Final score

20 April 2008 20:30

Torino
Inter
30' Cruz
Referee: Emidio Morganti / Linesmen: Rosi, Grilli / Fourth official: Gervasoni
Watch highlights
Minute Text commentary
47' Half time. Toro 0-1 Inter.
47' Good move by Inter. Cambiasso serves Cruz, who plays wide to Maicon. The Brazilian connects first time with the outside of his right foot - but his effort is wide.
45' Two minutes of additional time.
44' Back in the other half, Cruz' shot from Cambiasso's backheeled pass is blocked.
43' Toro have a goal disallowed and Stellone gets a yellow card for using his arm to take the ball past Julio Cesar before tucking home.
37' Surprise substitution in Turin. Mancini brings on Cesar for Mario Balotelli.
36' Toro win a free kick in a dangerous position. Rosina's curling shot is just over.
33' Inter close to a second. Mario Balotelli's cracking volley on the turn bounces back off the foot of the post. What a player this young man is.
31' Rosina has a long-range shot saved by Julio Cesar as relegation-threatened Toro come looking for a leveller.
30' That was El Jardinero's 16th goal of the season, and his first since January.
30' GOAL! At the near post Julio Cruz powers home his header from Balotelli's right-wing corner. TORINO 0-1 INTER.
25' Toro's Corini is yellow-carded by Morganti for a foul on goalbound Mario Balotelli.
25' It's pouring down at the Olimpico. Cruz slips as he latches on to Chivu's through ball.
22' Di Loreto climbs highest in the Inter area and heads wide Motta's corner.
20' Julio Cesar saves Stellone's flicked header from Motta's right-wing cross.
16' From the same position, and on the same foot, Rosina shoots wide.
13' Toro close again as Stellone fires a 25-yard left-foot shot just wide.
11' Another chance for the home side. Grella wins the ball off Cambiasso in the Inter third and Diana feeds through to Motta who scuffs his shot wide.
10' Back in the Torino half, Inter win a free kick on the left. Balotelli's cross is cleared by Stellone.
9' Toro attack back and Lazetic volleys well wide after connecting first time with Pisano's pull-back.
7' Julio Cruz' 20-yard shot is easily saved by Fontana.
4' Spotting Fontana way off his line, Maicon scythes over the bar from the right wing.
3' Rosina sweeps to safety after Burdisso fails to make clean contact with Balotelli's right-wing corner.
2' Toro close to an opener through Rosina after a defensive mistake by Chivu. The Granata striker's curling shot from an acute angle sails just wide of the far post.
1' Welcome to the Stadio Olimpico in Turin for tonight's Serie A Week 34 clash.
1' The Nerazzurri kick off. FORZA INTER!
1' Inter: 12 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 16 Burdisso, 23 Materazzi, 26 Chivu; 5 Stankovic, 19 Cambiasso, 4 Zanetti, 6 Maxwell; 9 Cruz, 45 Balotelli.
1' Torino: 31 Fontana; 7 Motta, 15 Dellafiore, 22 Di Loreto, 3 Pisano; 19 Diana, 5 Corini, 13 Grella, 11 Lazetic; 10 Rosina, 77 Stellone.
1' Roma were held at home to Livorno yesterday, so a win tonight will see us open up a six-point lead at the top of the table.
Minute Text commentary
49' Full time. Inter beat Torino 1-0, and we're six points clear of Roma with four games remaining.
47' Di Loreto blasts clear to end an Inter break after a late Toro onslaught on our goal.
46' Burdisso is booked for protesting.
45' Four minutes of stoppage time.
45' From close range, Cesar heads agonisingly wide Maicon's deflected right-wing cross. What a miss.
44' The eighth yellow card of the evening goes to Bottone for a foul on Zanetti.
44' Inter bring on defender Nelson Rivas for striker Julio Cruz.
42' Another yellow card - the seventh of the game. Dejan Stankovic is booked for fouling Rosina from behind.
41' De Biasi makes his final change: Lazetic comes on for Bjelanovic.
41' Pisano is carded for bringing down Suazo from behind.
38' Toro close, but Julio Cesar blocks Ventola's close-range shot where it hurts.
36' Cristian Chivu is booked for fouling Stellone during an aerial duel.
35' Free kick to Inter 40 yards from goal. Chivu has a go - the Romanian's low drive is blocked by Pisano.
32' Rosina darts past three down the right and cuts back for Diana, whose shot on the turn goes over.
30' Inter counter with Suazo and Cruz but Di Loreto intercepts the Argentine's return pass to the Honduran.
27' Torino bring on Bottone for the injured Grella.
26' Nicolas Burdisso makes a last-ditch clearance to deny Ventola a chance from Stellone's well-timed pass over the Inter defence.
24' Ex-Nerazzurri forward Nicola Ventola comes on for right-winger Marco Motta.
24' Vincenzo Grella is booked for a rash challenge on Julio Cruz.
19' Another chance for the Granata. Rosina crashes high and wide from 25 yards.
17' Yellow card for Motta (hand ball).
17' Good chance for Toro - but Grella mis-fires from the edge of the box.
12' Mancini brings on Suazo for Cambiasso, and we're back to 4-4-2 after about 25 minutes of 4-5-1.
10' Zanetti brings the ball out of defence after Torino's corner and Il Capitano passes down the left to Cesar. The Brazilian turns his opponent and crosses for Cruz - but the Argentine is intercepted.
9' Maicon blocks Lazetic's angled shot from Motta's cross. Corner to the home side.
3' Julio Cesar makes a smothering save from Motta's right-wing cross.
1' Torino get the second half going.
Zanetti
7.36
7.36
Materazzi
6.54
6.54
Cruz
7.61
7.61
Stankovic
6.34
6.34
Cambiasso
6.78
6.78
Burdisso
5.84
5.84
Julio Cesar
7.58
7.58
Cesar
5.8
5.8
Maicon
7.21
7.21
Maxwell
6.44
6.44
Suazo
5.8
5.8
Rivas
6.55
6.55
Chivu
6.46
6.46
Balotelli
7.41
7.41
Average rating 6.69
3 shots on target 2
10 shots off target 5
19 fouls committed 11
7 corners 3
5 offsides 1
00 ball possession 00
Disciplinay situation


Torino
Disqualified: Di Michele, Lanna, Recoba.
Cautioned: Bottoni, Corini.

Inter
Disqualified: Vieira.
Cautioned: Balotelli, Cambiasso, Cordoba, Figo, Jimenez, Julio Cesar, Maicon.

Over a decade since Toro's last win home win against Inter

Inter have played away to Torino on 75 occasions, winning 23, drawing 22 and losing 30. The Granata have lost their last six home matches against Inter.
Last Torino win: 2-0 in 1993/94 Serie A
Last Inter win: 3-1 in 2006/07 Serie A
Last draw: 0-0 in 1991/92 Serie A

De Biasi v Inter

Gianni De Biasi has a record of 2 wins, a draw and 3 defeats in competitive meetings with Inter coach Roberto Mancini.

Toro and goalless draws

The Granata have been involved in six 0-0 draws this season - more than any other team contesting the 2007/08 Serie A championship.

Five Toro defeats in last 6 games

Torino have won just one of their last six matches - a 2-1 win at Catania on 30 March 2008. In the other five games they have collected five defeats, failing to score on each occasion.

Toro looking to avoid fourth consecutive home loss

Torino go into Sunday's game after consecutive home defeats against Udinese, AC Milan and Udinese. If they lose again to Inter, the Granata will have collected four home defeats on the trot for first time since December 2006-February 2007.

Pisano set for 200th appearance

Marco Pisano will make his 200th appearance as a professional if he plays against Inter on Sunday. Besides Torino, the defender has played for Lazio, Brescia, Ascoli, Taranto, Sampdoria and Palermo.

Pisano's 199 appearances:
Serie A: 135 Serie C1: 34 Coppa Italia: 12 European cups: 14 Other tournaments: 4

Golden April for two Granata

Torino strikers David Di Michele and Roberto Stellone are at their most prolific in the fourth calendar month. Of his 119 league goals, the former has scored 21 in April. Stellone, whose league total stands at 85, has scored 11 in April, and the same number in March.

Seventeen players on target for Inter, Toro this season

Seventeen players from both teams have scored in this season's Serie A championship - that's more players than any other team.

Inter's scorers: Adriano, Balotelli, Burdisso, Cambiasso, Cesar, Cordoba, Crespo, Cruz, Figo, Ibrahimovic, Jimenez, Maicon, Maniche, Stankovic, Suazo, Vieira, Zanetti.

Toro's scorers: Barone, Bottone, Comotto, Corini, Dellafiore, Di Michele, Diana, Grella, Lanna, Malonga, Motta, Natali, Recoba, Rosina, Stellone, Vailatti, Ventola.

Inter & bookings

The Nerazzurri have picked up 59 yellow cards after 33 rounds of the 2007/08 championship - fewer than any other team.

Four Interisti on fire in April

Four Inter players have scored more goals in April than any other month of the footballing calendar. They are Cesar (6 out of 16), Chivu (3 out of 6), Solari (2 out of 4) and Suazo (16 out of 102).

DA IMPLEMENTARE
wins(34) draws(27) defeats(32)

TURIN - Inter kept a gritty but imprecise Torino side at bay to open up a six-point lead at the top of the Serie A table.

Julio Cruz headed in the winning goal on the half hour and the Nerazzurri proceeded to defend their lead as the Granata missed a host of chances.

The Toro strikers saw plenty of the goal in the opening stages, their best chance falling to Stellone who forced a fine save from Julio Cesar with a flicked header from Motta's cross.

A period of Torino pressure was brought to an abrupt end in the 30th minute when Cruz headed home Balotelli's cross for his 16th goal of the season.

The woodwork denied Inter a quick second, Balotelli's wonderful volley on the turn hitting the foot of the post.

Mancini sprang a surprise in the 37th minute, bringing off Balotelli and introducing Cesar.

The tactical switch appeared to have stifled Toro's attacking momentum but De Biasi's men had a goal ruled out just before half time when Stellone used his arm to take the ball past Julio Cesar.

Mancini made a second switch 12 minutes after the restart, replacing Cambiasso with Suazo and reverting to a 4-4-2.

Torino saw the more of the ball in a second half littered with bookings, their best chances blocked by Burdisso and Julio Cesar.

Instead, Inter could have make extra sure of the points in time added on but Cesar headed wide Maicon's deflected cross with the goal gaping.

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

Scorer: Cruz 30.

Torino: 31 Fontana; 7 Motta (9 Ventola 69), 15 Dellafiore, 22 Di Loreto, 3 Pisano; 19 Diana, 5 Corini, 13 Grella (29 Bottone 72), 11 Lazetic (20 Bjelanovic 86); 10 Rosina, 77 Stellone.
Subs not used: 44 Ferrauto, 8 Barone, 24 Asamoah, 33 Rubin.
Coach: Gianni De Biasi.

Inter: 12 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 16 Burdisso, 23 Materazzi, 26 Chivu; 5 Stankovic, 19 Cambiasso (29 Suazo 57), 4 Zanetti, 6 Maxwell; 9 Cruz (24 Rivas 89), 45 Balotelli (31 Cesar 37).
Subs not used: 1 Toldo, 18 Crespo, 28 Maniche, 30 Pelé.
Coach: Roberto Mancini.

Referee: Emidio Morganti (Ascoli Piceno).

Booked: Corini 25, Stellone 43, Motta 62, Grella 69, Chivu 81, Pisano 86, Stankovic 87, Bottone 89, Burdisso 90+1.

starting lineups

Fontana 12 Julio Cesar
Motta 13 Maicon
Dellafiore 16 Burdisso
Di Loreto 23 Materazzi
Pisano 6 Maxwell
Diana 4 Zanetti
Corini 19 Cambiasso
Grella 26 Chivu
Lazetic 5 Stankovic
Rosina 9 Cruz
Stellone 45 Balotelli

substitutes

Ferrauto 1 Toldo
Rubin 24 Rivas
Asamoah 28 Maniche
Barone 30 Pelé
Bottone 31 Cesar
Ventola 18 Crespo
Bjelanovic 29 Suazo