Final score

26 October 2008 15:00

Inter
Genoa
Referee: Daniele Orsato / Linesmen: Pugiotto, Cariolato / Fourth official: Marelli
Watch highlights
Minute Text commentary
46' It's 0-0 after an entertaining first half in Milan.
45' 1 minute of added time at the Meazza.
44' End to end stuff as the Nerazzurri come straight back at Gasperini's side and win a corner after Ibra's header from Adri's cross takes a deflection.
43' The Rossoblu attack back and Giuseppe Sculli fires wide from just inside the area.
43' Ibrahimovic's effort from the free kick hits the Genoa wall.
42' Matteo Ferrari is the third player of the afternoon to receive a yellow card. Inter win a free kick in a central position just over 25 yards out following the Italian's foul on Stankovic.
39' Juric looks for Diego Milito with a lofted pass into our box. Julio Cesar gets there first.
38' The flag stays down as Ibrahimovic collects Adri's pass wide. The Swede's right-wing cross is punched clear by Rubinho.
36' Another chance for Genoa and a scare for Inter as Mesto's 30-yarder comes back off the bar.
36' Brilliant save by Julio Cesar from Milito's snapshot. Ivan Juric is quickest to the loose ball but the Croatian blasts wide his follow-up.
33' Quaresma looks for a top right corner with a brilliant curling shot from the left angle of the Genoa box. It's just wide.
32' San Siro goes ooooh as Ibra receives just inside the box from Adriano, turns and fires just over the bar.
26' Play temporarily halted as Motta receives treatment to a shoulder knock.
26' Chivu's free kick spins off Biava and ends up in the arms of Rubinho.
25' Criscito is booked for an obstruction foul on Ibrahimovic.
24' Good chance for the Nerazzurri, but the flag goes up for offside after Ibra races on to a through ball and slides wide.
22' Adri loses the ball in the centre circle and the Rossoblu launch a counter-attack. Milito's header is saved by Julio Cesar.
17' Ibra whips in a dangerous cross-shot from the right after losing his marker for dead with a beautiful piece of skill. Rubinho smothers the ball to deny Adriano.
15' Dejan Stankovic fires wide of the left post from 30 yards.
12' Sulley Muntari is shown a yellow card following a challenge on Giuseppe Biava.
8' Giandomenico Mestio blasts into the Curva after winning the ball off Zanetti.
6' Genoa captain Marco Rossi misses from two yards out after Milito's cross from the left.
2' Ibrahimovic barges past two and plays wide to Quaresma. The Portuguese delivers a left-wing cross into the six-yard box but Ibra's backpost effort is wayward.
1' Welcome to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, where the teams are out warming up ahead of today's 15:00CET kick-off.
1' Genoa get the match under way and will attack the Curva Sud in the first half. FORZA NERAZZURRI!!!
1' Lineups: <br> Inter: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Cordoba, Burdisso, Chivu; Zanetti, Stankovic, Muntari; Adriano, Ibrahimovic, Quaresma. <br> Genoa: Rubinho; Papastathopoulos, Biava, Ferrari; Mesto, Motta, Juric, Criscito; Rossi, Milito, Sculli.
Minute Text commentary
51' Full time. Ten-man Genoa hold Inter at the Meazza.
51' Thiago Motta's fierce low effort is kept out by Julio Cesar.
51' Genoa win a free kick on the right wing after a Burdisso foul on Vanden Borre.
49' Dejan Stankovic requires treatment after pulling a muscle while making a clearance from his own box.
48' Inter have a penalty claim turned down after a shove on Obinna by Motta.
45' Five minutes of overtime.
44' Julio Cruz' angled cross-shot is saved by the Genoa keeper.
41' Rubinho beats Cruz to Obinna's left-wing cross. No way through for the Nerazzurri, who have scored in each of their last sixty Serie A home matches.
41' Cristian Chivu has a shot parried by Rubinho.
39' Genoa make their final change. Marco Rossi is replaced by Salvatore Bocchetti.
37' Ibra blasts his free kick into the Curva.
37' Free kick to Inter just outside the box, awarded for a barging foul by Papastathopoulos on Ibrahimovic.
36' Genoa win a corner after Jankovic's shot comes off Cordoba. Mesto plays short to Ferrari and then crosses to the far post. Julio Cesar climbs highest and saves.
34' Free kick to us out on the right wing after a Marco Rossi foul on Obinna.
33' Genoa bring on Bosko Jankovic for Diego Milito.
33' Javier Zanetti fumbles his shot after running on to Ibra's ball into the box.
30' Balotelli drills a long-range free kick on target. Rubinho saves.
27' Obinna shoots wide from 30 yards after beating his opponent on the left with a burst of pace.
26' Balotelli's corner is cleared as far as Chivu, who crashes wide his long-range shot.
25' Brilliant solo move by Obinna. Single-handedly, the Nigerian takes on four players and crosses, forcing the Rossoblu to concede a corner.
24' Out comes another card. Nic Burdisso is booked for a challenge from behind on Milito.
20' Diego Milito has a shot parried by Julio Cesar.
19' Gian Piero Gasperini shuffles his ten-man pack, bringing on Belgian midfielder Anthony Vanden Borre for Giuseppe Sculli.
18' Mario Balotelli has a go from 30 yards. It's on target, but Rubinho makes an easy save.
15' RED CARD. Ivan Juric is booked for a foul on Maicon. It's his second yellow and he's off. Genoa down to ten men.
15' At the other end Milito tests Julio Cesar with a fierce shot.
14' Inter almost take the lead as Marco Rossi heads Maicon's cross against his own bar.
10' Time for that corner. Ibrahimovic heads over Balotelli's right-wing cross.
10' The Ghana midfielder is stretchered off, and is substituted by Julio Cruz.
8' Inter win a corner after Ibra's cross is headed behind, but we'll have to wait as Muntari requires medical attention on the byline.
6' Another booking. Orsato scribbles the name Ivan Juric in his book after a foul on Zanetti.
5' Yellow card for Maicon following a challenge on Mesto.
3' Juric blocks Zanetti's cross from the right and it's a corner. Balotelli's cross from the flag is headed clear.
1' Inter kick off the second half.
1' Obinna is straight into the action, stabbing wide of the right post after sidestepping Criscito in the box.
1' José Mourinho has made a double switch, bringing off Adriano and Quaresma and replacing them with Mario Balotelli and Nsofor Victor Obinna.
Zanetti
6.28
6.28
Cordoba
6.47
6.47
Adriano
5.41
5.41
Cruz
4.67
4.67
Stankovic
5.71
5.71
Burdisso
5.45
5.45
Julio Cesar
8.12
8.12
Maicon
6.23
6.23
Ibrahimovic
6.53
6.53
Chivu
5.79
5.79
Balotelli
4.74
4.74
Muntari
5.34
5.34
Quaresma
4.7
4.7
Obinna
4.64
4.64
Average rating 5.72
2 shots on target 5
10 shots off target 3
14 fouls committed 17
6 corners 2
3 offsides 3
00 ball possession 00
Mourinho v Genoa, Gasperini

José Mourinho faces Genoa and their coach Gian Piero Gasperini for the first time in his coaching career.

Gasperini v Inter

Genoa coach Gasperini has never won a competitive fixture against Inter, with 1 draw and 1 defeat from two games.

Details:
2007/08 Serie A Genoa-Inter 1-1 1-4

Inter on target in 60 consecutive league games at home

The Nerazzurri have scored in each of their last 60 Serie A home matches, netting a total of 135 goals. The last time Inter failed to score in a Serie A home fixture was on the last day of the 2004/05 season when they drew 0-0 with Reggina.

Ibra the decisive

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's goals in the 2008/09 Serie A season so far have earned his team 7 points, making him one of the four most decisive players after seven rounds of matches. The other three are Amauri (Juventus), Gilardino (Fiorentina) and Paolucci (Catania).

Inter 214 minutes without conceding

Inter haven't conceded in a competitive match since Moras' 56th-minute goal in the 2-1 Serie A win over Bologna on 4 October 2008. A total of 214 minutes have elasped since then (remaining 34 minutes of Inter-Bologna plus Roma 0-4 and Inter 1-0 Anorthosis).

Happy Birthday Cristian!

Cristian Chivu, born on 26 October 1980 in Resita, Romania, will be hoping to celebrate his 28th birthday with a victory over the Rossoblu.

No Genoa draw since March

Genoa have won 10 matches and lost 8 since their last draw in a competitive fixture - a 1-1 stalemate with Inter on 19 March 2008.

Genoa's poor away form

The Rossoblu have lost their last 5 league fixtures, against Parma (0-1), Atalanta (0-2), Catania (0-1), Palermo (1-2) and Fiorentina (0-1). If they lose again on Sunday, Genoa will be one more defeat away from their record of 7 straight losses (in Serie B and Coppa Italia matches) from September-November 1999). Genoa have kept just one clean sheet in their last 20 away fixtures in Serie A (Siena 0-1 Genoa on 20 April 2008), letting in a total of 34 goals in the other 19 games.

Biava set for 100th Serie A appearance

If he plays against Inter on Sunday, Giuseppe Biava will complete a century of appearances in Italy's Serie A. The 31-year-old defender, who has played Serie A football for Palermo and Genoa, made his top-flight debut in Palermo 1-0 Siena on 12 September 2004.

DA IMPLEMENTARE
wins(46) draws(12) defeats(12)

MILAN - Defending champions Inter are joined on top of the Serie A table by Udinese and Napoli after being held to a goalless draw by Genoa in Week 8.

There was no way through at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza as Gasperini's men ended the Nerazzurri's sixty-match scoring run in home league games.

Mourinho's men were quickest out of the blocks and could have taken a 2nd-minute lead through Ibrahimovic after a cross from Quaresma.

Genoa captain Marco Rossi then missed a sitter from two yards out after a cross from Diego Milito, who continued to apply the pressure when he had a header saved in the 22 minute.

Inter rallied and Ibrahimovic sent a fine shot just over before Quaresma narrowly missed the top right corner with a curling shot.

Unfazed, the Rossoblu hit back and Ivan Juric blasted wide his follow-up after Julio Cesar parried Milito's shot. Seconds later, Mesto saw his long-range effort bounce back off the bar.

Mourinho shuffled his pack at the break, introducing pacy strikers Balotelli and Obinna for Adriano and Quaresma, and the Nigerian almost had an instant impact when he fired wide after sidestepping Criscito.

The Inter boss was forced to make his third change just ten minutes in, bringing on Julio Cruz after Muntari was stretchered off injured.

Genoa survived a let-off when Marco Rossi unwittingly headed Maicon's cross on to the bar, and Inter's task looked to have been simplified when Juric was dismissed for a second booking in the 60th minute.

The Nerazzurri peppered the Genoa area with shots in their frantic search for a goal. Balotelli was twice thwarted by Rubinho, with Chivu and Obinna firing wide and Julio Cruz going close with a cross-shot.

Against the run of play, the visitors almost snatched a winner deep in injury time when Julio Cesar made a good save from Motta's free kick.

Inter suffered a second midfield injury blow in time added on when Stankovic pulled a muscle while making a defensive clearance.

Inter 0-0 Genoa

Inter: 12 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 2 Cordoba, 16 Burdisso, 26 Chivu; 4 Zanetti, 5 Stankovic, 20 Muntari (9 Cruz 55); 77 Quaresma (21 Obinna 46), 8 Ibrahimovic, 10 Adriano (45 Balotelli 46).
Subs not used: 1 Toldo, 6 Maxwell,  23 Materazzi, 33 Mancini.
Coach: José Mourinho.

Genoa: 83 Rubinho; 15 Papastathopoulos, 25 Biava, 13 Ferrari; 20 Mesto, 88 Motta, 28 Juric, 4 Criscito; 7 Rossi (26 Bocchetti 84), 22 Milito (17 Jankovic 78), 14 Sculli (68 Vanden Borre 64).
Subs not used: 73 Scarpi, 3 Potenza, 8 Roman, 29 Brivio.
Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini.

Referee: Daniele Orsato (Schio).

Booked: Muntari 12, Criscito 25, Ferrari 87, Mesto 50, Juric 51, 60, Burdisso 69.
Sent off: Juric 60.

starting lineups

Julio Cesar 12 Rubinho
Maicon 13 Papastathopoulos
Cordoba 2 Biava
Burdisso 16 Ferrari
Chivu 26 Mesto
Zanetti 4 Motta
Stankovic 5 Juric
Muntari 20 Criscito
Quaresma 77 Rossi
Ibrahimovic 8 Milito
Adriano 10 Sculli

substitutes

Toldo 1 Scarpi
Maxwell 6 Potenza
Cruz 9 Roman
Obinna 21 Jankovic
Materazzi 23 Bocchetti
Mancini 33 Brivio
Balotelli 45 Vanden Borre