Final score

23 April 2011 15:00

Inter
8' (2nd half) Eto'o
40' Sneijder
2 - 1
Lazio
24' Zarate (P)
Referee: Emidio Morganti / Linesmen: Ghiandai, Giordano / Fourth official: Brighi
Watch highlights
Minute Text commentary
47' After two minutes of added time, the first half of Inter v Lazio finishes 1-1
46' Nagatomo intercepts Lichtsteiner's cross for Floccari. Castellazzi takes a knock on the knee as he clashes with Floccari
45' The referee allows two minutes of added time
44' Maicon sends in yet another cross from the right but Muslera is there to take the high catch
43' Sneijder takes another free-kick from inside the Inter half, but Muslera comes out to catch
42' YELLOW CARD: Ledesma's name finds its way into the book
40' GOAL INTER: Sneijder scores from a curling free-kick
38' YELLOW CARD: Garrido is booked for a foul on Zanetti
36' Cross from Zarate on the right for Floccari, Lucio heads clear
35' Ranocchia closes Zarate down
33' Zarate tries a shot from the right-hand side of the area, Castellazzi puts it away for a corner
29' Maicon cross from the right wing is long and no one can reach it
28' Inter react as Muslera has to make saves first from Stankovic and then Sneijder
26' Sneijder's free kick is just too far ahead of Ranocchia; Dias puts the ball over for a corner
24' GOAL LAZIO: Zarate scores the penalty sending Castellazzi the wrong way
23' Castellazzi, the reserve gaolkeeper is brought on and Milito has to come off to make room for him
22' PENALTY and RED CARD the referee awards a penalty as Julio Cesar pulls down Zarate in the penalty area. He picks up a red card, Inter down to ten men
19' Eto'o drives the ball across into the centre, Stankovic right-footed sends the ball high over the crossbar
16' Eto'o's right-footed shot flies high over the bar
15' Zarate is heading for goal when Ranocchia slides in to take the ball
14' Maicon tries to find Eto'o with a cross from the right, but Muslera comes out again to intercept
13' Maicon attacks on the right wing and finds Milito in the centre, but Dias beats him to the ball
12' Bresciano crosses from the left for Dias, but the ball spins off to the left of Julio Cesar
11' Eto'o on the edge of the box but Floccari wins the ball
10' Zanetti tackles Zarate
9' A long ball through the centre for Milito is picked up by Muslera as he comes off his line
8' Mauri tries a left-footed volley, but Lucio heads clear
6' Eto'o tries to curl the ball in, but it's wide
5' Zarate with a right-footed shot which Julio Cesar parries, fortunately Nagatomo is at hand to clear
3' Sneijder with a free kick, Biava manages to get there before Ranocchia
2' Floccari receives a ball from the left but his shot goes wide
1' WELCOME to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza where we are counting down to the kick-off of Inter v Lazio, Serie A 2010/11 Week 34
1' Inter kick off
1' To play against Lazio, Leonardo has selected Lucio and Ranocchia as the defensive duo in the centre in front of Julio Cesar with Maicon and Nagatomo playing ouside them; the midfield is made up of Zanetti, Cambiasso and Stankovic with Sneijder playing behind strikers Milito and Eto'o
Minute Text commentary
50' After five minutes of added time the match finishes Inter 2-1 Lazio.
47' Zanetti with a sliding tackle on Zarate sends the ball over for a corner
45' The referee allows five minutes of added time
43' Zarate crosses from the right, Rocchi dives but connects badly with the ball and it goes wide
42' Maicon takes the corner but Mariga's header is high and over the bar
41' Dias follows Eto'o into the area and sends the ball over for a corner
39' Musleri pulls off a great save from Maicon as he hits Zanetti's through ball with his left
36' SUBSTITUTION LAZIO: Garrido comes off and Rocchi is brought on
34' Lichtsteiner is tackled by Obi as he tries to get away on the right
33' SUBSTITUTION INTER: Sneijder comes off for Obi
30' Biavo slides in to tackle Nagatomo and send the ball over for a corner
30' Kozak blasts with his right foot against the crossbar
29' Eto'o shoots from the right left-footed and Muslera saves
28' Lichtsteiner robs Eto'o as he tries to break away on the counter-attack
26' SUBSTITUTION LAZIO: Bresciano comes off for Brocchi
25' SUBSTITUTION LAZIO: Floccari is replaced by Kozak
21' RED CARD: Mauri is sent for an early bath for a foul on Nagatomo
18' Zarate receives the ball from Mauri who shoots with his right foot, the ball goes wide
17' YELLOW CARD: Mariga is booked
15' Ledesma sends in a deep high ball, Dias turns the ball into the side-netting from a few metres out
13' Another cross from Lichtsteiner on the right wing for Floccari who gets to the ball before Castellazzi; Ranocchia clears from the goal-line
10' Zarate tests Castellazzi with a ball which cuts through the area, but the keeper is at the near post to save
8' GOAL INTER: Eto'o, picks up a through pass from Zanetti, dribbles around Dias and Biava and places the ball out of Muslera's reach into the empty net
7' SUBSTITUTION: Stankovic comes off injured, Mariga replaces him
6' Sneijder has a shot but it flies wide of the goal
5' YELLOW CARD : Zarate is booked
4' Lichtsteiner blocks Nagatomo attacking run along the left wing
1' The second half of Inter v Lazio gets underway
Zanetti
8.04
8.04
Stankovic
7.23
7.23
Cambiasso
7.3
7.3
Julio Cesar
5.6
5.6
Maicon
7.14
7.14
Milito
6.16
6.16
Obi
6.82
6.82
Lucio
7.27
7.27
Eto'o
8.41
8.41
Sneijder
8.15
8.15
Mariga
6.63
6.63
Castellazzi
6.63
6.63
Ranocchia
6.81
6.81
Nagatomo
8.31
8.31
Average rating 7.18
6 shots on target 3
3 shots off target 5
9 fouls committed 15
5 corners 11
2 offsides 2
20:39 ball possession 26:20
Leonardo v Reja: one game, one draw

There has only been one previous match between the current coaches of these two sides: in Serie A 2009/10 Leonardo's AC Milan drew 1-1 against Reja's Lazio at the Meazza. As a player, Leonardo faced opposition coached by Reja three times (always Vicenza), with all three ending in a 2-0 scoreline: 2 for the Brazilian and 1 for the current Lazio coach.

Leonardo unbeaten against Lazio

This is the third time, as a coach, that Leonardo has faced Lazio. So far he has won 1 and drawn 1. Leonardo has fond memories of Lazio from his playing career: he made his Serie A debut against them on 13 September 1997 in AC Milan 1-1 Lazio. In total he played against the Biancocelesti 7 times, with 2 wins, 4 draws and 1 defeat, scoring once.

Inter v Reja: Nerazzurri unbeaten at home

Edy Reja is facing Inter for the 9th time in his coaching career. To date he has recorded 2 wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats. It is worth noting that Reja has never won at the Meazza, having drawn 2 and lost 2 (both times 2-1). In the four competitive fixtures played in Milan between Reja's teams and Inter, both sides have always scored: 4 goals for Reja's teams and 6 for the Nerazzurri.

Inter's home record in Serie A: one defeat in 57 games

Inter have lost just one of their last 57 Serie A matches played at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza: against AC Milan on 14 November 2010 (0-1). The Nerazzurri's record in the other 56 games in that period is 43 wins (including all 10 of the last 10) and 13 draws.

Nothing but home wins for Inter in the league with Leonardo at the helm

Inter have won all of their last 10 Serie A fixtures played at home. Should the Nerazzurri make it 11 this afternoon, it would be their longest winning run since September 2007-February 2008.

Milito closing in on century

Diego Alberto Milito needs three more goals to make it 100 in games played for Italian teams. The first of his 97 strikes – which have come wearing the colours of Genoa and Inter, 51 in Serie A, 33 in Serie B, 5 in the Coppa Italia, 7 in European competitions and 1 in the Club World Cup – came on 1 February 2004, in the 39th minute of Genoa 1-1 Ascoli (Serie B).

Lazio without a goal in Milan for 409 minutes; last win at the Meazza in 1998/99

Lazio haven't scored a goal at the Meazza against the Nerazzurri in four and a half games. They last hit the net on 13 May 2007 in Inter 4-3 Lazio, when Ledesma scored in the 41st minute. Since then they have played 409 minutes at the San Siro without scoring: the rest of that game, a 3-0 Inter win in Serie A 2007/08, 0-0 in the Coppa Italia 2007/08, a 2-0 Nerazzurri victory in Serie A 2008/09 and a 1-0 league win for Inter last season. The last time Lazio beat Inter at the San Siro was on 18 October 1998, when the Biancocelesti emerged victorious from an an 8-goal thriller: Inter 3-5 Lazio. In the 15 competitive fixtures played in Milan between the two sides since since then, there have been 7 Inter wins and 8 draws.

Lazio looking to beat their record for most wins in a 20-team Serie A season

So far Lazio have won 18 of their 33 league matches in 2010/11, equalling their record for most wins in a league season with 20 teams. Previously they managed 18 wins in 1949/50, 1950/51 and 2006/07.

Ledesma: 300 games in Italy

If he should play today, Cristian Daniel Ledesma will celebrate his 300th appearance in a competitive fixture in Italy. His 299 appearances to date - wearing the colours of Lecce and Lazio - are divided as follows: 239 in Serie A, 29 in Serie B, 24 in Coppa Italia and 7 in European competitions. His debut came on 24 October 2001: Lecce 1-3 Messina (Coppa Italia).

DA IMPLEMENTARE
wins(46) draws(26) defeats(10)
MILAN – Tomorrow may be Easter Sunday but all of Inter's surprises arrived a day early on the pitch for Week 34 of Serie A 2010/11. Inside their egg the Nerazzurri found a well-earned victory against Lazio (by 2 goals to 1) and three points which put them back into second place in the league, with the help of Napoli who lost at Palermo.

It was end-to-end play in the first half at the Stadio Meazza, with Lazio taking the lead in the 24th minute when Zarate scored from the spot, after being pulled down in the area by Julio Cesar, who was subsequently sent off to leave Inter with ten men. Milito paid the price and was taken off to make way for Castellazzi. They may have been inferior in number, but by no means in spirit and the Nerazzurri equaliser came eventually. On 40 minutes Sneijder made it 1-1 with a perfect free-kick which was out of Muslera's reach. Then it took a classic super-Eto'o run to leave Dias and Biava for dead before dribbling around Muslera to put Inter 2-1 up in the 8th minute of the second half. Mauri received his marching orders in the 22nd minute of the second half bringing the teams back to ten men apiece.

 

First half – To take on Lazio, Inter had Eto'o back in the line-up and Leonardo positioned him alongside Milito, playing in front of Sneijder who liaised between the attack and midfield, while Pazzini started on the bench. For the Biancocelesti, Zarate and Floccari made up the attack. The fans, who are twinned, dedicated the pre-match choreography to the memory of Gabriele Sandri.
Zarate was the first to try out his boots with a long-distance right-footed shot which Julio Cesar punched away two-fisted, before Nagatomo made the final clearance in the 5th minute. From the same position at the other end, one minute later, Eto'o responded with a curling shot off his right instep but it flew wide of the mark. Then the Cameroonian was speeding towards goal once again, only to be intercepted by Floccari who pulled him down at the edge of the area. Morganti decided it wasn't a foul and Lazio started off again. Zarate showed he could be dangerous in the penalty box on 15 minutes as jinked his way past Maicon and then Lucio, leaving Ranocchia's timely intervention to save the day. Eto'o passed to Stankovic who was looking for his first goal against his old side and his shot, from well out, sped over the bar after 19 minutes. After only 22 minutes' play, Inter were down to ten men when Julio Cesar was sent off. The Brazilian keeper came off his line to take on Zarate who was looking like scoring and seemed to have made contact. Morganti was in no doubt and pointed to the spot, from which Zarate duly scored, 0-1. Milito too, paid the price when he was taken off to allow Castellazzi to take over in goal. Inter were in no mood for giving up though, and it was up to Sneijder to find the equaliser. He tried with a free-kick which Ranocchia almost got to, forcing Dias to concede a corner on 26 minutes and with a low, hard, right-footed effort which Muslera needed all his skill to save on 28 minutes. He finally managed to break through after 40 minutes. Bresciano had fouled Eto'o just outside the area and the Dutchman stepped up to curl the ball over the wall, into the top left-hand corner of the net, out of the Biancoceleste keeper's reach and brought the teams level at 1-1.
Morganti signalled two minutes of added time, but Lichtsteiner had time enough to find Floccari with an inch-perfect cross and it was only Nagatomo's timely interception that prevented it from reaching the net. In the clash Castellazzi took a nasty knock on the right leg.

Second half – The second half got underway without any changes being made to the teams, however after 7 minutes Stankovic pulled up with muscle problems and had to be taken off with Mariga coming on in his place. It was beginning to look like yet another unlucky day for the Nerazzurri, but then Eto'o popped up to change the face of the game. He picked up a through ball from Zanetti perfectly and capitalised on Biava's slip to dribble past Dias. He took the ball wide of Muslera and slotted it home with his left instep to put Inter into the lead at 2-1. In the 13th minute Lucio missed Lichtsteiner's cross and Floccari was unmarked in front of goal, but the ball ended up in the side-netting. Leonardo asked Sneijder who wasn't fully fit to make the sacrifice, but it was Eto'o who gave the ball away in midfield and the equaliser was looking very much on from Zarate's volley, but he didn't managed to put it away with only Castellazzi to beat. In the 21st minute Nagatomo fouled Mauri who reacted and kicked out at the Japanese defender, sending him reeling. He was shown the red card and that evened the numbers at ten men apiece. On the half hour mark, Lazio came close to equalising once again. Brocchi crossed and Zarate chested down only for Kozak to smash his shot against the bar. Inter came back though and Zanetti laid off a perfect ball for Maicon who was only denied by Muslera's superb save. Morganti indicated that there were five minutes of added time to play, but Inter kept their wits about them as they tried to make it three. This wasn't to be but they did pick up the three points to take them onto 66 and back up to second place behind AC Milan.

Inter 2-1 Lazio (HT: 1-1)
Scorers
: 24 Zarate (pen), 40 Sneijder, 53 Eto'o.

Inter: 1 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 6 Lucio, 15 Ranocchia, 55 Nagatomo; 4 Zanetti, 19 Cambiasso, 5 Stankovic (17 Mariga 52); 10 Sneijder (20 Obi 78); 22 Milito (12 Castellazzi 23), 9 Eto'o.
Unused subs: 7 Pazzini, 23 Materazzi, 26 Chivu, 27 Pandev.
Coach: Leonardo.

Lazio: 86 Muslera; 2 Lichtsteiner, 3 Dias, 20 Biava, 14 Garrido (9 Rocchi 81); 23 Bresciano (32 Brocchi 71), 24 Ledesma; 6 Mauri; 8 Hernanes; 10 Zarate, 22 Floccari (18 Kozak 70).
Unused subs: 12 Berni, 5 Scaloni, 15 Gonzalez, 81 Del Nero.
Coach: Edoardo Reja.

Referee: Emidio Morganti (Ascoli Piceno).
Booked: Garrido 38, Leonardo 42, Zarate 50, Mariga 62.

Sent off: Julio Cesar 22, Mauri 66.

Added time: 2 + 5 minutes.


starting lineups

Julio Cesar 1 Muslera
Maicon 13 Lichtsteiner
Lucio 6 Dias
Ranocchia 15 Biava
Nagatomo 55 Garrido
Zanetti 4 Bresciano
Cambiasso 19 Ledesma
Stankovic 5 Mauri
Sneijder 10 Hernanes
Eto'o 9 Zarate
Milito 22 Floccari

substitutes

Castellazzi 12 Berni
Materazzi 23 Scaloni
Chivu 26 Rocchi
Mariga 17 Gonzalez
Obi 20 Kozak
Pazzini 7 Del Nero
Pandev 27 Brocchi