Final score

5 February 2006 15:00

Inter
7' Cruz
ChievoVerona
Referee: Salvatore Racalbuto / Linesmen: Carretta, Copelli / Fourth official: Mazzoleni
Watch highlights
Minute Text commentary
47' Inter lead Chievo 1-0 at half time.
47' Adriano is surrounded by three players in the Chievo area and forced to play to Kily. The Argentine's cross is caught by Fontana.
45' 2 minutes of added time.
45' Stankovic's spectacular volley from Adriano's pass is saved by Fontana.
44' At the other end Chievo win a right-wing corner. Adriano clears from Giunti's cross.
43' Zanetti and Figo combine well on the right. The latter delivers a cross which both Adriano and Fontana fail to reach. Goal kick to Chievo.
41' Adriano's free kick rebounds off the wall. The Brazilian controls then fires a low shot wide of Fontana's left-hand post.
40' Free kick to Inter 25 yards out for a foul on Figo.
39' Jimmy Fontana makes a point-blank save from Adriano, whose header from Figo's cross is on target.
38' Adriano beats two on the left then threads through to Kily who crosses for Figo. The Portguguese winger is bundled to the ground by Franceschini but ref Racalbuto doesn't give a penalty.
36' Chievo attack down the left. Amauri's ball into the box is headed clear by Samuel.
35' Amauri fouls Cordoba as both players jump to meet the corner kick. Free kick to Inter.
34' Nothing comes of the free kick but the Gialloblu remain in attack and Burdisso concedes a corner.
33' Free kick to Chievo in a central position 30 metres out for a Cordoba foul on Pellissier.
33' Sammarco tries to put Franceschini through but Javier Zanetti has read the move and intercepts.
32' Figo's cross is cleared.
31' Foul by Moro on Kily on the left wing. Free kick.
30' Adriano's powerful effort is over the crossbar.
30' Free kick to Inter in a central position 30 metres out.
29' Stankovic receives from Adriano and plays wide to Figo but Chievo intercept.
29' Moro makes a headed clearance at the other end to deny Stankovic.
28' Franceschini fails to control a long ball forward. Goal kick to Inter.
24' Luis Figo's shot takes a deflection then Javier Zanetti wins Inter a second corner. Adriano's header from Figo's corner is wide.
23' Kily's cross from the left is blocked by Moro and Inter win their first corner of the match.
23' From just outside the Chievo area Dejan Stankovic rifles a shot over Fontana's bar.
22' Kily Gonzalez is applauded for some fancy footwork in the centre circle.
22' Mandelli is back on the pitch.
20' The Brazilian is back on his feet, but Mandelli is stretchered off. Scurto is warming up on the touchline.
18' Adriano and Mandelli remain on the ground after an aerial duel in the Chievo half.
15' Adriano is flagged offside as he brings down Stankovic's chipped pass into the Chievo area.
12' Lanna's strike from Giunti's short pass is blocked and cleared by the Nerazzurri wall.
10' Ivan Cordoba is booked for a foul on Pellissier. Free kick to the visitors on the edge of our box.
10' Dejan Stankovic has a low shot from 20 metres saved by Fontana as Inter come looking for a second goal.
8' That was El Jardinero's eighth Serie A goal this season.
7' GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLL!!!!! Luis Figo's curling free kick hits the left post and Julio Cruz steals in to slot home from close range and give the Nerazzurri an early lead.
6' D'Anna is booked for a foul from behind on Cruz as the Argentine receives from Figo. The free kick is in a central position 25 metres out.
5' Inter break after a Chievo free kick is cleared. Figo plays a beautiful ball over the Veronese defence into the path of Adriano. The Brazilian serves Kily Gonzalez, whose shot from the edge of the area is over the bar.
4' Figo's dangerous inswinging cross is blocked by Fontana then swept clear by Moro.
3' Free kick to Inter on the left wing for a Moro foul from behind on Burdisso.
2' In the Chievo area Cruz heads a Samuel long pass back to Adriano, who looks for Figo on the right but the Gialloblu intercept.
1' Welcome to the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan's San Siro district for Inter v Chievo.
1' Chievo kick off and will attack the Curva Sud end in the first half. FORZA INTER!!!!!!!!
1' Inter line-up (4-4-2): 12 Julio Cesar; 4 J.Zanetti, 2 Cordoba, 25 Samuel, 3 Burdisso; 7 Figo, 14 Veron, 5 Stankovic, 18 Kily Gonzalez; 10 Adriano, 9 Cruz
Minute Text commentary
48' Full time. Inter beat Chievo 1-0. Ten out of ten for entertainment.
48' Free kick to Chievo 40 metres out. Julio Cesar punches clear Zanchetta's cross into the box.
47' Veron juggles the ball on the edge of the Chievo area and is applauded by the crowd for his sublime ball skills.
46' Incredible miss by Adriano. The Emperor meets a Cambiasso through ball then shoots wide of the left post.
45' 3 minutes of added time.
44' Esteban Cambiasso has a tap-in ruled out for offside after Fontana fails to hold Stankovic's long-range shot.
42' Gemiti's cross from the left spins off Zanetti but Julio Cesar is quick to gather and prevent the ball going out for a Chievo corner.
40' Adriano is okay and returns to the pitch.
40' Chievo bring on Gemiti for Franceschini.
39' Adriano remains on the ground clutching his right thigh after an aerial collision with Fontana.
38' Fontana saves a long-range shot from Stankovic. Inter win a corner. Veron's cross from the left-wing corner flag is punched clear by the Chievo keeper.
36' Adriano scuffles his shot from inside the Chievo area after some good approach play involving Veron and Stankovic.
34' Nothing comes of the coner as D'Anna hooks clear at the far side.
33' Pellissier heads a Veron cross behind for a left-wing corner.
32' Fontana catches a Figo cross from the right-wing by-line.
31' Inter substitution: Cambiasso replaces Kily Gonzalez, who has had an impressive match this afternoon.
31' Another great chance for Inter. Adriano backheels into the path of Julio Cruz, who sends a low shot just wide.
29' Chievo bring on Tiribocchi for Malagò.
28' Fontana comes off his line to beat Samuel to Veron's floated cross into the Chievo box.
27' Oooooooohhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! What a strike by Adriano! The Brazilian's missile from 20 yards hits the underside of the crossbar and bounces back into open play. But it seemed to have crossed the line.
26' Inter win a free kick in a central position 20 yards out for a foul by D'Anna on Adriano.
25' Samuel's far-post header from Figo's cross is caught by Fontana.
24' Free kick to Inter on the right wing for a Lanna foul on Stankovic.
24' Amauri is lucky not to get booked for a nasty foul on Stankovic.
22' Figo makes a central run on goal then plays wide to Adriano who is flagged offside.
21' Veron intercepts a Chievo pass then fires a low shot wide from 20 yards.
20' With his back to goal Cruz controls a Figo pass into the box then turns and plays to the far post but it's far too long for Adriano.
18' Chievo substitution: Giunti off, Zanchetta on.
16' Nicolas Burdisso is booked for a foul on Malagò.
15' Pellissier is flagged offside as he runs on to a free kick taken quickly by Giunti.
14' Stankovic's back-post header from Figo's inswinging cross goes out for a Chievo goal kick.
13' Kily wins Inter a left-wing corner kick after another promising attack.
12' Fontana parries Adriano's fierce shot from 25 yards after a good Nerazzurri build-up involving Figo and Cruz.
11' Another good tackle by Burdisso on Malagò. This time it's a Chievo corner. Giunti's cross is headed clear by Cruz.
10' Burdisso blocks a Malagò cross from the right. Attacking throw-in to Chievo.
10' Julio returns to the pitch.
8' Inter are momentarily down to ten men as Julio Cruz receives medical attention on the touchline.
7' Malagò fails to connect with Franceschini's cross to the far side from the left channel then has a chance to make amends with a central shot from the edge of the area but it is blocked.
6' Giunti crosses, Julio Cesar punches clear. Moros's follow-up shot is blocked by Cruz.
5' Chievo win a right-wing corner. Nothing comes of it but the Gialloblu win a free kick for a foul on Moro.
3' Figo's curling shot from Cruz's through ball is wide of the left post.
2' Adriano is dispossessed as he tries to dribble four opponents in the Chievo box.
1' Inter kick off the second half.
Zanetti
7.65
7.65
Cordoba
7.55
7.55
Adriano
7.05
7.05
Kily Gonzalez
7.11
7.11
Cruz
7.74
7.74
Stankovic
7.89
7.89
Veron
8.52
8.52
Cambiasso
8.14
8.14
Burdisso
7.28
7.28
Julio Cesar
7
7
Samuel
7.63
7.63
Figo
8.99
8.99
Average rating 7.71
10 shots on target 0
9 shots off target 1
19 fouls committed 23
5 corners 5
3 offsides 5
25:10 ball possession 22:16
Mancini v Pillon

Inter's 1-0 victory over Chievo at the Bentegodi in Week 4 is the only previous meeting between coaches Mancini and Pillon.

Details:

2005/06 Serie A Inter-ChievoVerona ---- 1-0

Mancini v Chievo

Mancini has won 2, drawn 4 and lost 2 of his 8 competitive matches against Chievo.

Details:

2001/02 Serie A Fiorentina-ChievoVerona 0-2 ---- 2002/03 Serie A Lazio-ChievoVerona 2-3 1-1 2003/04 Serie A Lazio-ChievoVerona 1-0 0-0 2004/05 Serie A Inter-ChievoVerona 1-1 2-2 2005/06 Serie A Inter-ChievoVerona ---- 1-0

Pillon v Inter

The 1-0 home defeat in Week 4 at the Bentegodi was Chievo coach Pillon's only previous meeting with Inter.

Details:

2005/06 Serie A ChievoVerona-Inter 0-1 ----

Disciplinary situation

Inter
Disqualified: -
Cautioned: Cambiasso, Samuel, Stankovic, C.Zanetti

Chievo
Disqualified: -
Cautioned: Franceschini, Giunti, Lanna, Moro, Obinna, Pellissier, Sammarco

20-match unbeaten run for Inter

Inter's last zero-pointer was the 3-2 home defeat against Roma on 26 October 2005. Since then the Nerazzurri have collected 14 wins and 6 draws in Serie A, Tim Cup and Champions League matches for an unbeaten run of 20 games.

Nine Inter goals from subs

Of Inter's 45 Serie A goals in 2005/06, 9 have been scored by substitutes: Cruz (5), Adriano (2), Cambiasso (1) and Pizarro (1). No other team has scored as many goals with subs this season.

Chievo: no away points since November

Chievo haven't won a Serie A point in away matches since 26 November 2005 when they drew 0-0 at Livorno. The Veronese side have lost all four of their away matches played since then: Messina 2-0 Chievo, Roma 4-0 Chievo, Fiorentina 2-1 Chievo (played in Perugia) and Parma 2-1 Chievo.

Inter: no Serie A goal conceded for 279 minutes

Inter haven't let in a Serie A goal since Suazo's 81st-minute free kick in Inter 3-2 Cagliari on 15 January 2006. That was 279 Serie A minutes ago (remaining 9 minutes of that match plus entire games against Treviso, Palermo and Lecce).

DA IMPLEMENTARE
wins(12) draws(4) defeats(1)
MILAN - An early goal from Julio Cruz gave Inter a 1-0 victory over Chievo in Sunday's Serie A Week 23 match at the Meazza. The gap at the top is still eight points ahead of next Sunday evening's 'derby d'Italia', as leaders Juventus beat Udinese by the same score in Turin.

Kily Gonzalez crashed a shot over after a pass from Adriano in the fourth minute as the Nerazzurri attacked Chievo from the outset.

Three minutes later Julio Cruz broke the deadlock with his eighth Serie A goal this season. Luis Figo's curling free kick came back off the left post, El Jardinero stole in, controlled and poked past Fontana.

The ex-Inter keeper made saves from an Adriano header and a Dejan Stankovic volley as the Nerazzurri continued to offer more coming forward than their opponents in the first half.

Inter continued to dominate despite a spirited start to the second half by Chievo, and went close to a second goal on 72 minutes when a potent free kick by Adriano smacked the underside of the bar.

A minute from time substitute Esteban Cambiasso had a tap-in ruled out for offside after Fontana failed to hold a Stankovic shot from the distance.

Inter visit Fiorentina on Wednesday in the last midweek round of the season before next weekend's showdown with Juventus.

INTER 1-0 CHIEVO (HT: 1-0)

Scorer: Cruz 7

INTER: 12 Julio Cesar; 4 J.Zanetti, 2 Cordoba, 25 Samuel, 3 Burdisso; 7 Figo, 14 Veron, 5 Stankovic, 18 Kily Gonzalez (19 Cambiasso 76); 10 Adriano, 9 Cruz
Subs not used: 1 Toldo, 8 Pizarro, 11 Mihajlovic, 21 Solari, 23 Materazzi, 33 Wome
Coach: Roberto Mancini

CHIEVO: 12 Fontana; 4 Malagò (9 Tiribocchi 74), 29 Mandelli, 3 D'Anna, 23 Lanna; 27 Moro, 21 Sammarco, 8 Giunti (10 Zanchetta 63), 19 Franceschini (17 Gemiti 85); 11 Amauri, 31 Pellissier
Subs not used: 18 Squizzi, 16 Landolina, 20 Mantovani, 26 Scurto
Coach: Giuseppe Pillon

Referee: Salvatore Racalbuto (Gallarate)

Bookings: D'Anna 6, Cordoba 10, Burdisso 61

starting lineups

Julio Cesar 12 Fontana
Zanetti 4 Malagò
Cordoba 2 Mandelli
Samuel 25 D'Anna
Burdisso 3 Lanna
Figo 7 Moro
Veron 14 Sammarco
Stankovic 5 Giunti
Kily Gonzalez 18 Franceschini
Adriano 10 Amauri
Cruz 9 Pellissier

substitutes

Toldo 1 Squizzi
Pizarro 8 Tiribocchi
Mihajlovic 11 Zanchetta
Cambiasso 19 Landolina
Solari 21 Gemiti
Materazzi 23 Mantovani
Wome 33 Scurto