Goran Pandev makes derby certain for nine-man Internazionale

Posted Monday, January 25, 2010 by theguardian.com

Internazionale 2-0 Milan

Goran Pandev makes derby certain for nine-man Internazionale
The Internazionale coach, Jose Mourinho, has a word during the match against Milan.

Internazionale moved nine points clear of Milan at the top of Serie A despite finishing the game against their city rivals with nine men.

Diego Milito put José Mourinho's ahead in the 10th minute of a dramatic derby at the San Siro but they were forced to play more than two-thirds of the game with 10 men after Wesley Sneijder was sent off. Goran Pandev's 65th-minute strike secured the points for Inter, who also had Lucio dismissed, for handball, in stoppage time. The resulting penalty, taken by Ronaldinho, was saved by Julio César.

Sneijder had masterminded a sensational recent recovery against Siena to preserve Mourinho's home invincibility – the former Chelsea manager has not been beaten on his own soil in eight years – and he made an impact with less than two minutes on the clock as he struck a curling volley against the outside of the post from 25 yards.

After Milan's David Beckham, too, was booked Sneijder went close again, Dida making a desperate save with his foot. Then Ignazio Abate played a half-hearted header towards Dida and Milito pounced.

Inter continued to put the Milan rearguard under pressure but, with 26 minutes gone, Lucio was shown a yellow card for simulation and, when Sneijder applauded the referee ironically, he was sent off.

Not surprisingly Milan started to pose a threat and Andrea Pirlo's free-kick took a deflection off Lucio and only just cleared the crossbar.

Milan were also driven to take risks and this left gaps that even a team shorn of their Dutch playmaker could exploit. An hour had gone when a quick break involving Milito and Pandev culminated in the latter lifting a shot over Dida and hitting the post. But the Macedonia striker Pandev was more precise five minutes later, giving his side some breathing space when he scored from a free-kick awarded after Maicon was brought down.

Even then the action was not over and in added time Lucio handled in the area and received his red card. But César, diving to his right, denied his fellow Brazilian from the penalty spot.

A 51-year-old fan died after suffering a cardiac arrest during the derby. Medics attempted to resuscitate him in the stadium but he was pronounced dead in the ambulance.