Viareggio Cup, Inter 1 - 1 Braga

LA SPEZIA – Inter began the 71st edition of the Viareggio Cup with a draw against Sporting Braga. The Nerazzurri, who are the current title holders, had to settle for a 1-1 scoreline at the Stadio Picco in La Spezia in the opening match in Group 1. Madonna’s team will be back in action on Wednesday 13 March, when they will play Cagliari.

In the opening stages, it was the case of two sides trying to figure one another out. The match then sprung into life in the tenth minute as Pelegrini’s ferocious strike was saved by Pozzer. Inter responded as Mulattieri found Zappa, but Braga managed to stop the Nerazzurri full-back from scoring just a few metres from goal. In the second half of the first period, there wasn’t a lot of goalmouth action, with both teams struggling to feed the ball through to their strikers.

Braga took the lead just before the hour mark as Costa found the back of the net following a corner. Inter then went in search of an equaliser: Burgio crossed it in for Colidio, but the latter’s effort was comfortably kept out by Ferreira. In the 71st minute, Inter equalised with a wonderful goal: Corrado won the ball back in defence, combined with Colidio and then finished across the goalkeeper with his left foot. Six minutes later, Ferreira needed two attempts to save Colidio’s free kick. As the match was coming to a close, Vergani was unable to convert in front of goal, meaning it finished 0-0.

INTER 1-1 BRAGA Goalscorers: 59’ Costa, 71’ Corrado

INTER: 1 Pozzer; 22 Zappa (C) (66’ Rossi 17), 23 Van Den Eynden, 13 Ntube, 19 Colombini (66’ Corrado 3); 5 Roric, 8 Schirò (66’ Demirovic 24), 15 Gianelli (55’ Burgio 20); 10 D'Amico (81’ Persyn 7), 18 Colidio, 11 Mulattieri (55’ Vergani 9)Substitutes:  12 Stankovic, 21 Dekic, 2 Grassini,  4 Nolan, 6 Rizzo, 14 Ballabio, 16 AttysCoach: Armando Madonna

BRAGA: 1 Ferreira, 2 Caldeira, 3 Guilherme, 4 Rodrigues, 5 Vilela, 6 Costa (C), 8 Moreira, 16 Pelegrini (46’ Edoardo 10), 18 Ribeiro (66’ Oliveira 9), 19 Formentini (46’ Sanca 7), 20 Santos (62’ Braga 14)Substitutes: 12 Ribeiro Rui,  9 Oliveira, 11 Gomes, 13 Lotitto, 15 Veiga, 17 Vieira

Bookings: Colidio (39'), Costa (69') 

Added time: 1' - 3' 

Referee: Giua AntonioAssistants: Macaddino and Marchi