Inter Milan 2-0 Fiorentina - Inter ease the pressure

Posted Saturday, December 10, 2011 by PA

Inter Milan picked up a vital win at the San Siro to move away from danger at the foot of Serie A and above their opponents Fiorentina.

Former Viola striker Giampaolo Pazzini gave Claudio Ranieri's side the lead four minutes before the break, with Yuto Nagatomo adding the second four minutes after the interval.

Inter controlled the game from start to finish and wasted good chances to make it an even more impressive win against a negative Fiorentina side who looked a shadow of the team which defeated Roma 3-0 last weekend.

Pazzini had the first shot in an embarrassingly one-sided first half, but Artur Boruc made the first of many saves.

Pazzini was then twice off target with headers before Lucio nodded Maicon's free-kick just wide.

Philipp Coutinho was denied by Boruc and Pazzini was off target again before finally taking a more difficult chance in the 41st minute, when Coutinho lifted the ball over the Fiorentina defence and Pazzini never gave up on what seemed like it could be a lost cause.

He stretched out his leg to nudge the ball past the onrushing Boruc from a very tight angle and the ball caressed the inside of the post on its way into the open goal.

The second Inter goal came four minutes after the interval with fortune favouring the brave Japanese full-back Nagatomo.

He chased the ball into the penalty area and was lucky that Manuel Pasqual's clearance struck him unwittingly on the thigh and cannoned past Boruc.

Alberto Gilardino had Fiorentina's only significant chance of the night in the 55th minute but Lucio covered well to clear the ball off the Fiorentina striker's toe as he was about to shoot.

Thiago Motta shot wide of the far post from 30 yards midway through the second half before Sulley Muntari missed a gilt-edged chance with only Boruc to beat, his shot also just a touch too strong for Pazzini to convert at the far post.

Pazzini seemed to have been infected by his team-mate's poor finish as he did the very same when faced with just Boruc to beat in the 85th minute.

The Italy striker hesitated and then shot straight at Boruc as another chance was wasted.