This is the first time Giuseppe Sannino and Claudio Ranieri have faced each other as coaches.

Giuseppe Sannino will take on Inter for the first time in a competitive fixture as a coach today.

This is Ranieri's 7th meeting with Siena as a coach, having won 5, drawn 0 and lost 1 of the previous games.

There have been 14 previous meetings between these two sides (7 in Tuscany and 7 in Milan), and Siena are yet to beat Inter. There have been 4 draws and 10 Nerazzurri wins, including all 4 of the last 4 matches played.

Siena have failed to hit the net in just one of their previous 11 home matches; that happened on 18 September when they lost 0-1 to Juventus (Serie A). In the other 10 games in that period the Tuscan outfit have scored 26 times.

Siena bring back fond memories for Inter, who have claimed two of their 18 Scudetto successes after playing today's opposition. The Nerazzurri beat Siena 1-2 away on 22 April 2007 with six games of the season remaining to claim the 2006/07 Scudetto; then a 1-0 win on the last day of the season (16 May 2010) sealed the 2009/10 league title on the way to treble success. Inter v Siena was also the scene of celebrations for the 2008/09 Scudetto, on 17 May 2009, but the title had been won the night before while Inter were in their pre-match retreat in Appiano Gentile as AC Milan lost 2-1 away to Udinese.

Inter have scored at least once in each of their last 11 competitive away fixtures, netting 18 goals in the process. The last time the Nerazzurri drew a blank away from home was on 16 April 2011 when they lost 2-0 to Parma.

SIENA – Little excitement and no goals for 90 minutes before Luc Castaignos decided the game. In this Week 13 match of the 2011/12 Serie A season it was the Dutchman's goal that settled the game between Siena and Inter, after chances from Pazzini (24) and Thiago Motta (85). Therefore, thanks to Castaignos' first goal for the Nerazzurri, Inter extended their unbeaten run at the Stadio Artemio Franchi to eight matches and reached 14 points in the standings.

FIRST HALF – Ranieri, forced to do without the injured Lucio, Chivu and Jonathan, fielded Nagatomo as a right-back and put Zanetti on the left. Motta was available again and lined up in front of the defence, and Pazzini was up top as the lone striker. For Siena, Destro was unavailable, but Calaiò returned to line up alongside Larrondo.

After a minute of silence for the flood victims in Messina, the match saw the Nerazzurri come close after only 8 minutes of play through Alvarez; the Argentine won the ball in midfield and found Zarate at the edge of the box, only to see him lose it with his back pass. Stankovic tested Brkic two minutes later with a powerful right-footer from distance after a pass from Alvarez, but the keeper went low to block the shot. After a yellow card was shown to Ranocchia for holding Calaiò, who was moving in on goal, Inter once again had possession and Pazzini flicked on a cross for Zarate, but his header went straight into the arms of Brkic. Again with a header, Pazzini made an attempt from a perfect cross from Alvarez, but his effort was just off target. Mannini's foul in the 29th minute handed Inter a free kick in a dangerous position, which then lead to two consecutive corner kicks; on the second one, taken by Zarate, Brkic came off his line and missed the ball but Samuel failed to take advantage of the chance when it fell right at his feet. The Bianconeri then broke forward on a counterattack that finished with Brienza shooting high in the 31st minute. A minute later it was Brienza who crossed for Mannini, who failed to get his effort on target. De Marco added one minute of injury time but Calaiò added a final scare to the half when his low shot went just wide of the far post.

SECOND HALF – Inter started the second half with Ranieri making a double substitution: out went Alvarez and Zarate, and in went Obi and Castaignos. Then after only three minutes Siena threatened when Mannini's long pass found Calaiò, who beat Ranocchia before sending his half-volley wide. When Obi lost the ball in midfield he sparked a Siena counterattack that ended with Larrondo shooting just wide with his left. In the 57th minute Stankovic grazed the post with his right-footer from distance. Three minutes later Gazzi's pass picked out Larrondo in the box; the Argentine protected the ball and then went to the ground under a challenge from Samuel, claiming a penalty that wasn't given. Zanetti did not put a foot wrong today and demonstrated his form when he expertly closed down Calaiò, who had found himself in the box after receiving a pass from Larrondo. When Pazzini thought he was in on goal in the 80th minute he was thwarted by De Marco's whistle for offside. Castaignos then earned a free kick from an optimal position when he was fouled by Bolzoni in the 89th minute; Thiago Motta stepped up to take it but his shot was saved by Brkic.

Then, when all seemed lost, Castaignos came through; the Dutchman controlled the ball and shot home on the turn from an excellent ball provided by Thiago Motta to break the deadlock and hand Inter a 0-1 victory. After 3 added minutes, De Marco whistled to end the match. Inter now sit with 14 points in the standings.

Siena 0-1 Inter (HT: 0-0)
Scorer: Castaignos 90.

Siena: 1 Brkic; 2 Vitiello, 13 Rossettini, 19 Terzi, 3 Del Grosso; 70 Mannini, 10 D'Agostino, 14 Gazzi (Bolzoni 70), 23 Brienza; 11 Calaiò (Reginaldo 62), 9 Larrondo (Gonzalez 75).
Unused subs: 25 Pegolo, 6 Angelo, 27 Belmonte, 80 Contini.
Coach: Giuseppe Sannino.

Inter: 1 Julio Cesar; 55 Nagatomo, 23 Ranocchia, 25 Samuel, 4 Zanetti; 8 Thiago Motta; 11 Alvarez (Obi 46), 5 Stankovic, 19 Cambiasso (Milito 81), 28 Zarate (Castaignos 46); 7 Pazzini.
Unused subs: 12 Castellazzi, 2 Cordoba, 16 Caldirola, 18 Poli.
Coach: Claudio Ranieri.

Referee: De Marco (Chiavari).
Booked: Ranocchia 14, Terzi 38, Brienza 81, 90+1, Stankovic 88. 
Sent off: Brienza 90+1.
Added time: 1+3 minutes.

starting lineups

substitutes