Catania 0-2 Inter Milan

CATANIA - Ten-man Inter performed magnificently to hold off a spirited challenge from Catania and come away from the Stadio Massimino with a 2-0 victory.

Dejan Stankovic headed home an early goal but Sulley Muntari was sent off just past the half hour, sparking a strong reaction from Walter Zenga's side.

But the Nerazzurri weathered the storm and the Serbian midfielder turned provider midway through the second half, setting up Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a brilliant second.

Cordoba and Burdisso came in for injured pair Chivu and Samuel at the centre of defence for the last midweek round of the season while Santon made his third consecutive start at left-back.

Julio Cruz returned to the starting lineup after a four-match absence, partnering Zlatan Ibrahimovic who missed Sunday's win over Sampdoria through suspension.

Inter make the perfect start in Sicily with Dejan Stankovic getting in behind Silvestre and heading past the despairing dive of Bizzarri after an inch-perfect cross from Cruz.

Catania thought they were back in the game eight minutes later when Paolucci slotted home from close range, only for referee Gianluca Rocchi to blow for a foul by Morimoto on Burdisso.

The Nerazzurri's early domination continued and Ibrahimovic narrowly missed out on a second when he shaved the crossbar with an angled shot.

Sulley Muntari was harshly sent off on 32 minutes after fouling Tedesco in the centre circle and the home side poured forward in search of an equaliser, Mascara, Paolucci and Morimoto all producing chances before half time.

Mascara went even closer after the restart with a long-range shot that took a deflection off Burdisso and bounced off the post with Julio Cesar stranded.

Inter soaked up the pressure and silenced a deafening home crowd on 71 minutes when Ibrahimovic raced on to Stankovic's lofted pass, lifted the ball over Bizzarri and slotted into an open goal for his seventeenth of the season.

Second-half substitute Maxwell missed a glorious chance for Inter's third in the closing stages and Catania, playing for pride, almost reduced the arrears with five minutes to go when Baiocco forced Julio Cesar into a tipped save.

Catania 0-2 Inter (HT: 0-1)

Scorers: Stankovic 5, Ibrahimovic 71.

source: inter.it; uefa.com

Inter Milan 1-0 Sampdoria; Salute to Adriano

MILAN - Adriano scored in added time at the end of the first half as Inter battled hard for a victory over Sampdoria that keeps the Nerazzurri three points clear of Juventus at the top of the Serie A table.

José Mourinho kept faith with Davide Santon at left-back after the 18-year-old's impressive debut against Roma in midweek and made three changes to the team that knocked out the Tim Cup holders, bringing in Julio Cesar for Toldo, Chivu for Burdisso and Mancini for the suspended Ibrahimovic.

Inter attacked their Tim Cup semi-final opponents from the outset and Maicon delivered plenty of crosses from the right, the best chance of the opening period falling to Stankovic who dragged his shot wide.

Sammarco wasted a good chance for the Blucerchiati, sidefooting over the crossbar, but Inter continued to dominate and Adriano went close with a well struck rising drive before Muntari hit the side-netting from Cambiasso's pass.

Adriano scored at the end of a bad-tempered first half in which six players were booked and Mourinho sent off for protesting. In the second minute of added time Maicon powered past Pieri and crossed to the far post where his countryman was on hand to hook into an open net.

It was more Inter than Samp in the second half and Stankovic was unlucky not to score a second, first testing Castellazzi with a crisp low shot from Mancini's cross and then shaving the bar with a splendid swerveshot from distance.

At the end of the ninety the fourth man inexplicably indicated six minutes of added time and in the last of them Dessena's blistering long-range effort forced a fantastic save from Julio Cesar.

Inter 1-0 Sampdoria (HT: 1-0)

Scorer: Adriano 45+2.

Source: inter.it; uefa.com

TIM CUP: Inter Milan 2-1 Roma

MILAN - Adriano scored an early goal and Zlatan Ibrahimovic added an outrageous second right after Taddei's equaliser as Inter knocked out the Tim Cup holders and progressed through to the last four.

After wins in the Italian Super Cup and the league, José Mourinho's Inter completed a hat-trick of victories over Roma to set up a two-legged semi-final against this coming Sunday's Serie A opponents Sampdoria, who ousted Udinese after a penalty shootout.

Mourinho made a string of changes to the side that lost at Atalanta at the weekend, handing 18-year-old Italian full-back Davide Santon his competitive debut and pairing Adriano in attack Ibrahimovic.

Roma had a goal ruled out early on when Mirko Vucinic saw the ball over the line with his hand.

Inter hit straight back and Adriano took advantage of a collision between Mexes and Juan before shrugging off a challenge from Riise and shooting low past Artur for his seventh goal in games against the Giallorossi.

Stankovic almost doubled Inter's lead with what would have been a candidate for goal of the season, striking the crossbar with a stunning volley on the turn from Maicon's cross.

Spectacular efforts were the order of the day and Ibrahimovic tried to lob Artur after ghosting into the box but the Giallorossi keeper produced a tipped save.

The rest of the half belonged to Roma. Perrotta tested Francesco Toldo with a well taken angled shot and the veteran keeper then denied Vucinic before keeping out Perrotta's deflected shot.

The Ibra-Adri partnership continued to work well after the restart and the Swede, voted Italy's Player of the Year for 2008 several days ago, had the crowd gasping with an incredible volley after a powerful move by his strike partner.

Set to make way for Pizarro, Taddei silenced the Meazza with a cracking rising drive from Perrotta's pull-back as Roma levelled in the 61st minute. But Inter provided the perfect reaction and were back in front within sixty seconds when Ibrahimovic spectactularly hooked home after Artur parried Samuel's header.

Toldo pulled off another expert save from Pizarro, and Aquilani, on for the last ten minutes, hit the sidenetting and sent wide an overhead kick as Roma fought hard to force extra time.

Inter 2-1 Roma (HT: 1-0)

Scorers: Adriano 10, Taddei 61, Ibrahimovic 62.

taken from: www.inter.it

Maradona: "Moratti, Mourinho were fantastic"

BUENOS AIRES - Diego Armando Maradona arrived back in South America on friday (January 16th) after his European scouting tour. Reflecting on his visit to Inter, the Argentina coach said: "We were received wonderfully by Moratti and Mourinho.

"They opened the doors of the training session to us. There are many Argentines in Italy and we had the chance to talk to all of them, like Zanetti, Burdisso, Crespo and Samuel, and we saw the Inter-Genoa match."

Maradona revealed that he had long been curious to meet Mourinho: "Managers, journalists and just about everybody had talked to me about him. It was a great surprise. He's an exceptional person and a great worker. He gave me a very good welcome. We talked about tactics, about the characteristics of all his players. As a coach he is an example for me now."

source: inter.it