Juventus retained their two-point advantage at the
top of Serie A and piled even more misery on Claudio
Ranieri's Inter Milan with a win at the San Siro tonight.
Mirko Vucinic put the Bianconeri in front in the 12th
minute, but Maicon levelled for the hosts in the 28th
minute.
Claudio Marchisio restored Juve's advantage in the
33rd minute and he was unlucky not to earn a penalty
just before half-time.
Inter were unable to find a way back into the game
and succumbed to their fifth defeat in nine games to
risk dropping into the bottom three of Serie A this
weekend.
Inter had two good early chances with Giampaolo Pazzini
and Esteban Cambiasso going close in the first five
minutes, but Juve took the lead with their first attack
of the game in the 12th minute.
Stephan Lichtsteiner's cross was met by Alessandro
Matri, whose shot was saved by the legs of Luca Castellazzi,
but the ball fell to Vucinic, who smashed it into the
roof of the net.
One minute later, Matri had the chance to make it two,
but he dragged his shot wide of the far post with only
Castellazzi to beat.
And Juve had three against two on their next attack
a minute later, but Matri's shot was again saved by
Castellazzi.
Inter did not seem too perturbed by the amount of chances
they were conceding at the back as they kept pushing
forwards, and their ambition was rewarded in the 28th
minute when Maicon brought them level.
Juve failed to fully clear a corner and Wesley Sneijder
sent the Brazilian back into the penalty area, where
he shot powerfully into the roof of the net from an
angle with a slight deflection off Leonardo Bonucci
taking the ball past Gianluigi Buffon.
Pazzini flashed a header against the crossbar in the
31st minute, but the Inter defence was again breached
two minutes later.
Marchisio played a one-two with Matri before curling
a low shot just inside the right-hand post.
Marchisio broke through again in the 40th minute and
he was hauled to the ground by Castellazzi after lifting
the ball over him, but no penalty was awarded.
Inter had to attack in the second half, but they appeared
to lack the energy and the belief to do so.
The best chances fell at the other end, with Vucinic
shooting straight at Castellazzi in the 60th minute
and Marcelo Estigarribia seeing his shot saved by the
Inter goalkeeper's leg.
Substitute Alessandro Del Piero then missed the chance
to put the result beyond doubt in the 87th minute, scuffing
his shot wide of the post with only Castellazzi to beat.
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