Serie A, Cesena 1-2 Inter: Pazzini's crazy comeback
Saturday, 30 April 2011 20:22:18
CESENA - Thanks to their never-say-die attitude and some smart finishing by Pazzini, Inter pulled off an amazing injury-time turnaround to beat Cesena 1-2 in their Serie A 2010/11 Week 35 fixture.
After a goalless first half, Budan opened the scoring in the 56th minute with a goal that may well have been offside. The game seemed to have slipped away from Inter as the match entered stoppage time but then up stepped Pazzini, twice, to complete a magical victory that gives the Nerazzurri some breathing space in second place.
FIRST HALF – Against Cesena Leonardo had to make do without the suspended Julio Cesar and injured duo Sneijder and Stankovic so opted to start with Pandev and Motta alongside Eto'o in support of Milito. Nagatomo was making a return to the stadium where he made his name in Italy, while ex-Nerazzurri player Jimenez featured in the Cesena starting line-up. On-loan Inter defender Santon was injured in the warm-up,so Ceccarelli was drafted in at the last minute. Up front Ficcadenti went for Budan over Malonga.
Cesena got off to a strong start with first Jimenez then Budan threatening inside the Nerazzurri box, but it was Giaccherini, in the 6th minute, who had the first real chance to open the scoring: he ran onto a ball played over the top at pace and nodded goalwards but as he took his shot he was denied by Castellazzi's burst off the goal line, before Maicon completed the clearance. Inter hit back after 11 minutes with a shot by Thiago Motta that ended wide of Antonioli's goal. The game then remained quiet until the 25th minute, when Maicon hit an inviting cross towards Pandev, only for Antonioli to pluck it out of the air. On 33 minutes, Eto'o opened up play on the right for Maicon to hit another ball into the box, with Cambiasso having a shot charged down from inside the six-yard box. Shortly before half time Zanetti teed up Lucio, whose snapshot from distance went straight into Antonioli's arms. So with no goals and few chances, the first half between Cesena and Inter came to an end after 46 minutes of play.
SECOND HALF – The second half began with the same twenty-two on the pitch. Three minutes in, Jimenez went for goal from out on the right and Castellazzi could only parry the ball, but Lucio was on hand to hoof clear. A minute later the Chilean tried his luck again when he connected with a volley from Caserta's pass, failing to hit the target, however. The beating rain mattered little to the Romagnoli, who continued to launch attacks on Inter's goal. Another Cesena cross into the box, this time by Giaccherini, was met by Jimenez, who got up to head the ball but committed a foul as he did so. A goal for the home side seemed in the air and it came in the 56th minute: Giaccherini found Ceccarelli free on the right, his cross cleared both Ranocchia and Lucio and landed at the feet of Budan, who had the simple task of turning in from yards out to give Cesena the lead. Replays showed that the Croatian was offside but it went unnoticed by the linesman. Inter immediately picked themselves up and set about finding an equaliser: Eto'o saw his shot from the edge of the box smothered by Antonioli (67 minutes), a delightful ball from Maicon for Pazzini came to nothing as Von Bergen nipped in ahead of the Italy striker (68), then Cambiasso's in-swinging free kick was met by Lucio in the air, with the ball going just wide (72). In the 78th minute the ball hit the back of Cesena's net via Ceccarelli, but the ball had gone out of play from Maicon's corner. Pazzini then warmed up for his stoppage time show with a couple of headers from crosses by Maicon (79 minutes) and Lucio (85), but on both occasions was unable to get them on target. He wasn't discouraged, though, and he put Inter on level terms in the first minute of added time: Eto'o powered a cross into the centre of the area, where Pazzini leapt well and connected with his foot at full stretch to beat his marker and the keeper with a fantastic finish, making it 1-1. Happy with a point snatched at the death? Other sides perhaps would be, but this gritty Nerazzurri team never lets up. 'Il Pazzo' ('the crazy one') made sure there was a crazy end to this game, as he found a winner in the last of five minutes of injury time. Milito found Maicon out wide and the Brazilian curled in one last, delightful, ball into the middle, where Pazzini rose higher than everyone else and steered his header into the back of the net to stun the Stadio Manuzzi.
Moments later Valeri blew the final whistle to call time on a fantastic, memorable match. The win means Inter are now on 69 points in second place.
Cesena 1-2 Inter (HT: 0-0)
Scorers: Budan 56, Pazzini 90+1 and 90+5.
Cesena: 1 Antonioli; 77 Ceccarelli (44 Piangerelli, 83), 25 Von Bergen, 3 Pellegrino, 6 Lauro; 24 Sammarco, 8 Caserta, 18 Parolo; 23 Giaccherini (15 Benalouane, 73), 10 Jimenez; 11 Budan (17 Malonga, 77).
Unused subs: 33 Calderoni, 4 Appiah, 19 Gorobsov, 70 Bogdani.
Coach: Massimo Ficcadenti.
Inter: 12 Castellazzi; 13 Maicon, 6 Lucio, 15 Ranocchia, 55 Nagatomo; 4 Zanetti, 19 Cambiasso; 27 Pandev (7 Pazzini, 59), 8 Thiago Motta (17 Mariga, 64), 9 Eto'o; 22 Milito,
Unused subs: 21 Orlandoni, 14 Kharja, 20 Obi, 23 Materazzi, 26 Chivu.
Coach: Leonardo.
Referee: Paolo Valeri (Roma 2).
Booked: Budan 14, Ceccarelli 58, Mariga 70, Caserta 84, Lucio 87.
Added time: 1+5 minutes.
Credit: Internazionale Milano (www.inter.it)
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