Serie A: Siena 1-2 Inter Milan

SIENA - Maicon scored in each half as Internazionale made a winning end to 2008 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena to become 'winter champions' with two matches to go until the second half of the Serie A season.

The Brazilian right-back netted from close range before half time, adding his second with seven minutes left to cancel out Kharja's 44th-minute equaliser and send Siena to their first defeat at home this season.

Mourinho made two changes to the team that beat Chievo 4-2 last weekend. With Stankovic out through suspension Jimenez was handed his first start of the season, while Balotelli came in for the injured Obinna.

Siena got off to a good start and Kharja forced a save from Julio Cesar with a well struck volley from the left angle of the box.

Inter soaked up a period of Bianconeri pressure and edged in front on 34 minutes when Maicon stole in at the near post to convert Balotelli's corner.

Giampaolo's men rallied and Kharja produced an equaliser on the stroke of half time, sliding home after beating Maxwell to Del Grosso's cross.

Muntari had two shots blocked by Curci and Ibrahimovic saw an effort come back off the bar as Inter upped their game after the restart.

Siena had chances of their own in the last fifteen minutes, with substitute Maccarone blazing over from close range and Ghezzal having a shot deflected off Maxwell.

In between, Internazionale wrapped up their eighth consecutive victory when Maxwell diverted Cordoba's shot into the path of Maicon, who lifted over the onrushing Curci to put Inter nine points clear at the top ahead of Sunday afternoon's match between second-place Juve and Atalanta in Bergamo.

Source: inter.it

Inter's Opponent - Manchester United Factfile

NYON - Inter Milan's round of sixteen opponents Manchester United are the reigning English and European champions.

In this season's Premier League they lie third, six points behind Liverpool with a game in hand. Sir Alex Ferguson's team have played 16 games, winning 9, drawing 5 (4 away from home) and losing 2 (both away from home).

In this season's Champions League group phase the Red Devils won 10 points to beat Villarreal into first place.

Their most emblematic player is 2008 Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. So far this season the 23-year-old Portuguese has made 13 appearances (12 in starting line-up), scoring 8 goals. He has clocked up a total of 1,054 competitive minutes, been booked three times and sent off once.

Internazionale Milan and Manchester United have met over two legs on one previous occasion. United won 2-0 at Old Trafford in the first leg of their 1998/99 Champions League quarter-final tie, courtesy of a Dwight Yorke brace. The return leg at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza finished 1-1, with Paul Scholes cancelling out Nicola Ventola's early goal.

The Nerazzurri beat United 3-2 during their pre-season tour of England on 1 August 2007, David Suazo scoring twice and Zlatan Ibrahimovic once in front of 73,738 spectators - a record crowd for a pre-season friendly at Old Trafford.

European honours:
European Cup: 1967/68
UEFA Champions League: 1998/99, 2007/08
Cup Winners' Cup: 1990/91
Intercontinental Cup: 1999
European Super Cup: 1991

taken from: www.inter.it

Inter Milan 2-1 Napoli ; Beautiful goals of Cordoba and Muntari

MILAN - Ivan Ramiro Cordoba and Sulley Muntari got the goals as Internazionale put the midweek defeat to Panathinaikos behind them with a 2-1 win over Napoli.

Ezequiel Lavezzi pulled one back for the Azzurri but Inter held on for a win that sees the defending champions move six points clear at the top of the table ahead of tonight's match between Palermo and second-place AC Milan.

Mourinho made three changes to the team that lost to Panathinaikos, bringing in Samuel, Stankovic and Cruz for Materazzi, Figo and Adriano.

Internazionale made a roaring start and were in front in the 16th minute when Cordoba hooked into the far corner after Maicon played his corner short to Muntari.

The Ghana midfielder made it two-nothing with his second in as many league games on 25 minutes finishing off a swift move with a classy backheeled finish from Maicon's cross-shot after the Brazilian was beautifully played in by Julio Cruz.

Argentina international Lavezzi reduced the gap eleven minutes later, bursting past Samuel on the right wing and one-twoing with Zalayeta before lifting over Julio Cesar.

Napoli fought hard for an equaliser after the interval but the best chances of a second-half goal were black and blue, with Ibrahimovic having a blistering shot blocked by Iezzo who later denied a goal-bound Zanetti.

Chilean midfielder Luis Jimenez replaced Muntari in the closing minutes to mark his return to action after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

source: inter.it