Serie A - Inter and Sampdoria both win

Eurosport - Sat, 24 Oct 21:45:00 2009

Sulley Muntari and Wesley Sneijder were on target to give Serie A leaders Inter Milan a 2-1 win over Catania at the Giuseppe Meazza.

2009-2010 Serie A Inter Sneijder - 0

Ghana midfielder Muntari put the champions in front on 13 minutes when his lob into the box towards Samuel Eto'o was allowed to bounce into goal as Catania keeper Andrea Campagnolo stood motionless.

Dutchman Sneijder curled in a splendid right-footed free-kick to double the lead just past the half hour mark shortly after Patrick Vieira had thrashed the ball against the bar from short range.

Inter looked comfortable until Catania substitute Giuseppe Mascara set up a nervy finale by converting a penalty six minutes from time, given when Inter keeper Julio Cesar brought down Gianvito Plasmati after spilling a shot.

But the hosts held on for a triumph that gives them 22 points from nine games, two more than second-placed Sampdoria, who had briefly occupied the top spot by thrashing 10-man Bologna 4-1 earlier.

"I'm happy with how we played in the first half and how we fought in the second," Inter boss Jose Mourinho, whose side's winless run in the Champions League continued with a 2-2 draw with Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday, told Sky television.

"It's never easy after a Champions League match. I changed a few players. We had some chances to close the match which we didn't take and then everything changed with their goal.

"It gave Catania hope, put us under pressure and the result was in doubt until the end."

Samp forward Giampaolo Pazzini, wearing a face mask after breaking his nose in last weekend's 1-1 draw at Lazio, touched in to give his side an early lead before midfielder Daniele

Mannini volleyed home the second in the 17th minute. Reto Ziegler then drove in from outside the box before Mannini nodded in an Antonio Cassano cross to complete his double and make it 4-0 with just over a third of the match played.

Substitute Pablo Osvaldo took advantage of some poor defending in the second half to pull one back for struggling Bologna, who had had striker Marco Di Vaio sent off for dissent after they went 3-0 down in their first match under new coach Franco Colomba.

Reuters

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  1. Jose Muorinoh great man he knows what he did.
    VIVA with­ him,Ayichew Desalegn from Ethiopia

    From ayichew2, on Mon 26 Oct 5:37AM

  2. Vitor, please take Mourinho back to Setubar that is­ where he belongs!

    From dante, on Sun 25 Oct 4:31AM

  3. Lucy get off from this Forum! You're­ annoying!!!!!!!!!

    From dante, on Sun 25 Oct 4:29AM

  4. Jose' Mou' "el cabron" Portughese I­ think is time is over in Italy.This will be his last­ year that he will coach in Italy. He has done poorly­ with Inter. Mancini has an equal record with Jose'­ only a couple of scudetti and no CL. The difference is­ between the two that Mourinho makes more money than­ Mancini ever made. I feel sorry for Moratti I think he­ knows more about Petrol than football. I think­ Jose' "Big Mouth" days are over I think­ he's heading either back to Portugal or perhaps to­ some clubs in the Liga. I dont think the Brits want him­ back in the UK especially England..

    From dante, on Sun 25 Oct 4:26AM
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Who cares about??? My boyfriend thinks the same with­ me. He is eight years older than me, lol. We met online­ at -- Agelessmatch-C O M -- nice and free place for­ Younger Women and Older Men, or Older Women and Younger­ Men, to interact with each other. Maybe you wanna check­ out or tell your friends.

    From Lucy, on Sun 25 Oct 4:11AM

  6. Great players from the UK have played for Sampdoria­ such as Trevor Francis and Graeme Souness also the­ great Irish player Liam Brady played for many years­ with Sampdoria and then with Juventus as well.

    From dante, on Sun 25 Oct 4:10AM
  7. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Are my eyes deceiving me? Have they finally put a Serie­ A article as the main headline?

    Anyway, Inter sucks­ and Juve is the best. Sampdoria is doing great.­ Hopefully Lippi lets by-gones be by-gones and selects­ Cassano.

    From Andrew, on Sun 25 Oct 12:25AM

  8. ALL THE WAY WITH JOSE!!!

    From Vítor, on Sat 24 Oct 11:55PM

  9. TRUE best league in the world....certainly best­ technically no one can argue that

    From justin, on Sat 24 Oct 10:37PM

  10. welldone samps.

    From m.fowler771, on Sat 24 Oct 9:48PM

  11. nice mask!

    From Ethan, on Sat 24 Oct 8:40PM
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