Thaindian News

Beijing, Aug 8 (DPA) Brazilian Matuzalem and Tommaso Rocchi gave Lazio a 2-1 win over Inter Milan to secure the Italian Super Cup in a pulsating game played Saturday in Beijing’s Bird Nest stadium.
The Serie A champions Inter enjoyed most of the possession, but Barcelona arrival Samual Eto’o and other missed several chances as the cup winners Lazio prevailed in the match which was part of the celebrations one year after the start of the Beijing Olympics.

Lazio’s new coach Davide Ballardini watched his young Argentine striker Mauro Zarate bring a first threat after 20 minutes, firing a good drive that Brazil’s Julio Cesar flew to slap out of bounds.

As the Italian Cup winners relied mostly on their swift counter attacks, Inter Brazilian international Maicon earlier blocked a couple of dangerous actions from Zarate and Rocchi.

But Inter had good chances through a header from Brazilian defender Lucio, a new arrival from Bayern Munich, and with dangerous actions from newcomer strikers Diego Milito and Samuel Eto’o.

A sparkling Fernando Muslera had several chances to prove his good form after the break, which Inter midfielders Sulley Muntari and Dejan Stankovic opened with fast drives that found the Uruguayan goalkeeper ready to deflect.

There seemed to be no chance for the young custodian in the 56th minutes when his defenders set up Eto’o for an easy flick that the Cameroonian missed as he aimed for the gaping goal.

Inter’s pressing continued as Muslera blocked a shot from Argentina’s Milito, but within three minutes the blue-blacks fell victim to the unwritten rule that punishes the sides missing too many chances.

Midfielder Matuzalem had to thank his lucky star when he put Lazio ahead in the 63rd minutes somehow nodding home after Julio Cesar had parried his shot in a scramble that followed a free kick from Aleksandar Kolarov.

Milito had the time to miss another chance off a feed from Eto’o before Rocchi controlled the ball with his chest and lobbed a soft shot past a frozen Julio Cesar.

Jose Mourinho stepped up his side’s pressure bringing on young forward Mario Balotelli for midfielder Thiago Motta, like Milito, a new arrival from Genoa, while Lazio did not alter their tactics when captain Rocchi made room for former Inter striker Julio Cruz.

The massive striking power brought fruits for Inter with 11 minutes left as Balotelli stole a ball and set up Eto’o for a devastating drive.

With seven minutes to go, Mourinho fielded Honduran David Suazo as fourth striker but only saw Eto’o miss a free kick that a helpless Muslera watched fly above the bar by a hairsbreadth.