TRIESTE – It was blow for blow between Cagliari and Inter at the Stadio Nereo
Rocco, which hosted a Serie A match for the first time in 19 years. The script
was the same for both halves, with Milito responding to Astori (minutes 5 and
6) and Cambiasso answering Pinilla (minutes 61 and 64), who was then sent off
for "excessive celebration". With the Sardinians down to 10 men Inter
tried to take advantage. Zarate nearly added a third goal in the 79th minute, and
later Pazzini and Ranocchia came close, but the ball would not go in and the
Week 31 match finished 2-2.
FIRST HALF - With Julio Cesar and Lucio suspended, Stramaccioni relied on Castellazzi between the posts and Ranocchia and Samuel in central defence. Guarin was given his first start and up top there was an attacking trio of Zarate, Milito and Forlan. For Cagliari, Ficcadenti had Astori back and fielded Cossu behind Thiago Ribeiro and Pinilla.
Zarate only needed 70 seconds to make his presence felt with a lovely right-footer from distance that Agazzi put out for a corner. However, the Rossoblu were the first to go ahead; Astori and Ranocchia were tussling during a corner taken by Conti, but the defender managed to send an acrobatic overhead kick into the Inter goal to make it 1-0 on 5 minutes. It didn't go down well with Inter or Milito, who responded in his own way just one minute later when El Principe latched onto a ball sent to him from Zarate at the edge of the box before turning to send his shot past a helpless Agazzi and bring the Nerazzurri level.
Pinilla risked a red card on 17 minutes when he floored Stankovic with a slap, but Guida went easy on him and only showed a yellow. Eight minutes later Guarin had the fans on their feet when his cross from deep found a leaping Cambiasso in the box, but Agazzi went airborne to tip the Argentine's header over the crossbar. Cagliari pushed hard down the left flank through Cossu, and Zanetti and Chivu were both needed to contain his runs. On a corner from the Romanian, Samuel nearly put Inter in front with a powerful header that went just wide, while at the other end there was an immediate response from Cagliari when Nainggolan beat Cambiasso and Stankovic before his right-footer from distance was smothered by Castellazzi.
There was another slap on the pitch, this time from Conti on Forlan, that gave Inter a free kick from a dangerous position that however came to naught. After 45 minutes the teams went to the dressing rooms with the score at 1-1.
SECOND HALF – The second half got underway with the same twenty-two on the pitch. Cagliari dictated the tempo and so Stramaccioni made a change; after 55 minutes Poli came on for Guarin, but the opponents were still threatening more. Pinilla came close to scoring twice before finding the breakthrough in the 61st minute; his downward header from Conti's cross beat Castellazzi to make it 2-1, but his celebrations were more than allowed for and he received his marching orders with his second yellow card. Just as it happened in the first half, Cagliari's goal provoked an immediate response from Inter; in the 64th minute Forlan's cross found Cambiasso in the box and, between Canini and Ekdal, the Argentine scored to make it 2-2.
The final 15 minutes were all action. Castellazzi saved from Conti, but after the Cagliari midfielder had got free with a shove. Agazzi came off his line to stop Pazzini before Ibarbo made a bewitching run past Samuel and Ranocchia only to lose his balance on the goal line. Agazzi came up big on 79 minutes when he saved a lovely shot from Zarate at the far post. Then in injury time what seemed to be a certain goal for Inter went up in smoke when, from Obi's cross, Pazzini and then Ranocchia attempted to insert from point-blank range. No luck, however, and the game finished at 2-2, leaving the Nerazzurri with 45 points in the standings.
Cagliari 2-2 Inter (HT: 1-1)
Scorers: Astori 5, Milito 6, Pinilla 61, Cambiasso 64.
Cagliari: 1 Agazzi; 14 Pisano, 13 Astori, 21 Canini, 31 Agostini; 20 Ekdal (Perico 83), 5 Conti, 4 Nainggolan; 7 Cossu (Nenè 86); 19 Thiago Ribeiro (Ibarbo 71), 51 Pinilla.
Unused subs: 25 Avramov, 15 Bovi, 3 Ariaudo, 18 Nenè, 9 Larrivey.
Coach: Massimo Ficcadenti.
Inter: 12 Castellazzi; 4 Zanetti, 23 Ranocchia, 25 Samuel, 26 Chivu; 14 Guarin (Poli 56), 5 Stankovic (Obi 83), 19 Cambiasso; 28 Zarate, 22 Milito, 9 Forlan (Pazzini 77).
Unused subs: 21 Orlandoni, 2 Cordoba, 55 Nagatomo, 17 Palombo.
Coach: Andrea Stramaccioni.
Referee: Marco Guida (Torre Annunziata).
Booked: Pinilla 17, 61, Stankovic 26, Zarate 38, Conti 43. Cossu 63, Forlan 71.
Sent off: Pinilla 62.
Added time: 0 + 3 minutes.
