Final score

9 November 2006 20:30

Messina
Inter
40' Cruz
Referee: Nicola Stefanini / Linesmen: Lanciani, Farina M. / Fourth official: Guerriero
Watch highlights
Minute Text commentary
46' Inter lead Messina by a goal to nil after the first half of play at the San Filippo.
45' 1 minute of added time.
43' Andreolli makes a headed clearance from a Parisi free kick.
41' Julio, Inter captain tonight, has now scored five goals this season. His goal at the San Filippo was his tenth Coppa Italia goal.
40' GOOOOOAAAALLLLL!!!!!! Free kick to Inter on the edge of the Messina box. Julio Cruz hits the target with a low right-foot strike from 20 yards. Messina 0-1 Inter.
39' Morello booked for a foul on Gonzalez. Free kick to Inter on the edge of the box.
35' Great save by Caglioni from Fabio Grosso, whose shot on the turn is tipped behind for a corner.
33' After a one-two with Cruz, Dejan Stankovic plays a beautiful ball to Mariano Gonzalez who tests Caglioni's reflexes with a good shot.
30' Ibrahim Maaroufi rattles the angle between bar and post with a fierce strike from inside the Messina box.
29' Santi Solari has a go from the edge of the box. It's over Caglioni's bar.
29' Toldo blocks a Di Napoli shot with his feet. Samuel beats Ogasawara to the loose ball.
24' Maxwell enters the Sicilian box from the left and plays for Solari who has only Caglioni to beat, but the Messina defence win possession and clear.
22' Italy U21 defender Marco Andreolli makes a sliding tackle on Floccari to end a dangerous Messina move.
20' Di Napoli overhits his pass into the area for Floccari. Toldo is quick off his line and collects.
17' Inter close to an opener through Samuel, whose header from Grosso's cross is saved on the line by De Vezze.
15' At the other end Burdisso gets the better of Masiello to end a Messina move.
14' Mariano Gonzalez plays to Grosso whose shot from the edge of the box is blocked by Caglioni. Maaroufi's first-team effort from the rebound is wide.
13' Solari enters the box from the right and plays into the middle, where Ogasawara clears.
12' Burdisso's cross from the right is cleared by Morello.
6' Solari's shot from the left edge of the Messina box is over Caglioni's crossbar.
5' Caglioni blocks a Maaroufi shot, resulting in open play. Gonzalez' follow-up is tipped round for a corner by the Messina custodian.
4' Masiello has a shot saved by Toldo.
2' Messina keeper Caglioni saves a Maxwell cross.
1' Starting lineups:<br> Messina: Caglioni; Morello, Zanchi, Rea, Parisi; De Vezze, Sullo, Masiello; Ogasawara; Floccari, Di Napoli. <br> Inter: Toldo; Burdisso, Andreolli, Samuel, Maxwell; Solari, Stankovic, Maaroufi, Grosso; Mariano Gonzalez, Cruz.
1' Inter kick off tonight's Tim Cup round of sixteen first-leg match against Messina.
Minute Text commentary
50' Full time. Inter beat Messina 1-0. The return leg will take place on Wednesday 29 November.
49' Attila Filkor's lobbed effort hits the Messina wall.
48' Solari brought down by Morello on the edge of the area. Free kick to Inter.
45' Burdisso booked for an entrance on Alvarez.
45' Five minutes of overtime.
41' Leonardo Bonucci, who made his first-team debut in Cagliari v Inter last 14 May, replaces Fabio Grosso.
40' Rea booked for a foul on Stankovic.
40' Stankovic's free kick from the left edge of the Messina box cleared by Cordova.
36' Stankovic overhits his pass for Grosso.
35' Another Inter switch and another debut: Hungarian international Attila Filkor replaces Ibrahim Maaroufi.
34' Free kick to Inter on the edge of the box. Solari's shot is blocked.
33' Inter bring on Lampros Choutos for Mariano Gonzalez. It's the Greek forward's first-team debut.
32' Zanchi booked for bringing down Mariano Gonzalez.
31' Messina replace Sullo with Cordova.
28' Headed clearance by Andreolli from Morello's right-wing cross.
23' Samuel heads a Di Napoli cross out for a corner.
22' At full stretch Toldo parries a Sullo shot to end a Messina break down the left wing.
19' Dejan Stankovic's shot from distance is wide.
15' Andreolli clears to deny Alvarez and Di Napoli.
13' Parisi booked for asking the referee to yellow-card Burdisso.
11' Di Napoli's free kick is sky high.
10' Messina substitution: Alvarez replaces De Vezze
9' Morello intercepts as Cruz and Stankovic try a one-two on the edge of the area.
8' Toldo saves a shot from Iliev who was put through by Ogasawara.
5' Toldo fails to hold an Ogasawara shot, forcing Maxwell to boot behind for a corner. Samuel makes a headed clearance from the corner.
5' Rea blocks and clears a Gonzalez cross from the right.
3' Parisi's shot is well off target. No problem for Francesco Toldo.
1' Messina kick off the second half.
1' Messina replace Floccari with Iliev.
Toldo
8.25
8.25
Cruz
9.07
9.07
Stankovic
8.46
8.46
Burdisso
7.66
7.66
Choutos
7.83
7.83
Andreolli
8.11
8.11
Solari
8.04
8.04
Samuel
7.94
7.94
Bonucci
7.67
7.67
Grosso
7.97
7.97
Maxwell
7.73
7.73
Gonzalez
7.66
7.66
Maaroufi
8.31
8.31
Filkor
8.28
8.28
Average rating 8.07
6 shots on target 8
3 shots off target 5
12 fouls committed 13
8 corners 8
4 offsides 2
00 ball possession 00
Messina v Inter in Sicily

Messina have played Inter at home on four previous occasions. The Nerazzurri have won three out of four and lost just the once (Messina 2-1 Inter, 2004/05 Serie A).

Mancini v Messina

Inter coach Roberto Mancini has won 3 and lost 1 of his 4 matches against the Sicilians. His teams have scored in all four games, netting a total of 11 goals.

Details:

2004/05 Serie A Inter-Messina 5-0 1-2
2005/06 Serie A Inter-Messina 3-0 2-1

Giordano v Mancini

The two coaches meet for the first time in a competitive fixture.

Di Napoli & cup goals for Messina

With three Coppa Italia goals for Messina, Arturo Di Napoli is one away from reaching third place in the all time list of Giallorossi scorers in the domestic cup competition. Di Napoli is preceded by Protti (4 goals), Modica (5) and Schillaci (7).

Intre unbeaten in 8 games

Since their 2-0 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich on 27 September, Inter have collected 6 wins and 2 draws for an unbeaten run of 8 matches.

No Messina cup draw at home since 2002

Messina's last home stalemate in the Coppa Italia was a 1-1 draw with Sicilian rivals Palermo on 18 August 2002. The Giallorossi have played five cup games at the San Filippo since that date, winning four and losing one.

Inter unbeaten in Coppa Italia since 2002

Inter 1-2 Bari on 19 December 2002 was the Nerazzurri's last defeat in Italy's cup competition. Since that date Inter have collected 13 Coppa Italia wins and 9 draws to better the previous record of 20 cup matches without defeat, set between May 1986 and April 1988. With 11 wins and 5 draws, Roberto Mancini is unbeaten in the Coppa Italia since taking over at Inter.

DA IMPLEMENTARE
wins(1) draws(0) defeats(0)
MESSINA - Julio Cruz captained the Nerazzurri to a 1-0 Coppa Italia round of sixteen first-leg victory over Messina, scoring the winning goal five minutes before half time.

El Jardinero beat opposing keeper Caglioni with a perfectly executed free kick after a dozen first-half chances for the Nerazzurri to make it five goals this season and ten in the domestic cup.

Ibrahim Maaroufi and Mariano Gonzalez had early chances saved by Caglioni as Inter looked to edge in front from a corner.

Grosso then went close, having a fierce shot blocked by Caglioni before Samuel saw his header saved on the line by De Vezze.

The Sicilians' best chance of a first-goal fell to former Inter player Arturo Di Napoli whose effort forced a foot save from Francesco Toldo before Samuel beat Ogasawara to the loose ball.

On his first start for Inter, academy midfielder Maaroufi went close on the half hour, rattling the angle between bar and post with a shot from the right side of the area.

Messina's keeper kept the Nerazzurri at bay, denying Gonzalez after good approach play from Burdisso, Stankovic and Cruz. Caglioni denied Inter again when he pushed behind Grosso's shot on the turn.

But there was nothing Caglioni could do to stop Cruz's 20-yard free kick from finding the bottom corner to give Inter a deserved lead five minutes before the break.

Francesco Toldo, between the posts for the first time since the Champions League defeat to Sporting on 12 September, kept out efforts from Osagawara, Iliev and Sullo, with Andreolli and Samuel making headed clearances from Di Napoli and Morello as Messina made the more attacking start to what went on to be a low key second half.

Roberto Mancini handed first-team debuts to two players, bringing on Lampros Choutos for Mariano Gonzalez and Attila Filkor for Ibrahim Maaroufi. Leonardo Bonucci, who made his first-team debut in Cagliari v Inter last 14 May, replaced Fabio Grosso in the closing minutes.

Hungarian forward Filkor was presented with a good opportunity in stoppage time but his lobbed free kick hit the Messina wall.

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

Scorer: Cruz 40

MESSINA: 88 Caglioni; 31 Morello, 27 Zanchi, 13 Rea, 19 Parisi; 5 De Vezze (21 Alvarez 55), 41 Sullo (20 Cordova 76), 17 Masiello; 16 Ogasawara; 18 Floccari (10 Iliev 46), 11 Di Napoli
Subs not used: 1 Storari, 77 Lavecchia, 86 Ghosmi, 3 Minetti
Coach: Bruno Giordano

INTER: 1 Toldo; 16 Burdisso, 77 Andreolli, 25 Samuel, 6 Maxwell; 21 Solari, 5 Stankovic, 50 Maaroufi (57 Filkor 80), 11 Grosso (51 Bonucci 86); 91 Mariano Gonzalez (99 Choutos 78), 9 Cruz
Subs not used: 79 Carini, 36 Fautario, 42 Marino, 61 Slavkovski
Coach: Roberto Mancini

Referee: Nicola Stefanini (Prato)

Booked: Morello 39, Parisi 58, Zanchi 77, Rea 85, Burdisso 90+1

starting lineups

Caglioni 1 Toldo
Morello 16 Burdisso
Zanchi 77 Andreolli
Rea 25 Samuel
Parisi 6 Maxwell
De Vezze 21 Solari
Sullo 5 Stankovic
Masiello 50 Maaroufi
Ogasawara 11 Grosso
Floccari 91 Gonzalez
Di Napoli 9 Cruz

substitutes

Storari 79 Carini
Lavecchia 36 Fautario
Ghosmi 42 Marino
Minetti 51 Bonucci
Cordova 57 Filkor
Alvarez 61 Slavkovski
Iliev 99 Choutos