PINZOLO - The pre-season friendly fixture between local side Trentino Team and Gian Piero Gasperini's Inter, played at the Stadio Pineta in Pinzolo this afternoon, ended with a 6-1 win for the Nerazzurri. The stars of today - Pazzini, Eto'o and Pandev - were joined on the score sheet by the stars of tomorrow: Alvarez, Castaignos and Longo.
FIRST HALF - Walter Samuel was back in the starting line-up after being side-lined for so long through injury, and along with the rest of the Nerazzurri was sporting the new Nike pre-match kit at the Stadio Pineta, where they are took on the local team from Trentino who played in yellow.
The first attempt on goal for Inter came from Sneijder as he shot from outside the box in the second minute of play, but their opponents responded with a right-footed volley from Mariotti, which went wide of Castellazzi's right post on 4 minutes. Nagatomo almost scored in the 5th minute: following a cross by Sneijder, the Japanese player tried to wrong-foot Scali, but the ball went out. In the seventh minute Inter made their first substitution: Obi came off with a minor injury and Muntari took his place. In the 9th minute Eto'o sent Santon off on the right and he crossed looking for Pazzini, whose header went just wide.
Inter's first goal of the 2011/12 season came from Pazzini: Sneijder played wide to Santon, who crossed hard and low, Pazzini scoring from close in to make it 0-1. Eto'o put on one of his spectacular shows in the 16th minute and, after dribbling two men, tried a shot but the goalkeeper was equal to it. Only 40 seconds had passed when Pazzini's shot was cleared off the line by Donati. In the 24th minute Ranocchia went into a hard tackle near the penalty area and was replaced by Bianchetti.
On 27 minutes, Muntari picked up a loose ball and Sneijder burst into action with a through ball to Eto'o who was in no mood to make mistakes and didn't, scoring with a right-footed shot. On 34 minutes Trentino tried twice to get past Castellazzi, but failed. The Nerazzurri attacked again with Pazzini whose shot was saved. In the 37th minute, Sneijder sent Nagatomo through but Zadra came out to stop him. There was a free-kick for Trentino Team after a foul by Samuel, Donati took it left-footed but Castellazzi dived to save. Alvarez, who had come on for Sneijder in the 43rd minute, introduced himself to the fans with a left-footed shot which the keeper dived to save. Trentino Team pulled a goal back with a spectacular curling shot from Mariotti in the dying minutes of the half.
SECOND HALF – Just 24 seconds into the second half Alvarez found the back of the net to take the score to 3-1, following a pass from Castaignos. Alvarez was involved once again in the 8th minute, after a fantastic one-two with Bessa, but his shot went narrowly wide.
The Nerazzurri talent was beginning to show through, after Alvarez it was Castaignos' turn to hit the bar with a right-footed diagonal shot. Then Alvarez tried his luck with a powerful left-footed shot from outside the box, as he looked for his second Inter goal, but the keeper managed to block it. Pandev scored next after an assist inside the box from Castaignos. In the 20th minute they changed roles and it was Pandev who found Castaignos with a long pass, which he hit as he was running onto the ball and it flew high over the bar.
The exchanges between the two Nerazzurri continued and, after a pass from Pandev, the ball fell to Castaignos on the half-hour mark, but Zanotti's timing was perfect. The opposing goalkeeper made yet another perfect save from Pandev's free-kick on 33 minutes: a left-footed shot from the Nerazzurri striker and a wonderful reaction from Zanotti, who palmed the ball over the bar. Castaignos finally got on the score sheet after 37 minutes play: the Dutchman stretched to pass beyond the defence, tricking both the defence and the keeper. As the match was drawing to a close, Longo headed the ball home from an Alibec cross to close the match with a score of 1-6.
The Nerazzurri will be in action again on Sunday 17th at the Stadio Pineta in Pinzolo.
Trentino Team 1-6 Inter (HT 1-2)
Scorers: Pazzini 13, Eto'o 27, Mariotti 44, Alvarez 46, Pandev 59, Castaignos 82, Longo 89.
Trentino Team: Scali; Moresco, Adami, Frizzi, Trainotti; Binelli, M.Donati, Hila, Berteotti, Mariotti; N.Donati.
Subsitutes: Zadra, Zanotti.
Coach: Florio Maran.
Inter (first half): Castellazzi; Ranocchia (Bianchetti 24), Samuel, Chivu; Santon (Faraoni 19), Stankovic, Obi (Muntari 7), Nagatomo; Sneijder (Alvarez 43), Pazzini, Eto'o.
Inter (second half): Viviano; Natalino, Bianchetti, Caldirola, Faraoni; Mariga, Crisetig, Bessa (Alibec 70); Alvarez, Castaignos, Pandev.
Substitutes: Orlandoni, Longo.
Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini.
Referee: Manuel Barozzi.
Spectators: capacity crowd (over 5.000).
