New Delhi: Inter are through to the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia, seeing off 10-man Genoa 3-1 after extra time in an entertaining and controversial last 16 tie at San Siro
Inter were looking to bounce back following their disappointing 1-1 Serie A draw at home to Cagliari at the weekend, and coach Jose Mourinho fielded a relatively strong line-up. Adriano led the attack alongside Hernan Crespo. There was no place for Mario Balotelli though, who was again left out of the squad as punishment for his bad attitude in training.
Genoa, who were coming off an impressive 3-0 win over Torino on Saturday, were having an excellent season, and were only one point off a Champions League place in the league. Gian Piero Gasperini rested a number of first team players for this cup tie, and star man Diego Milito was injured. Exciting young prospect Stephan El Shaarawi, who only turned 16 a few months ago, was on the bench.
First Half
Inter attacked right from the start, but it was Genoa who had the first attempt of the game, as Salvatore Bocchetti tested Francesco Toldo from long range.
Inter had two fine chances around the five minute mark. First Luis Jimenez volleyed wide from 20 yards, and then Crespo clipped the ball past the post when he had just goalkeeper Alessio Scarpi to beat.
On 15 minutes Genoa missed a glorious chance to take the lead as Vanden Borre skipped past Samuel and Toldo, but with an open goal, he bizarrely attempted to cut past Muntari too, and was tackled.
There was huge controversy on 20 minutes as Adriano was upended two yards outside the area by Giuseppe Biava, but the referee, after consulting with his linesman, awarded a penalty, and harshly sent off Biava, who had appeared to get a touch on the ball.
Genoa players were furious, but their spirits were lifted when Scarpi flew to his right to make a brilliant save from Adriano's spot-kick.
Adriano tried to make up for his miss, as he blasted the ball over from 25 yards. The Brazilian had an excellent chance on 31 minutes though, as he headed straight at Scarpi when completely unmarked.
It was one-way traffic, as Maicon, Jimenez, Samuel and Adriano all had further efforts. Christian Chivu embarked on a Diego Maradona-style solo run, but could not find a way past Scarpi.
Genoa players were up in arms again before half time when Muntari, having already been booked, dived into a crunching studs-up tackle on Vanden Borre. However, the referee opted not to dish out another yellow card, which would have seen Muntari sent off.
There was still time for Crespo to volley over from close range, but Genoa somehow held on until the interval.
Second Half
Victor Obinna replaced Muntari at half time, and almost had an immediate impact, as he fizzed the ball across the six yard box. Chivu then volleyed wide from 20 yards.
Inter began to lay siege to the Genoa goal. Maicon went on a scintillating run before being brilliantly denied by Scarpi.
The 35-year-old goalkeeper was inspired, and he denied Adriano not once, not twice, but three times from close range, when the Brazilian seemed destined to score.
Maicon took matters into his own hands again, as he skipped past two players, cut inside and then fired just wide with his left foot.
Inter continued to launch wave after wave of attack. On 72 minutes Scarpi beat away a Zanetti piledriver, while he again excelled in denying Adriano.
Scarpi was putting on a goalkeeping masterclass, but he was finally beaten on 75 minutes as Adriano, with his last touch before being substituted for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, rose highest to head home Maxwell's left wing cross.
Crespo had the chance to add a second, but with just Scarpi to beat he could not round the custodian.
Genoa had barely passed the half-way line in the second half, but incredibly they grabbed an equaliser with 12 minutes remaining. Marco Rossi pounced on a Samuel error, before blasting a missile into the top corner of the net.
Ibrahimovic tried to prevent extra time with a thunderous free kick that scraped the crossbar. Crespo then crossed for substitute Esteban Cambiasso, who headed over with the goal at his mercy, while Scarpi made his umpteenth save of the night to stop Zanetti.
Extra Time
The pattern of the game continued in extra time, as Scarpi flew to his left to push away Ibrahimovic's low shot. The goalkeeper then made a miraculous fingertip save from Crespo's volley.
The chances continued to come. Obinna cut back for Cambiasso, but the Argentine dragged the ball inches wide, when it seemed easier to score.
Scarpi had been immense all night, but it was his error that allowed Inter to finally go back ahead, as he fumbled Ibrahimovic's long-shot, and Cambiasso followed-up to turn home the rebound.
Genoa's resistance had now been broken, and a couple of minutes later it was 3-1. Ibrahimovic's first effort was saved by Scarpi, but the Swede then composed himself and placed the ball through the Keeper's legs and into the net.
The tempo dropped in the second period of extra time, and there were few real efforts of note, other than a couple of long range shots from Ibrahimovic and Chivu, as well as an Olivera free kick for Genoa that Toldo pushed away.
The game finished 3-1, and Inter will now meet Roma in the quarter finals.
Teams
Inter: Toldo, Maicon, Burdisso, Samuel, Maxwell, Chivu, Zanetti, Muntari (Obinna 46), Jimenez (Cambiasso 72), Adriano (Ibrahimovic 76), Crespo
Genoa: Scarpi, Biava, Bocchetti, Ferrari, Modesto (Criscito 48), Milanetto, Rossi, Juric, Vanden Borre (Olivera 53), Sculli, Mesto (Sokratis 46)
Goals
Adriano 75 (I)
Rossi 78 (G)
Cambiasso 100 (I)
Ibrahimovic 103 (I)
Missed Penalty
Adriano 20 (I)
Red Card
Biava 20 (G)
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