Claudio Ranieri has met Fiorentina 12 times as a coach, with 6 wins, 3 draws (all 1-1) and 3 wins for the Tuscan side. In those games Ranieri's sides have always scored - 19 in total.

This is the 24th match-up between Delio Rossi and Inter in competitive matches. So far the current Palermo coach has managed a single win (Lecce 2-1 Inter in Serie A on 2 May 2004), with 5 draws and 17 victories for the Nerazzurri.

Claudio Ranieri has taken on the Delio Rossi 8 times before, with ties perfectly matched: 3 wins apiece and 2 draws. Excluding their first match-up, which ended 0-0 in 2006/07, in the other 7 games goals have always been scored by both Ranieri's sides (16) and Rossi's teams (13).

Since the last time Fiorentina won in San Siro (4-0 on 7 May 2000), Inter have won all ten competitive fixtures between the two clubs in Milan, scoring 22 goals in the process.

Esteban Cambiasso has scored more goals in competitive fixtures against Fiorentina than against any other team since he arrived Italy: 5 of the midfielder's 41 goals have come against the Viola.

For Claudio Ranieri, December (along with April) is the month in which his sides have the highest points average per league game: 1.8, with 23 wins, 14 draws and 9 defeats from 46 matches. Ranieri's points average is actually higher in August (1.83), but not many league games are played in that month.

The last goal Fiorentina scored away from home in a competitive fixture was on 25 October, when they lost 2-1 at Juventus in Serie A; Jovetic netted after 58 minutes. Since then, in the remaining 32 minutes of that match and the league games lost away to ChievoVerona (1-0) and Palermo (2-0), they have clocked up 212 minutes on the road without finding the net.

Fiorentina's last victory away from the Stadio Franchi came on 23 April, when they beat Cagliari 1-2 in Serie A. In the 8 matches played away from home since then, the Viola have managed 3 draws and 5 defeats. What's more, they have been beaten in their last 3 away games, all in the league: Juventus (2-1), Chievo Verona (1-0) and Palermo (2-0). The last time they picked up a point on their travels was on 16 October at Cesena (0-0, Serie A). Should the Viola lose again today, it would be the first time they have lost 4 in a row since April-September 2010 (all in Serie A).

Inter have proved to be Delio Rossi's bogey team: the coach has beaten the Nerazzurri just once in 23 competitive matches. He last faced - and lost to - Inter on 29 May when his Palermo team lost 3-1 in the Coppa Italia final played in Rome.

MILAN - Inter finally got back to winning ways in front of the Meazza faithful with a 2-0 win over Fiorentina. Pazzini scored his first league goal for 77 days to give Ranieri's side the lead following Coutinho's pass at the end of the first half. After the break Nagatomo made the most of a defensive mix-up to make it two. The Nerazzurri move up to 17 points.

FIRST HALF – Claudio Ranieri had to make do without Zanetti against Fiorentina as the captain sat out his first ever match in Serie A due to suspension. The coach went with experienced duo Lucio and Samuel at the heart of defence while Maicon was welcomed back on the right and Nagatomo started on the left. In midfield, there was youth on the flanks with Coutinho and Faraoni, and Motta and Cambiasso in the engine room. Pazzini partnered Milito up front.

During the warm-up the players were taken by the images on the stadium's giant screen: a testimony to Peppino Prisco, who passed away ten years ago but would have celebrated his 90th birthday today.

The first chance of the game fell to the Nerazzurri in the 4th minute when Coutinho played in Pazzini for the shot, which Boruc saved. A minute later Nagatomo went for goal from a distance without managing to hit the target. Moments later Coutinho was again the supplier but this time for Milito, whose shot was deflected behind for a corner. And in the 10th minute another useful ball from the Brazilian youngster proved just too much of a stretch for Pazzini. On 18 minutes Lucio's hard cross to the far post saw Pazzini leap with De Silvestri, the Viola defender coming out on top. Coutinho created a great chance by himself in the 31st minute as he burst past the defence and arrowed his effort towards the far post, only for Boruc to stick out a hand and deny him; from the rebound, Faraoni's shot was deflected behind for a corner. The deadlock was broken after 41 minutes when Pazzini ended his barren streak in the league that went back to Bologna v Inter on 24 September: Coutinho chipped a ball into the box, Pazzini ran onto it beating Natali and clipped a neat finish past Boruc with the outside of his boot. That was the last meaningful action of the first half, which ended with no added time.

SECOND HALF – No changes were made during the interval and 4 minutes after the restart the Nerazzurri had doubled their lead: Pazzini played a ball in from the left and the Fiorentina defence made a complete hash-up as Pasqual cannoned the ball off Nagatomo and into the goal. In the 67th minute Thiago Motta fizzed a wicked low drive just past Boruc's right-hand post. A minute later that was followed by the visitors' first shot on target: Vargas' low free kick deflected off the wall on its way to goal but Julio Cesar was alert to keep it out. A great chance fell to Muntari in the 77th minute when Maicon picked out the midfielder on the edge of the six-yard box: the Ghanaian's side-footed effort was poor but Pazzini almost managed to connect from a few yards out as he slid in. With 5 minutes of normal time remaining Inter had another good chance: Muntari put Pazzini through alone in front of Boruc but the keeper denied him. As the game drew to a close Gilardino kept looking for a way to pull one back but to no avail. After three minutes of added time, Inter v Fiorentina finished 2-0.

Inter 2-0 Fiorentina (HT: 1-0)
Scorers: Pazzini 41, Nagatomo 49.

Inter: 1 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 6 Lucio, 25 Samuel, 55 Nagatomo; 37 Faraoni, 8 Thiago Motta, 19 Cambiasso, 29 Coutinho (Muntari 62); 7 Pazzini, 22 Milito (Zarate 64).
Subs: 12 Castellazzi, 2 Cordoba, 11 Alvarez, 18 Poli, 30 Castaignos.
Coach: Claudio Ranieri.

Fiorentina: 1 Boruc; 29 De Silvestri, 5 Gamberini, 14 Natali, 23 Pasqual; 85 Behrami, 20 Munari (Salifu 52), 21 Lazzari (Kharja 75), 6 Vargas; 22 Ljajic (Silva 65); 11 Gilardino.
Subs: 89 Neto, 15 Nastasic, 28 Romizi, 92 Romulo.
Coach: Delio Rossi.

starting lineups

substitutes