Final score

11 March 2003 20:45

Inter
17' (2nd half) Cordoba
3' (2nd half) Vieri
Newcastle
4' (2nd half) Shearer
42' Shearer
Referee: Lucilio Cardoso Cortez Batista / Linesmen: Januario L. R. P., Silva C. J. M. / Fourth official: Lopes Ferreira J.F.
Minute Text commentary
45' Toldo blocks a dangerous-looking cross from Solano.
45' One minute of injury time added on at the end of the first half.
43' Conceiçao puts the ball into the back of the Newcastle net, but sees his effort ruled out for offside.
42' Alan Shearer beats Zanetti to a Bellamy cross and slides the ball into the net from close range.
38' Cannavaro rises above his marker to get a header on target from a right-wing free kick. Given makes a crucial save for the Magpies.
32' Bramble is cautioned by the referee for handball.
32' Nigerian youngster Obafemi Martins is warming up.
31' Conceiçao, back on after receiving treatment, is yellow-carded for an awful foul on Robert.
30' Bellamy turns and makes a shot. Toldo makes another save.
29' Robert fires in a 30-yard free kick. It's on target, but Toldo gets down to make the save.
28' Conceiçao is stretchered off by the medical staff.
27' Javier Zanetti plays a one-two with Emre. On the edge of the box, the Inter captain strikes an low, right-footed shot on target. Given makes a good save.
26' Guly plays a high ball into the opposing box for Vieri. Bramble heads back to Given, denying Vieri a clear scoring chance.
24' Okan receives treatment on the side-line after a harsh challenge by an opponent.
23' Toldo pulls off another miraculous save. At full stretch, the Inter custodian denies Jenas.
22' Di Biagio shoots from the edge of the box. The rebound goes to Guly, but Newcastle block the Argentine's shot.
18' Shearer capitalises on a defensive lapse by the Nerazzurri and whips in a left-wing cross. At the far post, Solano shoots and forces Toldo to make a crucial save.
15' Cordoba makes another crucial challenge, this time on Jenas. With a well-timed tackle, the Colombian international puts the ball round for a corner.
10' Bellamy picks up the ball on the left wing and comes forward. Cordoba stays close to the Welshman and makes the tackle just inside the Inter box. Corner.
7' Speed tries with a shot from the distance. It goes over the bar.
6' From a central position outside the Newcastle box, Emre picks out Coco on the left wing. The Nerazzurri defender crosses in for Vieri. Given beats Bobo to the ball and clears for an Inter corner.
5' Solano rifles in a shot which hits the bar then comes off Toldo and goes out for a corner.
3' Excellent defending by Cordoba, who beats Bellamy to a through ball then makes a clearance near the by-line.
2' Vieri twists and turns on the edge of the Newcastle box, then passes to Emre. The Turkish midfielder, playing in an advanced position tonight, shoots over the bar from close range.
1' Lucilio Cardoso Cortez Batista blows his whistle and the Nerazzurri kick off.
1' The teams are on the pitch at the Meazza. And as far as the crowd is concerned a game has already started, with both sets of fans trying to outvoice each other.
Minute Text commentary
50' Full time. Inter 2-2 Newcastle. See you on Sunday for Inter vs. Como.
49' Shearer is booked for timewasting.
46' LuaLua is booked for an off-the-ball incident in which he pushed Cordoba.
46' Di Biagio is booked for protesting about the distance of the Newcastle wall, which seems to be six yards away.
45' 3 minutes added on. Free kick to us right on the edge of the Inter box after Conceiçao is fouled.
43' LuaLua creates a hole in the Inter defence then passes to Shearer, whos effort from the edge of the Inter box finishes wide.
40' Vieri combines with Di Biagio on the edge of the box. Gladiator makes the shot, but it sails over the bar.
38' Newcastle make a double substitution - Viana and LuaLua on for Robert and Solano.
35' Conceiçao whips in a cross from the right and Oba Martins tries a spectacular overhead kick.
34' Toldo makes yet another crucial save, this time from Shearer's header.
33' Inter substitution - Emre off, Pasquale on.
32' Toldo makes an acrobatic save from Bellamy's 18-yard shot.
31' Speed again. This time it's a shot from the edge of the box, which goes wide.
28' Gary Speed sends a header over the Inter bar.
26' Vieri is knocked to the ground in the Newcastle box after a challenge with a defender. No penalty given.
25' Javier Zanetti crosses into the middle after a trademark run down the right wing. Bobogol is anticipated.
21' Shearer blasts a 30-yard free kick into the Curva Sud.
19' Craig Bellamy dives in the Inter box and is booked for simulation.
18' Vieri is booked for kicking the ball out of play and will miss the trip to Leverkusen.
17' 2-2!!! Cordoba levels the scores with a header in at the far post from Emre's left-wing cross.
15' Newcastle substitution - Hughes on for O'Brien.
14' Bobogol fires a fierce left-footed shot from the edge of the box, Given makes a good save. Corner.
13' Toldo kicks the ball clear after Newcastle create danger on the break.
8' Bobo goes close with a header, but it finishes wide.
4' 2-1 to the Mapgies. Shearer scores his second with another close-range effort.
3' We're back in the game!!! Oba Martins plays the ball to Conceiçao on the right wing. The Portuguese international crosses in for Vieri, who beats two defenders to the ball and heads past Given.
2' The Magpies get the second half underway.
2' Hector Cuper has made a half-time substitution, replacing Guly with Martins.
1' It's 1-0 to Newcastle after 45 minutes of play at the Meazza.
Di Biagio
5.48
5.48
Vieri
7.45
7.45
Zanetti
7.1
7.1
Cordoba
8.3
8.3
Guglielminpietro
4.64
4.64
Emre
7.58
7.58
Conceiçao
6.87
6.87
Okan
6.93
6.93
Toldo
5.13
5.13
Pasquale
6.49
6.49
Coco
5.59
5.59
Cannavaro
6.35
6.35
Martins
7.45
7.45
Average rating 6.56
7 shots on target 10
3 shots off target 5
11 fouls committed 28
3 corners 4
3 offsides 2
24:28 ball possession 24:58
Previous meetings between Newcastle and Italian sides

Newcastle have won 2, drawn 2 and lost 3 of their 7 European matches against Italian clubs. In the 3 matches played away from home, the Tynesiders have never won (1 draw and 2 defeats). Newcastle have also played 9 Anglo-Italian Cup games, with 5 victories, 2 draws and 2 defeats.

Previous meetings between Inter and English teams

Inter have met English club sides in European cup competitions on 21 occasions (8 victories, 4 draws and 9 defeats). The Nerazzurri have also faced English sides on 4 occasions in the Anglo-Italian Cup (1 victory, 2 draws and 1 defeat).

Previous meetings between Inter and Newcastle

The two teams have met in Europe on 3 previous occasions. Newcastle have scored at least 1 goal in each of those matches.
In detail:
1970/71 Fairs/UEFA Cup Inter-Newcastle 1-1 0-2
2002/03 Champions League Inter-Newcastle ---- 4-1

Inter vs. Newcastle - disciplinary situation

Inter :
Disqualified: Cannavaro, Recoba
Cautioned: Materazzi, Morfeo, Vieri

Newcastle :
Disqualified: No-one
Cautioned: Ameobi

Newcastle on target for 7 European matches in a row

Newcastle have scored 14 goals in their last 7 European matches (at least one per game). The last time the Tynesiders failed to score in Europe was the 2-0 defeat away to Juventus on 1 October 2002

No Eurogoal for Vieri since December 2001

He's in phenomenal form in the championship with 21 goals in 18 matches played. But Bobogol hasn't scored in Europe for 15 months. Precisely, Christian Vieri's last goals in European cup competitions came on 6 December 2001 in a 4-1 win at home to Ipswich Town in the UEFA Cup. Since his hat-trick against the English side, the Nerazzurri striker has gone 12 European matches (1 in the UEFA Cup and 11 in the current edition of the Champions League) without scoring - a total of 1014 minutes.

No draw in Europe for Magpies since August 2001

The last time Newcastle drew in Europe was in the Intertoto competition on 21 August 2001 - a 4-4 draw at home to Troyes. Since then, the English side have recorded 7 victories and 5 defeats. In European matches played away from home, Newcastle have won 3 and lost 3 since the 0-0 draw away to Troyes on 7 August 2001.

No Inter goal in Europe's top cup competition for 190 minutes

The Nerazzurri haven't scored in the Champions League for 190’ (since Butt's own goal in the 80th minute of Inter 3-2 Bayer Leverkusen). Should Inter not score at home to Newcastle, the record of 3 consecutive matches without scoring in the European Cup/Champions League will be equalled. In the 1971/72 edition of Europe's most prestigious tournament for club sides, Inter drew both semi-final matches against Celtic 0-0 then lost 2-0 to Ajax in the final, while between the 2000/01 and 2002/03 seasons, the Nerazzurri lost 1-0 and drew 0-0 against Rosenborg (2000/01 Champions League preliminaries) and drew 0-0 away to Sporting Lisbon (2002/03 Champions League preliminaries).

Only one defeat at home to English clubs for Inter

Inter's only defeat at home to English sides in the traditional European cup competitions was on 19 April 1961 (Inter 1-2 Birmingham City in the Fairs/UEFA Cup). Since then, the Nerazzurri have won 6 matches and drawn 2 against English sides at the San Siro.

wins(0) draws(1) defeats(0)

starting lineups

Toldo 1 Given
Cordoba 2 Solano
Zanetti 4 Obrien
Emre 5 Jenas
Conceiçao 7 Shearer
Guglielminpietro 11 Speed
Cannavaro 13 Bellamy
Di Biagio 14 Griffin
Okan 22 Bramble
Vieri 32 Robert
Coco 77 Bernard

substitutes

Fontana 12 Harper
Gamarra 24 Hughes
Pasquale 26 Lualua
Martins 30 Ameobi
Vivas 31 Kerr
Franchini Caldwell
Napolitano Viana