia to command in the centre with Maicon and Chivu playing wide of them. Genoa were without Criscito, Veloso and Floro Flores, who were disqualified, as well as coach Ballardini, and Paloschi and Palacio were given the task of leading the attack. Thiago Motta, Ranocchia and Kharja are all former Genoa players, and Mattia Destro was out of the Genoa side because of injury.
After a minute's silence dedicated to the memory of Massimo Ranzani, the Alpino regiment soldier who died in Afghanistan a few days ago the game kicked off. On five minutes Lucio teed up Sneijder's right-footed effort but he was in an offside posititon. The same thing happened to Eto'o minutes later as he was alone with only the Genoa keeper, Eduardo, to beat after being put through by Maicon (on 10 minutes). He came into contact with Moretti in the 16th minute and was stopped in front of goal, but he admitted himself that the tackle was clean. In the 22nd minute Stankovic had another go, but his shot from the edge of the box went wide. Then in the 26th minute Inter wasted a golden opportunity. Sneijder hit a long ball to Eto'o, who dribbled past three opponents and aimed a left-footed effort across goal. The ball ran along the whole length of the goalmouth, but Pazzini wasn't able to make contact as it passed everyone and rolled out the other side. The former Genoa player tried a header on 29 minutes from an Eto'o cross but fouled Moretti in the process. In the 35th minute Eto'o retreived the ball after a one-two and shot right-footed at goal, but Eduardo was ready for him and saved. Two minutes later, Genoa responded with a cross from Konko for Paloschi and his shot hit the side-netting. In the 40th minute came the goal. Palacio scored from an assist by Konko, once again, hitting the ball hard and low into the bottom corner to beat Julio Cesar: 0-1 to Genoa. In the 43rd minute Eto'o tried to place the ball on Pazzini's head but Eduardo came out to stop the move. On 45 minutes exactly, Russo whistled to bring the first half to a close with the score at 0-1 to Genoa.

SECOND HALF - The second half got off to a start with Pandev on the pitch instead of Stankovic, and it was Kaladze's foul on the Macedonian which gave away a free-kick to the Nerazzurri from 23 metres out. Sneijder took it but Eduardo saved by turning the ball around the post for a corner. Inter drew level in the 50th minute when Pazzini followed up passes between Eto'o and Maicon to blast an unstoppable ball into the top of the net from the right. Sixty seconds later and Eto'o struck again. Pandev shot from outside the box, Eduardo blocked it with his knees but lost control of the ball which fell for Samuel who put it away confidently to make the score 2-1. But today Eto'o had super powers. from just outside the box, the man from Cameroon physically beat Mesto and took the ball off him, then he dribbled past Kaladze, and headed at speed for goal before nutmegging Eduardo. Pazzini's goal and two from Eto'o brought the score to Inter 3-1 Genoa. In the 65th minute Genoa bared their fangs and looked dangerous with Mesto, whose right-footed shot from outside the box scraped the paintwork of Julio Cesar's right post without taking a deflection. But Inter didn't relax and on 68 minutes Pandev missed goal number four, not once, but twice, having to surrender to Eduardo first of all and then to Dainelli. The Macedonian kept on trying though, and his determination was rewarded in the 71st minute with some assistance from Eto'o and Sneijder. Kharja and Nagatomo were brought on in the 75th and 78th minute respectively for Pazzini and Ranocchia. Pandev got a long-awaited goal and Yuto Nagatomo scored for the first time in an Inter shirt, when in the 84th minute he met a ball which Maicon had crossed and Kharja passed on, and spun to hit Eduardo's net just below the bar. Boselli's goal in the 90th minute, from Palacio's cross, ended the scoring. There was no injury time and referee Russo's whistle confirmed the Nerazzurri's second place in the league with 56 points.

INTER 5-2 GENOA

Scorers: 40 Palacio, 50 Pazzini, 51 and 57 Eto'o, 71 Pandev, 84 Nagatomo, 90 Boselli.

Inter: 1 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 6 Lucio, 15 Ranocchia (78 55 Nagatomo), 26 Chivu; 4 Zanetti, 8 Thiago Motta, 5 Stankovic (46 27 Pandev); 10 Sneijder; 7 Pazzini (75 14 Kharja), 9 Eto'o.
Subs not used: 12 Castellazzi, 17 Mariga, 23 Materazzi, 29 Coutinho.
Coach: Leonardo.

Genoa: 1 Eduardo; 20 Mesto, 3 Dainelli, 13 Kaladze (73 2 Chico), 24 Moretti; 7 Rossi, 5 Konko (74 23 Antonelli), 33 Kucka, 18 Rafinha; 8 Palacio, 43 Paloschi (74 9 Boselli).
Subs not used 73 Scarpi, 35 Polenta, 71 Jankovic, 77 Milanetto.
Coach: Davide Ballardini.

Referee: Carmine Russo (Nola).
Bookings. 47 Kaladze.

Added time: 0-0

Spectators: 56,322

starting lineups

substitutes