 02-01-07, 09:50 AM | #53 (permalink) |
| Used In Squad Rotation Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 366 Thanks: 74 Thanked 3 Times in 1 Post Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0 | 
 Inter - Torino 9th of December 2006 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, San Siro, Milano Italian Serie A 2006/2007 - Week 14     9'  Ivan Cordoba, 40' Dejan Stankovic, 67' David Villa, 76' Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 20' Roberto Stellone, 65' Nikola Lazetic (pen), 84' Masashi Oguro
Torino didn't make it easy for the Serie A leaders, but they still had to leave Giuseppe Meazza with a thrilling 3:4 loss as the defence yet again cracked againist better strikers.
Torino was in hot form and fresh from an inspirational Coppa Italia win over Palermo, but they had a match againist unbeatten Inter in the next round of Serie A and Cedric Konan was out. While Nerazzurri didn't have the services of Maxwell, Julio Cesar and Florent Malouda.
The match got a quick start and David Villa tried to lob Cristiano Lupatelli right after the start, but his 45 meter shot flew wide.
Torino defence couldn't handle the young Spaniard and soon after his header had to be saved by Lupatelli.
Nerazzurri grabed the lead on 9th minute already though, Ivan Cordoba who was playing full-back instead of usual central defender headed in a Javier Zanetti cross in the near post.
 Ivan Cordoba opens up the goal-fest
Inter was troubling the Torino side espescially on the wings and in air and Walter Samuel almost doubled the lead, but his header went wide after a corner.
Torino finally got their first chance and immediately used it. Nikola Lazetic's fantastic skills showed off with his long run down the wing as he set up Roberto Stellone who dribbled past Francesco Toldo to open Torino's account.
Torino seemed to be getting back in and Roberto Stellone's break in to the box ended up with a brilliant Toldo save and Abbruscato couldn't get his foot againist the ball that bounced off ex-Italian goalkeeper.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was invisible, but he started to get into the game after half-hour. First he sidenetted under pressure from Raffaele Schiavi and then he shot miles over after he dribbled past Gianluca Comotto on the wing.
Though he finally got it on target, but Lupatellis save went to corner. Ribery took it and Simone Barone was outpowered in air by Dejan Stankovic as Nerazzurri re-took the lead.
Ibrahimovic could've virtually finished the game, but he shot over one on one with Lupatelli as half-time break arrived with Nerazzurri leading.
Torino never really got to handle the Inter midfield and it was mostly Lupatelli and defenders who were doing the job and once again they kept Torino's hopes alive as 'Lupo' saved Villa's post from back post.
As the game didn't go as planed for Torino, Masashi Oguro and Iacopo Balestri steped in 30 minutes before the end and it bringed some luck to Torino just minutes later.
Marco Materazzi pushed Elvis Abbruscato to get the ball after a Nikola Lazetic cross and Torino's best outfield player so far went to take the given penalty himself.
No mistake from the Serbian as he shot the ball into top corner with a text-book penalty and Torino had equalized.
 Lazetic scores a magnificient penalty
Though the lead didn't last long, the hero so far turned into a villain just two minutes later. Cristiano Lupatelli came out of his goal, but his clearence was weak and inaccurate as the ball fell to Villa. The Spanish international had problems scoring before, but he didn't miss an empty net and Torino was behind again.
Torino got close to equalizing for the third time, but Alessandro Rosina's free-kick went wide as Torino's free-kick curse continued. Il Granata has only scored one goal straight from free-kick this season and that was a Stefano Fiore cross that Lazio's goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi misread.
Injuried Simone Barone had to come out for Torino as Diego De Ascentis replaced him fifteen minutes from time.
Just two minutes later De Ascentis lost a tackle in midfield and Maicon's long pass was lobbed over Cristiano Lupatelli by Zlatan Ibrahimovic to clinch the match.
 'Ibra' finally got his goal after many missed chances
Torino got one goal back thanks to a Masashi Oguro's rare header after a scramble in Inter box where Walter Samuel couldn't clear the ball, but Torino's first loss in leage after an eight match unbeatten run was inevitable.
Torino now felt to 8th in the table, but they have a home-match with Roma which got delayed and a win from there could put the second best goalscorers of Serie A into fourth place.
Torino: 28-Cristiano Lupatelli; 3-Gianluca Comotto, 2-Raffaele Schiavi, 25-Marco Di Loreto, 16-Giuseppe Pancaro; 7-Stefano Fiore (62' 22-Iacopo Balestri), 8-Simone Barone (74' 15-Diego De Ascentis), 17-Nikola Lazetic ; 10-Alessandro Rosina; 19-Elvis Abbruscato, 11-Roberto Stellone (62' 12-Masashi Oguro )
Cautioned  : 11' Marco Di Loreto
Other Results
Parma 1-1 Catania
Fiorentina 4-0 Reggina
Livorno 1-1 Empoli
Messina 0-3 Milan
Palermo 2-0 Ascoli
Sampdoria 0-0 Chievo
Siena 1-1 Lazio
Udinese 2-1 Cagliari
Roma 0-1 Atalanta
Torino Position: 8th |
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