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Inter Milan beats Catania 2-1 to go top in Serie A

SULLEY Muntari and Wesley Sneijder scored as Inter Milan beat Catania 2-1 to reclaim top spot in the Serie A after Sampdoria had defeated Bologna 4-1 yesterday to briefly lead the standings.

Inter led 2-0 at halftime at the San Siro and held on despite Giuseppe Mascara scoring a late penalty for Catania.

Sampdoria scored four first-half goals, Daniele Mannini hitting two and Giampaolo Pazzini and Reto Ziegler adding one each before Paolo Osvaldo picked up a second-half consolation goal for Bologna.

Inter leads the standings with 22 points, two ahead of Sampdoria.

"I think this reflects all the work we do in the week. Tonight, we were ready for Catania," Inter defender Ivan Cordoba said. "Matches like this are always difficult and we mustn't forget that. We had to work hard in the second half to take control of the situation."

Inter took the lead in the 13th minute when Muntari hit a cross into the area toward Samuel Eto'o. The Cameroon international failed to reach the ball, but it bounced over goalkeeper Andrea Campagnolo.

Ezequiel Carboni soon forced Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar into pushing his powerful drive away for a corner, but that was the Sicilians best effort of the first half.

Patrick Vieira hit the bar in the 27th, but Wesley Sneijder curled in a free kick to double Inter's lead four minutes later.

In the second half, both sides appeared happy to play out the match- until Mascara slotted home a penalty in the 84th after Cesar had fouled Gianvito Plasmate.

Striker Antonio Cassano was at the hub of everything Sampdoria did in attack, raising further questions over Italy coach Marcello Lippi's inability to find a place for him in the national squad.

Cassano floated a cross in from the right for Pazzini to score his sixth goal of the season in the seventh minute. Pazzini played with a protective face mask after breaking his nose in a collision with Lazio goalkeeper Fernando Mulsera last week.

Pazzini then flicked on Cassano's cross for Mannini to volley home Sampdoria's second in the 16th. Ten minutes later, Ziegler turned Bologna's Nicola Mudingayi and fired past goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano from long range.

Mannini headed home the fourth goal in the 33rd from another cross by Cassano.

Bologna scored when Daniele Portanova's header hit the crossbar from a free kick, and Osvaldo reached the rebound first to beat goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi in the 62nd.

"It was a great first half and we controlled the game for 30 to 40 minutes," Mannini said. "It is a reward for all the hard work we have been doing. We're playing attractive football, we're scoring goals and we're enjoying the season. We should be happy with our performance tonight."




 

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