Italy round-up: Inter keep up the pressure

Two goals from Alvaro Recoba, the second five minutes from full-time, secured a hard-fought 2-1 win for Internazionale FC at Bologna FC in Saturday’s early Serie A game.

Tight at the top
The three points moved Inter level with leaders Juventus FC on 51 points, although the Turin club have played a game less than their title rivals and travel to Udinese Calcio tomorrow. Inter’s local rivals AC Milan, meanwhile, are four points behind the top two and play at home to AC Chievo Verona on Sunday night.

Vieri rested
Inter coach Héctor Cúper left Serie A’s top scorer Christian Vieri out of his squad for the Bologna game in preparation for the visit of English side Newcastle United FC in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, electing to play Recoba and Gabriel Batistuta up front.

Free-kick opener
Cúper’s decision paid early dividends, when Batistuta was brought down on the edge of the Bologna penalty area and Recoba curled the free-kick in off a post. The chances of the home side recovering from the early setback looked even smaller ten minutes later as Carlo Nervo was shown the red card for a late tackle on Inter’s Turkish international midfield player Emre Belözoglu.

Bologna equaliser
However, Bologna rallied well and drew level after 24 minutes when Argentinian striker Julio Cruz beat Fabio Cannavaro to a high ball inside the Inter penalty area and turned the Italian international defender before beating goalkeeper Francesco Toldo just inside the right-hand post.

Cruz close again
Both sides then had chances to win the game, with Cruz narrowly failing to convert the best of them, beating Francesco Coco on the right-hand side of the Inter area only to shoot just wide of Toldo’s far post.

Composed finish
However, it was Inter who sealed all three points in the 85th minute, as a punch from Bologna goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca fell to Recoba, and the Uruguayan kept his composure to coolly lob the ball over the stranded Pagliuca from 30 metres out.

Derby action
In Saturday’s late game, AS Roma drew 1-1 with S.S. Lazio in the Rome derby. The away side began brighter, and took the lead after eight minutes with a well-worked goal, as a fine passing move was capped with a one-two between Dejan Stankovic and Enrico Chiesa, before Stankovic clipped the ball over Roma goalkeeper Ivan Pelizzoli.

Tight affair
Clear chances were few in a tight encounter, with Lazio goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi comfortably saving a header from Vincenzo Montella. However, Lazio were largely in control, and could have doubled their advantage in the closing stages only for Bernardo Corradi’s effort to be ruled out for offside.

Late drama
They were made to pay two minutes from time, as Roma substitute Antonio Cassano headed a Cafu cross beyond Peruzzi. Stankovic and Roma’s Marco Delvecchio were both dismissed in the final minute, and both sides had to settle for a draw, Lazio’s sixth successive in Serie A.