Final score

18 March 2012 15:00

Inter
0 - 0
Atalanta
Referee: Gabriele Gava / Linesmen: Giachero, Comito / Fourth official: Rizzoli
Watch highlights
Minute Text commentary
46' The first half of Inter v Atalanta comes to a close with the game still goalless
45' Gava awards a minute of stoppage time
45' Milito sets up Pazzini, whose shot is saved low by Consigli
44' Maicon takes a free kick, Bellini clears from inside the area
41' Cambiasso goes over to the corner flag and in the follow-up the ball falls to Obi; the youngster has a dig: wide of Consigli's left-hand upright
40' Obi crosses, Manfredini puts behind for a corner
37' Raimondi goes it alone before fizzing a left-footed effort just over the bar
36' Maicon sends in a cross looking for Pazzini, Consigli leaps and makes a high catch
32' Cigarini is booked for a foul on Obi
30' Carrozza whips in a dangerous cross, Julio Cesar smothers it
26' Obi attempts an ambitious lob from some way out: it sails over the bar
24' Inter have a corner and Consigli again comes to Atalanta's rescue from Samuel's header
23' Bellini was the man who brought Pazzini down. Milito takes the spot-kick but it's weak and Consigli saves
22' Maicon takes the corner, Consigli punches clear. Obi pings it back in and Gava whistles for a penalty as Pazzini is wrestled to the ground
21' Obi wins a corner
20' Maicon steps up and fires it into the wall; Atalanta break but Poli is there to clean up
19' Carmona fouls Pazzini and Gava awards a free kick to Inter
18' Zanetti drives in a low cross, which is cleared but only as far as Maicon; the Brazilian snatches at it first time and his effort drifts well wide
16' Maicon makes an important interception to prevent Moralez's ball reaching Carrozza in front of Julio Cesar
14' Lucio makes a great challenge to snuff out am Atalanta counter-attack, then moves into the area and lays off for Milito; the attempted one-two is cut out by Carrozza
9' Zanetti wins the ball off Bellini, gets to the byline and pulls his cross back across the area. The Atalanta rear guard clear their lines
7' Inter break forward with Maicon charging down the right flank; the Brazilian knocks over a cross but it's too deep for any of his team-mates
3' Inter have an early attack and Cambiasso lets fly with a shot from the edge of the area: wide
1' We're back at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza where it's Inter v Atalanta at 15:00 in Week 28 of Serie A
1' Inter v Atalanta is under way. FORZA INTER!!!
1' Chivu doesn't make it, Nagatomo starts at left-back. Milito partners Pazzini in attack while Forlan starts on the bench
1' Forced to do without Sneijder and Stankovic, Ranieri opts for a four-man midfield of Zanetti, Poli, Cambiasso and Obi
Minute Text commentary
50' Inter v Atalanta finishes in a goalless draw. Ranieri's side move to 41 points in the table
48' Cigarini strikes it with his right foot but the balls goes over the crossbar
45' Schelotto's low cross is a fraction too strong for Gabbiadini who can't get there
45' There will be 5 minutes of stoppage time
42' Ferri puts the ball out of play for a corner following Pazzini's effort on the turn
41' Final substitution for Atalanta as Stendardo comes on for Bellini
41' Carmona is the latest player to find his way into the referee's notebook
40' Samuel is booked for a foul on Moralez
39' Raimondi's cross is helped on by Julio Cesar and the ball drops to Ferreira Pinto, who hits a good shot on the turn, but Julio Cesar gets down well to keep it out
34' Lucio and Gabbiadini tussle in the area, the striker goes to ground, but Mr. Gava waves away the penalty appeals
32' Colantuono also makes a change. Ferreira Pinto replaces Carrozza
32' Inter make their third change as Poli makes way for Castaignos
30' Inter win a free kick which Zarate takes. Maxi Moralez leaves the wall too early, charges it down, and is booked
25' Zarate moves forward towards the box and goes down under challenge from Raimondi but the referee, Gava, lets play continue
22' Free kick for Inter. Cambiasso whips it in for Lucio whose header loops high over the crossbar
21' Second substitution for Inter. Obi makes way for Faraoni
19' Zanetti drives forward before playing in Zarate, but the referee blows for offside
18' First change for Inter. Zarate replaces Milito
17' Bellini's cross is flicked on by Gabbiadini. Julio Cesar pulls off an acrobatic save to keep the scores level
16' Moralez beats Maicon and delivers a cross for Schelotto. Atalanta threaten the Inter goal
15' Lucio is cautioned for a foul on Carrozza
14' Maxi Moralez's corner finds the head of Manfredini but his effort goes out for a goal kick
12' Poli gets hold of a right-footed shot from distance, forcing Consigli into a save. Milito helps the ball back into the middle where Zanetti waits. But his header is gathered by the goalkeeper
10' Schelotto lays the ball off to Carrozza, who tries his luck with his right. The ball goes out for a goal kick
9' First change for Atalanta. Marilungo picks up an injury to his right knee and is replaced by Gabbiadini
6' Cambiasso hits one from the edge of the box but Manfredini hurls himself at the ball to block and stays down, preventing Cuchu from continuing his run. No foul according to Mr. Gava
1' No changes for the second period. Inter v Atalanta is back underway
Zanetti
7.08
7.08
Cambiasso
4.37
4.37
Julio Cesar
6.28
6.28
Samuel
5.24
5.24
Maicon
3.48
3.48
Milito
3.33
3.33
Obi
6.28
6.28
Lucio
3.64
3.64
Pazzini
3.78
3.78
Nagatomo
4.78
4.78
Faraoni
5.24
5.24
Castaignos
3.84
3.84
Poli
6.75
6.75
Zarate
3.29
3.29
Average rating 4.81
5 shots on target 3
5 shots off target 5
12 fouls committed 17
4 corners 3
2 offsides 3
24:13 ball possession 22:19
Ranieri and Colantuono all square. Ranieri inflicted heaviest defeat and first sacking on Colantuono

Coaches Ranieri and Colantuono are facing each other for the 5th time in competitive matches, with results perfectly even: 1 win each and 2 draws. Ranieri's sides scored in each of those games (9 goals in total). The 5-0 defeat by Colantuono's Palermo side at the hands of Ranieri's Juventus in Turin (Serie A) on 25 November 2007 will long be remembered by the current Atalanta coach: it is his joint heaviest defeat as a coach (along with the 5-0 drubbing he was given by Palermo on 4 April 2004 when in charge of Catania); it also led to his first sacking as a coach.

Bitter-sweet memories for Ranieri against Atalanta, good overall record

Ranieri has faced Atalanta 19 times in competitive fixtures before today, his record standing at 10 wins, 7 draws and 2 defeats. He has yet to lose at home to Atalanta, with 5 wins and 3 draws from 8 previous match-ups. As Juventus coach, Ranieri was sacked after playing Atalanta - a 2-2 home draw in Serie A on 17 May 2009. But he also has fond memories of playing them: on 18 May 1996 his Fiorentina team sealed a 2-0 win in Bergamo in the return leg of the Coppa Italia final to lift the trophy.

Colantuono seeking first win over Inter

In four previous games against the Nerazzurri, Colantuono has never won: his teams have managed 3 home draws while losing the other 1 in Milan.

Pazzini blooms in the spring

March is one of the two most prolific months for Giampaolo Pazzini: the Tuscan striker has notched up 13 goals in this month, the same number as in April, out of 89 total goals in professional league matches.

Inter's fair play; Atalanta's aggressiveness

Inter are the team with the fewest yellow cards in Serie A 2012/12: just 42. Atalanta, on the other hand, have one of the worst records this year regarding yellow cards having collected 72, the same number as Lecce; only Bologna (73) have more.

Inter and Atalanta: fewest and most draws

Inter, along with Palermo, have drawn the fewest matches this season: just 4 in 27 games so far. Conversely, Atalanta are second behind Juventus for the most draws: 12, compared to Juventus' 14.

Atalanta unbeaten in 6 games: one away from their record run in 2011/12

Atalanta haven't lost in their last 6 games: since going down 2-1 away to Palermo on 5 February they have put together 2 wins and 4 draws. The Bergamo team's longest unbeaten run this season is the 7-game streak between Week 7 and and the rescheduled Week 1 fixtures in December: 2 wins and 5 draws.

Ferri set for 100th Serie A appearance

If Michele Ferri plays today he will celebrate his 100th appearance in Serie A. His previous 99 games in the top flight have been for Palermo, Cagliari, Sampdoria and Atalanta. Biondini made his Serie A debut on 6 January 2005 in Reggina 1-0 Palermo.

Atalanta: no goals on the road in 214 mins; none conceded in 221 mins

Atalanta's last two away fixtures, against Novara and Udinese, have ended goalless. They last scored and conceded on their travels on 5 February in the 2-1 away defeat to Palermo. Since Moralez grabbed Atalanta's goal in the 56th minute, they have failed to score away from Bergamo in 214 minutes. Budan netted Palermo's second in the 49th minute: since then Atalanta have maintain a 221-minute shutout on the road.

DA IMPLEMENTARE
wins(44) draws(11) defeats(9)

MILAN - Inter were unable to find a way through against Atalanta and could only pick up a single point in their first game after the Champions League exit, when a win would have helped to look forward with increased optimism.

There were no goals but some regret for the penalty missed by Milito in the first half. The Nerazzurri kept knocking after the break - watched by president Massimo Moratti from the dressing room area - but unfortunately no one could force the door open. Inter are now on 41 points in the table.

FIRST HALF - With Sneijder, Stankovic and Chivu unavailable, Ranieri reverted to a 4-4-2 formation against Atalanta. Lucio and Samuel formed the central defensive partnership flanked by Maicon and Nagatomo in front Julio Cesar; Poli and Cambiasso lined up in the centre of the park with Zanetti and Obi on the wings; Milito and Pazzini started up front.

Inter's first chance of note fell to Cambiasso in the third minute when the Argentine went for goal from the edge of the box, his shot finishing just wide. Then in turn Zanetti, Milito and Lucio all looked to play passes into dangerous areas without managing to pick out a team-mate. Down the other end Maicon made a crucial interception after a quarter of an hour to prevent Moralez's pass from finding Carrozza in front of Julio Cesar. In the 23rd minute the Nerazzurri had the chance to break the deadlock when Bellini wrestled Pazzini to the ground inside the box, the referee rightly awarding a spot-kick. Milito stepped up but his effort was saved by Consigli. A great opportunity wasted. A minute later, Consigli again came to the rescue to keep out Samuel's header while in the 26th minute Obi hit a shot over the bar. Atalanta threatened again on the half hour-mark as Carrozza whipped in an awkward cross-shot, which Julio Cesar dealt with comfortably. Inter pressed forward once more with Maicon seeking out Pazzini inside the box but Consigli got up well to claim. On 37 minutes Raimondi went on a solo run before lining up his sights but couldn't keep his effort down. As the game entered the minute's stoppage time awarded, Consigli again shut the door on an Inter attack as he saved low from Pazzini's right-footer, meaning the first half ended goalless.

SECOND HALF – There were no changes at the interval and the second half began with a rather slow tempo, although Cambiasso did get a shot in from the edge of the box (51 minutes). Manfredini used his body to block before staying down and preventing the Argentine from continuing his run. Mr. Gava saw nothing wrong with the challenge. In the 57th minute Poli tried from distance with his right but he was denied by Consigli. The loose ball was met by the head of Zanetti but again Consigli was there. The Atalanta goalkeeper had a great game. Maxi Moralez beat Maicon before his cross was just a fraction away from Schelotto in front of goal. Atalanta grew in confidence and a minute later Bellini centred for Gabbiadini – who had replaced Marilungo on 54 minutes – and his flicked header forced a fine acrobatic save from Julio Cesar. In the 64th minute Zanetti burst forward and played in Zarate – a replacement for Milito in the 63rd minute – but the visitors' defence pushed up well and the referee's assistant flagged for offside. In 70th minute Zarate was brought down outside the box by Raimondi but the referee waved away the appeals and let play continue. 11 minutes from time Colantuono's men appealed for a penalty following Lucio's challenge on Gabbiadini. With 6 minutes of normal time remaining Julio Cesar did well to keep out an effort from Ferreira Pinto – on in place of Carrozza on 77 minutes. Atalanta had belief but the Brazilian goalkeeper was in no mood to concede. In the first minute of stoppage time the side from Bergamo went close as Schelotto flashed the ball across the face of goal but it was just out of reach of Gabbiadini. A minute later it was Maicon's turn to go for goal but he was denied by the Atalanta defence. The game finished goalless after 5 minutes of stoppage time.


Inter 0-0 Atalanta

Inter: 1 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 6 Lucio, 25 Samuel, 55 Nagatomo; 4 Zanetti, 18 Poli (Castaignos 77), 19 Cambiasso, 20 Obi (Faraoni 66); 22 Milito (Zarate 63), 7 Pazzini;
Subs not used: 12 Castellazzi, 23 Ranocchia, 17 Palombo, 9 Forlan;
Coach: Claudio Ranieri.

Atalanta: 47 Consigli; 77 Raimondi, 32 Ferri, 5 Manfredini, 6 Bellini (Stendardo 86); 7 Schelotto, 21 Cigarini, 17 Carmona, 11 Moralez; 18 Carrozza (Ferreira Pinto 77), 89 Marilungo (Gabbiadini 54);
Subs not used: 78 Frezzolini, 10 Bonaventura, 44 Cazzola, 90 Tiribocchi;
Coach: Stefano Colantuono.

Referee: Gabriele Gava (Conegliano Veneto).
Booked: Bellini 23, Cigarini 32, Lucio 60, Moralez 75, Samuel 85, Carmona 86.
Added time: 1+5 minutes.
Attendance: 38,619.


starting lineups

Julio Cesar 1 Consigli
Maicon 13 Raimondi
Lucio 6 Ferri
Samuel 25 Manfredini
Nagatomo 55 Bellini
Zanetti 4 Schelotto
Poli 18 Cigarini
Cambiasso 19 Carmona
Obi 20 Moralez
Milito 22 Carrozza
Pazzini 7 Marilungo

substitutes

Castellazzi 12 Frezzolini
Ranocchia 23 Stendardo
Faraoni 37 Bonaventura
Palombo 17 Gabbiadini
Forlan 9 Cazzola
Zarate 28 Ferreira Pinto
Castaignos 30 Tiribocchi