MILAN - Inter keep marching up the table thanks to a 2-1 win over Lazio - their eighth in a row - in this evening's 2011/12 Serie A Week 19 clash at the Meazza.
Rocchi struck the post before giving the visitors the lead in the first half but Milito was bang on form again, showing fantastic movement in the build-up and a fine finish to spark Inter's comeback, completed with Pazzini's lob over Marchetti.
FIRST HALF – With Thiago Motta suspended, Ranieri played Zanetti and Cambiasso in central midfield with Nagatomo on the right and Alvarez left. Pazzini and Milito formed the front pairing once again. For Lazio, Rocchi got the nod over Cissé to partner Klose in attack.
Before the warm-up, captain Zanetti took a bunch of flowers over to the first tier blue section in memory of Roberto Straccia, the missing lad from Pescara whose body was found on the Bari coastline.
It took Dias all of 60 seconds to find his way into the ref's book for something resembling a snide punch on Pazzini. The opening period was an untidy affair and Lazio's high pressing forced Inter into giving the ball away too much. In the 12th minute Chivu's free kick found Nagatomo in space but the Lazio defence closed him down and then Alvarez too. A minute later the Argentine found himself in space as a clearance dropped nicely for him and he fizzed a half-volley just over the bar. Inter had a lucky escape on 14 minutes: Lucio's unfortunate control let Rocchi in with just Julio Cesar to beat; the striker's finish mercifully came back off the post. Milito popped up in the 21st minute and whipped in a cross for Pazzini, who was unable to connect with his head. Four minutes later Pazzini did latch onto a long ball by Maicon and bore down on goal, only to be shut out by a combination of Dias and Biava. Lazio went in front on the half-hour mark: Hernanes fed a ball into the box for Rocchi to run onto and fire into the opposite corner on the turn. Inter tried to react and 5 minutes later Alvarez dinked a useful ball over the top for Nagatomo, Marchetti doing superbly to rush off his line and smother bravely. However, Milito continued his rich vein of form when he equalised following a beautifully worked team move, which culminated in El Principe collecting a return pass from Alvarez and drilling clinically inside the far post. The teams went into the dressing rooms all square at 1-1.
SECOND HALF – Both coaches made half-time substitutions, Sneijder and Obi replacing Alvarez and Chivu for Inter while Hernanes made way for Matuzalem for Reja's side. After a quiet start to the second period, the Nerazzurri took the lead with another great goal on 64 minutes. Lucio's long ball forward fell for Pazzini on the edge of the box and the striker's brilliant flicked lob beat Marchetti to make it 2-1. TV replays show the striker was a fraction offside as he made his way out of the Lazio area but it was almost impossible to notice in real time. A minute after the goal, Rocchi and Klose combined dangerously, the Germany striker's shot dealt with comfortably by Julio Cesar. In the 67th minute Sneijder reminded the Meazza of what he can do with a vicious long-range drive that Marchetti had to be alert to tip over. The only other real threat came a minute into injury time, when Ledesma sent a piledriver inches over the bar. After three minutes of added time, Rizzoli called an end to proceedings. The three points take Inter up to 4th place on 35 points.
Inter 2-1 Lazio (HT: 1-1)
Scorers:
Rocchi 30, Milito 44, Pazzini 64.
Inter: 1
Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 6 Lucio, 25 Samuel, 26 Chivu (Obi 46); 11
Alvarez (Sneijder 46), 4 Zanetti, 19 Cambiasso, 55 Nagatomo; 7
Pazzini, 22 Milito (Faraoni 70).
Unused subs: 12
Castellazzi, 18 Poli, 23 Ranocchia, 28 Zarate.
Coach:
Claudio Ranieri.
Lazio: 22 Marchetti; 78
Zauri (Cissé 73), 20 Biava, 3 Dias, 26 Radu; 19 Lulic, 24 Ledesma,
15 Gonzalez (Konko 66); 8 Hernanes (Matuzalem 46); 9 Rocchi, 25
Klose.
Unused subs: 1 Bizzarri, 5 Scaloni, 21
Diakité, 29 Konko, 81 Del Nero, 99 Cissè.
Coach:
Edoardo Reja.
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Bologna).
Booked: Dias 1.
Added time: 1+3 minutes.
Attendance: 57,893.
