Cagliari and Inter coaches Pier Paolo Bisoli and Rafael Benitez meet in a competitive fixture for the first time.

Pier Paolo Bisoli faces Inter for the first time in his coaching career.

Sunday's clash at the Stadio Sant'Elia is also Benitez's first game against Cagliari.

Cagliari have won only one of their last 20 matches: a 5-1 home victory over Roma on 11 September 2009. In the other 19 games they have collected 10 draws and 9 defeats.

Cagliari have drawn 0-0 four times in the first six rounds of the 2010/11 Serie A championship.

Inter have scored in each of their last 24 meetings with Cagliari, for a total of 50 goals. They last failed to scored against the Rossoblu on 28 April 1996 - a 0-0 Serie A draw in Sardinia.

Sunday lunchtime's clash at the Stadio Sant'Elia sees this season's two Serie A debutants Bisoli and Benitez go head to head.

David Suazo's next game will be his 300th in Italian football after 152 appearances in Serie A and 147 in Serie B. The Honduran forward made his Italian football debut in Cagliari 1-1 Venezia in Serie A on 26 September 1999. Besides Inter, he has also played for Cagliari and Genoa.

CAGLIARI - Inter edged out Cagliari at the Stadio Sant'Elia to join city rivals AC Milan on top of the table ahead of tonight's late game between Bari and Lazio.

Samuel Eto'o was the hero of the day again for Rafael Benitez's side, his twelfth goal of the season coming six minutes before the break.

Inter welcomed back Zanetti and Samuel after injury lay-offs, with Sneijder, Coutinho and Biabiany in support of lone striker Eto'o.

A stuttering start to the game saw referee Tagliavento interrupt play for several minutes after the home fans directed racist chants at Eto'o.

The Cameroonian silenced the crowd on 39 minutes, controlling Sneijder's acrobatic pass and sidestepping Astori before crashing a delightful left-footed shot beyond Agazzi.

Cagliari's search for a leveller was relentless and Julio Cesar made two quick saves in quick succession from Nenè and Matri early in the second half.

Eto'o had a curling shot parried by Agazzi and Stankovic towered above the Rossoblu defence to head over the crossbar as Inter created several good chances to increase their lead.

But the hosts wasted their best opportunities and Julio Cesar made a vital close-range save from Conti after Lazzari's cross-shot took a deflection off Chivu and came back off the bar. Minutes later Matri sidefooted over from an inviting position after being played in by Cossu.

Thiago Motta replaced the injured Biabiany midway through the second half for his first outing of the season, while Obi came for Coutinho minutes earlier for his second appearance in black and blue.

Cagliari 0-1 Inter (HT: 0-1)

Scorer: Eto'o 39.

Cagliari: 1 Agazzi; 14 Pisano, 13 Astori, 21 Canini, 31 Agostini; 8 Biondini (10 Lazzari 56), 5 Conti, 4 Nainggolan (23 Pinardi 78); 7 Cossu; 32 Matri, 18 Nenè (9 Acquafresca 64).
Subs not used: 25 Pelizzoli, 2 Biasi, 3 Ariaudo, 24 Perico.

Coach: Pierpaolo Bisoli.

Inter: 1 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 6 Lucio, 25 Samuel, 26 Chivu; 4 Zanetti, 5 Stankovic; 88 Biabiany (8 Thiago Motta 69), 10 Sneijder (11 Muntari 86), 29 Coutinho (20 Obi 66); 9 Eto'o.

Subs not used: 12 Castellazzi, 23 Materazzi, 31 Alibec, 39 Santon.

Coach: Rafael Benitez.

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento (Terni).

Booked: Nenè 15, Nainggolan 23, Lucio 32, Lazzari 61.

starting lineups

substitutes