Internazionale Main Thread

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Palermo Upset Inter After An Entertaining Draw

Inter could not capitalize on a 2-0 lead over Palermo thanks to goals from Mario Balotelli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as Fabrizio Miccoli and Succi tied matters up for the visitors.

The Nerazzurri last weekend increased their lead over second-placed Juventus to nine points with eight games remaining, thanks to a fortunate win over Udinese, courtesy of an own goal from Mauricio Isla, as well as Juve's 3-3 draw against Chievo. This left Jose Mourinho’s men within touching distance of their fourth straight Scudetto, ahead of this match against Palermo.

The Sicilians traveled to the San Siro to meet league leaders Inter in confident mood after last weekend's 1-0 win over Torino. That result lifted Palermo to eighth in the standings, four points behind Roma, who held the last European qualifying spot before this match was played.

First Half

The game began after a minute of silence in memory of those that passed away after the terrible earthquake that claimed almost 300 lives to date. Both sides had similar formations, with two strikers leading the squads in attack. The game was played at a slow pace early on, with the teams patiently waiting for each other to make the first move. In the 10th minute the first real chance presented itself, with Ibrahimovic beating the offside trap, but when faced with a one on one against Amelia, the Swede put too much weight on his chip and the ball went out for a goal kick.

Mario Balotelli soon put matters in favour of the home side however, as he lost his marker and easily headed in the opening goal of the game on 15 minutes from a Sulley Muntari cross. In the 21st minute the Nerazzurri were once again on the attack after a fine counter allowed them to push forward with speed, but Ibrahimovic’s diagonal shot was well saved by Amelia, sending it just wide of the post. Inter were in complete control of the game, but Balotelli and Ibrahimovic were making many mistakes up front.

Balotelli was playing a dangerous game with the referee, committing numerous fouls and displaying attitude when confronted about them. In the 29th minute Stankovic controlled a pass from Ibrahimovic, before attempting to chip Amelia, but the Italian number two keeper easily caught the ball. Palermo were yet to trouble Francesco Toldo in the Inter goal, and a 34th minute long range effort from Cassani went far wide of the intended target.

In the 35th minute a foul on Muntari from Migliaccio seemed to be a possible penalty for the home side, but the referee waved play on. A few minutes later Kjaer made a similar mistake in the box, but this time the referee awarded a penalty and Ibrahimovic duly scored to make it 2-0. Inter were comfortably in control of the game, with the midfield keeping possession well and pleasing the San Siro crowd with a few cheeky dribbles. With very little time left before half time Miccoli had an effort at goal, but his strike went into the side netting. After another minute of injury time the half ended at 2-0 for the home side.

Second Half

The second half got underway with the Beneamata resuming control in midfield, while allowing the odd Palermo counter attack to bother them. In the 47th minute a dangerous strike from Miccoli disturbed the relaxed Inter fans, but Toldo did well to save it and clear the danger. Toldo was brought into the match more in the second half, with Palermo growing in confidence and attempting a few attacks of their own. In the 53rd minute a great header from Carrozzieri almost cut Inter’s lead, but the ball slipped agonizingly wide of goal.

In the 58th minute Ibrahimovic cracked a long range free kick over the bar, failing to mimic his set piece efforts of a few weeks back against Fiorentina. Palermo were looking more dangerous at this point of the encounter, with Miccoli and Cavani doing what they could to keep Inter busy. The roles had reversed, and Inter was playing a more defensive game, while making their presence felt on the counter attack. In the 68th minute Bresciano took a great volley, but his shot just missed the target.

Eventually Palermo’s change of attitude on the pitch paid off with a goal to bring them back into the game, as Uruguayan striker Edison Cavani scored with a good run and diagonal shot to beat Toldo in the 73rd minute. Soon after that, fantastic play from the visiting Sicilians tied the game with a great goal through Succi, after Miccoli had set back a long cross from Bresciano with a wonderful touch back to the goal scorer.

Mourinho made a flurry of substitutions at this point, hoping to break down Palermo’s new-born spirit and find a goal that would bring them into the lead once again. The incredible ending to this match provided a wonderful mix of attacking football from both teams, with Palermo looking for the upset over their illustrious opponents. After a few minutes of heated injury time, with Miccoli displaying sublime skill which nearly allowed him to score the winner, Palermo settled for an impressive 2-2 draw away to the current Italian Champions, Inter Milan.

INTER 2–2 PALERMO

GOALS: 15’ Balotelli, 40’ Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan) 73’ Cavani, 75’ Succi (Palermo)

INTER: Toldo, Santon, Cordoba, Chivu, Maxwell (Crespo 79’), Zanetti, Cambiasso, Muntari (Figo 79’), Stankovic, Balotelli (Vieira 74’), Ibrahimovic.

PALERMO: Amelia, Cassani, Carrozzieri, Kjaer, Balzaretti, Migliaccio (Bresciano 46’), Liverani (Bovo 25’), Nocerino (Succi 57’), Simplicio, Miccoli, Cavani.

Source: http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/20 ... ining-draw

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[RomaShield27]

ADRIANO AGENT TO HOLD INTER TALKS
www.sportinglife.com

Adriano's agent flew into Italy for talks with Inter Milan over the troubled Brazil striker. Adriano is currently in his homeland after announcing he was to take a break from football because he had "lost the joy of playing".

The 27-year-old said the break could last for "one, two, or three months". Inter currently hold his registration and the player's representative Gilmar Rinaldi is confident his client will soon be back on the field.

He told Mediaset on his arrival in Milan: "First of all, Adriano is calm and well. Last week was good for him. "He just needs two months to find himself.

"In my view he will not quit football as I have read. "It is not the right moment to talk about it. We need to evaluate the situation, the player and the man."

There has already been speculation Adriano might leave Inter and sign a deal with either Flamengo or Fenerbahce. But Rinaldi dismissed talk of a move and insisted the player was more likely to remain with the Nerazzurri.

"The rumours about offers from Turkey and Brazil are not true," he added. "Adriano still has 14 months left on his Inter contract and he might stay. "We will talk about it with the club this afternoon."

[Messinterista]

This is crap, why is he flying out to tell us that he wants to be out of football for 2-3 months. What a joke. Rip his contract up now.

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Anyone has any inside info on the meeting with Adri's agent?

Is there any chance of getting Ribery? He was brilliant today.

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[Marco Materazzi]

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[Marco Materazzi]

[Marco Materazzi]

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If he goes to Milan, he and Dinho together will ruin Kaka
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Moratti open to Adri rescission
Wednesday 15 April, 2009
Inter President Massimo Moratti has confessed that Adriano's contract could be torn up.

The Brazilian marksman went missing after a World Cup 2010 qualifier against Peru.

And after reappearing days later, Adriano announced that he would be taking an indefinite hiatus from the game - a decision that could end his relationship with Inter.

“Perhaps the rescission of his contract could be a solution,â€

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Maxwell Set To Extend Contract At Inter - Report
Brazilian full-back Maxwell could end up staying at Inter after all, despite his agent's recent claims that he would leave the club without question.
16 Apr 2009 20:33:40

Even though recently his agent Mino Raiola announced with certainty that he would leave Inter at the end of the season, Maxwell may end up extending his contract with the Nerazzurri.

According to www.24oredisport.com, the Brazilian looks set to sign a new contract which will be an improvement on what he currently earns.

After joining Inter in the summer of 2006, for two full seasons Maxwell was the first choice at left-back, until he was displaced by youth product Davide Santon earlier this year.

Mourinho wants a young and strong squad, and letting go of the 27-year-old, who is the only pure left back at Inter (Santon is originally a right-back), could be considered foolish, since it would force the club to search for a new full-back to stand in for the 18-year-old Santon.

There is speculation that the player will be offered a four-year contract worth €3 million per season, which is almost one million more than he currently earns.