Inter triumphant in Zanetti's 800th game
Reuters - Thursday 23 August 2012, 23:13
Javier Zanetti made his 800th appearance
for Inter Milan in the Italians' 2-0 win at Romania's Vaslui in
a Europa League tie on Thursday.
The 39-year-old Argentine began his Inter career 17 years
ago, playing in a 1-0 Serie A win over Vicenza on August 27, 1995,
after joining from Banfield, an unfashionable Buenos Aires club.
Since then he has won five Serie A titles, four Italian
Cups, one Champions League, one UEFA Cup and one Club World
championship.
Zanetti's fellow Argentines Esteban Cambiasso and Rodrigo
Palacio scored Inter's goals in the play-off round first leg.
Thirty matches were played on Thursday involving teams
ranging from five-times European champions Liverpool to Neftchi
Baku from Azerbaijan.
Neftchi achieved a 1-1 draw at home to APOEL Nicosia, who
reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season.
Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala, who have splurged millions
on players like Cameroon forward Samuel Eto'o and Dutch coach
Guus Hiddink, beat AZ Alkmaar 1-0 with a second-half goal from
Ivorian forward Lacina Traore.
The match was played in Moscow after UEFA prevented Anzhi
from playing at their base in the violence-plagued Dagestan
region for security reaons.
Norway's Tromso, based inside the Artic circle, produced a
shock 3-2 win over Serbia's Partizan Belgrade.
Athletic Bilbao, beaten finalists last season, trounced HJK
Helsinki 6-0 and a 78th-minute own goal by Andy Webster gave
Liverpool a 1-0 win at Hearts.
Aritz Aduriz and Markel Susaeta scored twice each for
Athletic with Inigo Perez and Andoni Iraola sharing the others.