Pazzini hits winner at former club Fiorentina
Reuters - Wednesday 16 February 2011, 19:40
MILAN - Italy striker Giampaolo Pazzini
netted the winner at former club Fiorentina to give Inter Milan
a 2-1 win in their game in hand on Wednesday and revive their
outside Serie A title hopes.
Champions Inter, who lost at Juventus on Sunday, moved back
up to third spot and are five points behind leaders Milan having
now played the same number of games.
Inter went ahead after six minutes when Maicon's cross was
diverted into his own net by Michele Camporese but mid-table
Fiorentina levelled on 33 minutes when Manuel Pasqual's ball
into the box crept in at the far post without being touched.
Coach Leonardo handed a first start to Japanese left-back
Yuto Nagatomo and had Dejan Stankovic fit again after injury but
Inter still laboured until Pazzini turned in Samuel Eto'o's low
cross 17 minutes into the second half.
Playmaker Wesley Sneijder was substituted with an apparent
groin problem late on to put a slight dampener on the win with
Inter only having 13 matches left to overhaul Milan and
second-placed Napoli in pursuit of their sixth straight title.
The Inter game was rearranged because of their involvement
in December's Club World Cup, which they won as European
champions but led to boss Rafa Benitez being replaced by
Leonardo following a rant about a lack of signings.
Genoa also beat city rivals and fellow mid-table side
Sampdoria 1-0 on Wednesday in a game which had been postponed
because of snow in December.
Brazilian Rafinha grabbed the goal 10 minutes into the
second half in one of Serie A's most colourful and heated
derbies.