Inter 5-3 Roma: Samuel Eto'o And The Nerazzurri Hold Off A Spirited Roman Comeback

Posted Monday, February 07, 2011 by Goal.com

Inter continued to reel in Milan at the top of the league with a 5-3 victory against Roma at San Siro in a thoroughly entertaining affair which had everything. A double from Samuel Eto'o helped guide Leonardo's men to a vital win over their visitors who were reduced to ten men in the second-half but still made a real game of it despite trailing 4-1 at one point.

Inter made the best start possible with only two minutes played, Maicon surged down the right flank and got his head up to spot Wesley Sneijder on the edge of the area and the Dutch international took one touch before placing a superb volley into the top corner beyond Julio Sergio.

Roma were beginning to force the issue of an equaliser better after the first ten minutes concentrating more on their passing and the hosts were eventually broken. Quick feet from Mirko Vucinic allowed Marco Cassetti to overlap and the full-back rolled the ball to the far post for Fabio Simplicio to tap in, Maicon completely unaware of his fellow countryman.

Two minutes later and Roma were close to stealing a lead. Wonderful control and awareness from Marco Borriello found Jeremy Menez arriving, the Frenchman bent a wicked shot saved by Julio Cesar who was quick to his feet to stop a diving header from Borriello on the rebound and saved Inter a third time with a moment of brilliance.

The match had everything from the scrappy to the outstanding in terms of entertainment, Sneijder's wicked free-kick crept through a crowd of legs, pushed out by Sergio to Andrea Ranocchia who swung and missed; Samuel Eto'o then unable to force his shot past Cassetti on the line.

Roma were at their scintilating best at times and Inter had Julio Cesar to thank for keeping them in the match. Simplicio snuck in unmarked one-on-one and tried to round the 'keeper who got a big hand to the ball to stall the midfielder and his cross was cleared by Ivan Cordoba.

Ten minutes before half-time and Inter restored their lead through Samuel Eto'o. John Arne Riise, who looked uncomfortble at left-back, let Eto'o carry the ball into the box and with the drop of a shoulder the Cameroon international found the space to fire the ball under Julio Sergio.

The tempo and movement of both teams in the first-half was so impressive it felt like it was only a matter of time before the players would start to wither, but the action was unrelenting as both Cordoba and Cambiasso made important interventions to keep their lead before the break.

The second-half settled into a more steady pace and Inter looked the more likely to extend their lead. A curling long ball over the top from Esteban Cambiasso picked out the in-form Giampaolo Pazzini, the former Sampdoria man pounced and found the net but the official's flag was up to halt his celebrations.

In the 61st minute, former Inter defender Nicolas Burdisso was given a red card bringing Pazzini down in the box as the last man. Leonardo's men took the opportunity and it was again Eto'o who kept his composure to find the corner of the goal from the spot.

The Nerazzurri were able to exploit the gaps left by Roma chasing the game with ten men and Pazzini was denied a deserved goal by Julio Sergio. Maicon released Sneijder who picked out Eto'o wide on the left and he slid a low ball across for Pazzini who watched an outstretched Sergio pluck his shot out.

Sneijder, whose invention had been fantastic all game, was the supplier of the fourth goal. His cross to the far post was cushioned back for Thiago Motta who applied a simple finish.

A fifth goal was on the cards when substitute Diego Milito found himself in acres of space but it was Roma who grabbed the next goal of the evening. A free-kick was hammered by Daniele De Rossi and delicately flicked into the opposite corner by Vucinic, wrong-footing Julio Cesar in goal.

The home fans were treated to the debut of Yuto Nagatomo who made a decent start bombing forward twice but cause for concern crept in with ten minutes left. A corner for Roma was headed off the post by Juan and substitute Simone Loria reacted first to squeeze the ball in to give the travelling fans some hope.

With only a few minutes remaining it was Roma who looked like they had the extra man, attacking Inter to rescue a point but Claudio Ranieri's men were too clumsy at the crucial moment.

Inter missed a glorious chance to seal victory with sixty seconds of normal time left, Diego Milito firing over with the goal at his mercy but Cambiasso made up for his team-mates miss seconds after, finishing low to make it 5-3.