Final score

6 April 2008 15:00

Atalanta
Inter
29' (2nd half) Balotelli
21' Vieira
Referee: De Marco / Linesmen: Carrer, Carretta / Fourth official: Tommasi
Watch highlights
Minute Text commentary
45' Half time. Atalanta 0-1 Inter.
44' Belleri's sliced effort from inside our area is way off target, going out for a defending throw.
39' Crespo tucks home after pouncing on Balotelli's deflected effort from Stankovic's brilliant cross, but the flag goes up for offside.
37' Cristiano Doni's 25-yard free kick has power, but not precision. Goal kick for Inter.
33' Bellini beats Stankovic to Crespo's left-wing cross and heads clear to end a long passing move by Mancini's team.
25' Back in the Atalanta half, Stankovic blasts high and wide after receiving from Mario Balotelli, who is all over the park in these opening 25 minutes.
24' Julio Cesar saves Floccari's poked effort from Ferreira Pinto's inswinging cross, but the flag goes up for offside.
21' GOOAAALLL!!!!! Patrick Vieira heads home Balotelli's right-wing corner. ATALANTA 0-1 INTER.
20' Balotelli serves Crespo again, but the Argentine is flagged offside.
18' Crespo is tackled just outside the box after collecting a pin-point pass from Supermario.
14' From 25 yards Ferreira Pinto fires narrowly wide of the right post.
11' Inter close through Cambiasso. Maicon's deep right-wing free kick is punched clear by Coppola. Esteban is straight on to the loose ball and crashes his first-time shot just wide of the woodwork.
8' Mario Balotelli collects in the Atalanta third and sends a low shot wide of the left post.
7' Ferreira Pinto looks for Floccari with a quick cross to the near post, but Julio Cesar is alert to the danger.
4' Inter counter-attack the Bergamo Nerazzurri. Stankovic receives on the right from Zanetti and whips in a cross. Crespo heads at Coppola but the flag goes up for offside.
2' Atalanta win a corner. Doni heads wide Tissone's cross from the right.
1' Welcome to the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia for this afternoon's Lombardy derby between Atalanta and Inter.
1' We're under way in Bergamo. Inter kick off.
1' Team news: <br>Inter: 12 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 24 Rivas, 16 Burdisso, 6 Maxwell; 4 Zanetti, 14 Vieira, 19 Cambiasso, 5 Stankovic; 18 Crespo, 45 Balotelli.
1' Team news: <br>Atalanta: 30 Coppola; 3 Belleri, 5 Manfredini, 26 Pellegrino, 6 Bellini; 79 Ferreira Pinto, 21 Tissone, 17 Guarente, 23 Langella; 72 Doni; 33 Floccari.
1' The Serie A leaders go into today's match with a slender one-point avantage over Roma, 3-2 winners over Genoa at the Olimpico in Saturday's early fixture.
Minute Text commentary
50' Full time. Inter beat Atalanta 2-0.
49' Inzaghi and Paolucci fail to connect with Ferreira Pinto's ball into the six-yard box.
46' Doni is sent off for a second yellow.
46' Burdisso blocks Bellini's low left-wing cross.
45' Four minutes of added time.
43' Burdisso clears Inzaghi's weak pass into the middle of our area.
41' Doni is booked for protesting against an offside decision.
38' Luis Figo comes on for Mario Balotelli.
35' Luigi Del Neri brings on Paolucci for Floccari.
29' GOOOAAAALLL!!!!! Mario Balotelli latches on to Stankovic's hooked through ball, runs into the box and rounds Coppola before sliding into an open goal. ATALANTA 0-2 INTER.
28' Atalanta bring on Simone Inzaghi for Langella.
26' Inter waste a chance to kill off the game. Cruz taps wide with just Coppola to beat after meeting Balotelli's intuitive through ball.
23' Maicon is booked for a foul on Bellini.
22' Floccari scuffs his shot, allowing Cruz to sweep clear.
22' Atalanta bring on De Ascentis for Tissone.
21' Maicon gets the slightest of touches to Balotelli's free kick but the Brazilian's effort is wide.
20' Tissone is booked for holding back Cruz.
18' Inter make another change. Materazzi comes on for Rivas.
17' Pellegrino's header from Ferreira Pinto's corner is saved by Julio Cesar.
16' Doni's free kick is headed behind for a corner by Burdisso.
15' Balotelli is yellow-carded for a rash challenge on Tissone.
14' Floccari outjumps Zanetti to a cross into the area and heads wide.
12' Mancini replaces Crespo with Cruz.
11' Floccari turns in the box and sends a low shot straight at Julio Cesar.
10' Langella blasts way off target after drifting across the face of our area.
9' Headed clearance by Rivas from Langella's left-wing cross.
7' Maicon makes a headed clearance to deny Langella a clear chance on goal.
6' The home side have made a bright start to the second period but so far there's no way through for Del Neri's side.
1' Atalanta get the second half under way.
1' Langella turns Stankovic on the edge of the box and sends his right-foot shot wide of the target.
Zanetti
7.92
7.92
Materazzi
6.35
6.35
Crespo
6.39
6.39
Cruz
6.55
6.55
Stankovic
6.26
6.26
Cambiasso
7.76
7.76
Burdisso
6.34
6.34
Julio Cesar
7.2
7.2
Figo
6.69
6.69
Maicon
6.77
6.77
Maxwell
6.49
6.49
Vieira
7.89
7.89
Rivas
7.5
7.5
Balotelli
8.4
8.4
Average rating 7.04
2 shots on target 2
11 shots off target 5
15 fouls committed 12
9 corners 1
2 offsides 6
27:05 ball possession 24:40
Del Neri v Mancini

Atalanta boss Luigi Del Neri has won 3, drawn 3 and lost 5 of his 11 competitive meetings with Roberto Mancini.

Details:
2001/02 Serie A ChievoVerona-Fiorentina 2-0 ----
2002/03 Serie A ChievoVerona-Lazio 1-1 3-2
2003/04 Serie A ChievoVerona-Lazio 0-0 0-1
2004/05 Serie A Roma-Inter 3-3 0-2
2005/06 Serie A Palermo-Inter 3-2 0-3
2006/07 Serie A ChievoVerona-Inter 0-2 ----
2007/08 Serie A Atalanta-Inter ---- 1-2

Del Neri v Inter

The Atalanta coach has faced Inter 12 times, winning 3, drawing 3 and losing 6. Del Neri's teams have conceded in all of their six home matches against the Nerazzurri, letting in a total of 12 goals.

Details:
2001/02 Serie A ChievoVerona-Inter 2-2 2-1
2002/03 Serie A ChievoVerona-Inter 2-1 1-2
2003/04 Serie A ChievoVerona-Inter 0-2 0-0
2004/05 Serie A Roma-Inter 3-3 0-2
2005/06 Serie A Palermo-Inter 3-2 0-3
2006/07 Serie A ChievoVerona-Inter 0-2 ----
2007/08 Serie A Atalanta-Inter ---- 1-2

Mancini v Atalanta

Roberto Mancini is unbeaten in competitive meetings with Atalanta, with 8 wins and 3 draws from 11 games against the Bergamo Nerazzurri. His teams have scored in every away match against Atalanta, netting a total of 6 goals.

Details:
2000/01 Serie A Fiorentina-Atalanta 1-1 ----
2001/02 Serie A Fiorentina-Atalanta 3-1 ----
2002/03 Serie A Lazio-Atalanta 0-0 1-0
2004/05 Serie A Inter-Atalanta 1-0 3-2
2004/05 Coppa Italia Inter-Atalanta 3-0 1-0
2006/07 Serie A Inter-Atalanta 2-1 1-1
2007/08 Serie A Inter-Atalanta 2-1 ----

Disciplinary situation


Atalanta
Disqualified: Carrozzieri.
Cautioned: De Ascentis, Doni, Floccari, Guarente, Langella, Rivalta, Talamonti.

Inter
Disqualified: -
Cautioned: Cambiasso, Cordoba, Figo, Jimenez, Julio Cesar, Vieira.

Cristiano Doni set for 200th Serie A appearance

If selected to play against Inter on Sunday, Cristiano Doni will make his 200th appearance in Italy's Serie A. The midfielder, who has played for Brescia and Sampdoria besides Atalanta, made his Serie A debut in Inter 2-1 Brescia on 31 August 1997. Doni is Atalanta's all time top goalscorer, with 79 goals in Serie A and B matches. In the top flight, he is one goal away from bettering the club record of 57 goals that he currently shares with Adriano Bassetto.

Inter, 2500th match in one-division Serie A championship

Atalanta v Inter is the Milanese team's 2500th match in the Serie A championship since the tournament became a one-division affair in 1929/30. The statistic excludes playoffs. Inter's first match in the one-division Serie A championship was a 2-1 away win over Livorno n 6 October 1929, when Rivolta and Meazza scored for the Nerazzurri to cancel out Palandri's opener. In 2499 games Inter have collected 1226 victories, 716 draws and 557 defeats.

Inter without a win in 4 Serie A away games

The Nerazzurri's last league win on the road was their 2-0 win at Catania on 10 February 2008. Mancini's men have since collected 3 draws and 1 defeat from their Serie A travels. If they don't win at Atalanta, Inter will be just one more negative result away from matching the run of six straight away draws from October-December 2004.

Cruz two short of 100th goal

With 98 goals in competitive matches, Julio Ricardo Cruz is just two away from a century of goals for Italian clubs. The Argentine forward, who scored his first Italian goal in Napoli 1-5 Bologna on 22 October 2000, has netted 30 times for the Rossoblu and 68 times for Inter (71 goals in Serie A, 14 in Coppa Italia and 13 in European competitions).

DA IMPLEMENTARE
wins(25) draws(23) defeats(16)

BERGAMO - Inter beat Atalanta to keep their four-point advantage over Roma with six games of the Serie A season remaining.

Patrick Vieira marked a return to top form with the opening goal after 21 minutes, Mario Balotelli adding a well taken second in the 74th.

Mancini called up just three strikers for the Bergamo trip, selecting Crespo and Balotelli in his starting XI and leaving Cruz on the bench.

Seventeen-year-old Balotelli combined with El Valdanito to perfection and it was the offside flag that kept Inter from going into the break with a big lead.

Inter went close to what would have been a stunning goal when Cambiasso crashed his first-time effort just wide of the woodwork after pouncing on a loose ball.

The Argentine marshalled the midfield brilliantly with Vieira and it was the Frenchman who grabbed a deserved opener when he headed in Balotelli's corner.

Crespo tucked home just before the break after latching on to Balotelli's deflected effort from Stankovic's brilliant cross, but the flag went up for offside.

The Bergamo Nerazzurri made a bright start to the second half but Del Neri's men paid for their imprecision.

Mancini brought on Cruz for Crespo and El Jardinero - two goals short of a double century for Italian clubs - squandered a chance to kill off the game when he shot wide after Balotelli's perfectly-timed pass.

The youngster did better in the 74th minute, sliding into an open goal after taking Stankovic's hooked through pass into the box and rounding Coppola.

Atalanta continued to attack after falling two behind but never seriously threatened Julio Cesar's goal.

They finished the match with ten men after Doni was red-carded for a second yellow.

Atalanta 0-2 Inter (HT: 0-1)

Scorers: Vieira 21, Balotelli 74.

Atalanta: 30 Coppola; 3 Belleri, 5 Manfredini, 26 Pellegrino, 6 Bellini; 79 Ferreira Pinto, 21 Tissone (15 De Ascentis 67), 17 Guarente, 23 Langella (10 Inzaghi 73); 72 Doni; 33 Floccari (9 Paolucci 80).
Subs not used: 1 Forsyth, 22 Padoin, 27 Capelli, 32 Fissore.
Coach: Luigi Del Neri.

Inter: 12 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 24 Rivas (23 Materazzi 63), 16 Burdisso, 6 Maxwell; 4 Zanetti, 14 Vieira, 19 Cambiasso, 5 Stankovic; 18 Crespo (9 Cruz 57), 45 Balotelli (7 Figo 83).
Subs not used: 1 Toldo, 11 Jimenez, 28 Maniche, 30 Pelé.
Coach: Roberto Mancini.

Referee: Andrea De Marco (Chiavari).

Booked: Balotelli 60, Tissone 65, Maicon 68, Doni 86.
Sent off: Doni 90+1.

starting lineups

Coppola 12 Julio Cesar
Belleri 13 Maicon
Manfredini 24 Rivas
Pellegrino 16 Burdisso
Bellini 6 Maxwell
Ferreira Pinto 4 Zanetti
Tissone 14 Vieira
Guarente 19 Cambiasso
Langella 5 Stankovic
Doni 18 Crespo
Floccari 45 Balotelli

substitutes

Forsyth 1 Toldo
Capelli 23 Materazzi
Fissore 7 Figo
De Ascentis 11 Jimenez
Padoin 28 Maniche
Inzaghi 30 Pelé
Paolucci 9 Cruz