The current Cesena coach has taken on the Nerazzurri on seven previous occasions but has never won: 2 draws and 5 defeats. Arrigoni's teams conceded in each of those 7 games - 17 goals in total.

This is the seventh time Ranieri has met Cesena in competitive fixtures as a coach: so far there has been 1 win for the current Nerazzurri coach, 2 draws (both 0-0) and 3 wins for Cesena.

There has only been one match between the current coaches of these two sides: in Serie A 2008/09 Arrigoni's Bologna were beaten at home 1-2 by Ranieri's Juventus.

For Claudio Ranieri, December is the month in which his sides have the highest points average per league game: 1.85, with 25 wins, 14 draws and 9 defeats from 48 matches.

Should he play today, Diego Alberto Milito will celebrate his 100th match played in Serie A. His previous 99 appearances have been for Genoa and Inter. Milito made his Serie A debut on 14 September 2008 in Genoa 2-0 AC Milan.

Inter have scored at least once in each of their last 13 competitive away fixtures, netting 20 goals in the process. The last time the Nerazzurri failed to score away from home was on 16 April when they lost 2-0 at Parma (Serie A). The last goal conceded by Inter on their travels was on 22 November when they drew 1-1 at Trabzonspor in the Champions League: Altintop hit the target for the Turks in the 23th minute. Since then, in the remaining 67 minutes of that match plus the Serie A games won away to Siena and Genoa (both 0-1), the Nerazzurri defence has been unbreached for 247 minutes.

Cesena have fewer different goalscorers than any other team in Serie A 2011/12: just 4. Those players are Candreva, Guana, Mutu and Parolo. Inter, on the other hand, are one of two teams - along with Lecce - with the most different goalscorers after AC Milan (who have 13): the 11 Nerazzurri to have hit the net this term are Cambiasso, Castaignos, Coutinho, Forlan, Lucio, Maicon, Milito, Nagatomo, Pazzini, Sneijder and Thiago Motta.

Cesena haven't conceded a goal in competitive home fixtures since 6 November, when they were beaten 0-1 by Lecce, Cuadrado scoring after 56 minutes. Since then, in the remaining 34 minutes of that match plus the games won against Genoa (2-0 in Serie A) and Gubbio (3-0 in Coppa Italia) Cesena's rear guard has kept the opposition's attack at bay for 214 minutes.

Adrian Mutu is one goal away from making it 100 in Serie A. The first of Mutu's 99 goals to date – 16 of which playing for Verona, 18 for Parma, 7 for Juventus, 54 for Fiorentina and 4 for Cesena – came on 22 October 2000 in the 78th minute of Verona 2-0 Lazio.

CESENA – Inter victorious again, for the third time in a row after Fiorentina and Genoa, making it five wins out of their last six matches. The final score at the Stadio Dino Manuzzi was 0-1, as the Nerazzurri kept a clean sheet for their third consecutive match.

The first half was played at a steady, fast pace but without a goal, despite near misses by Cambiasso and Nagatomo at one end, and Candreva at the other. In the second half Inter managed to break the deadlock as Ranocchia scored with a header from a Maicon cross. It was the first goal of the season for the defender. Cesena didn't give in though, and unleashed their strike-force, but it was a sharp Julio Cesar who was always on hand to deny the opponents their equaliser. And his saves have become more valuable than goals. The Nerazzurri have now moved onto 23 points in the table.

FIRST HALF – Against Cesena Ranieri chose the Lucio-Ranocchia partnership in the centre of defence, with Maicon and Nagatomo playing outside them; the midfield was made up of Zanetti and Coutinho on the wings with Motta and Cambiasso in the middle; and Pazzini and Milito filled the forward line. This was the Argentine's 100th match in Serie A.

The first chance of the match fell to Inter as Cambiasso hit a hard cross-box shot, which Antonioli managed to push away. Two minutes later Ceccarelli tried at the other end but his shot was no problem for Julio Cesar. In the 10th minute Nagatomo's left-footed volley worried Cesena, but the ball was just too high. In the 25th minute Candreva's shot on goal was deflected by Motta. In the 28th, Coutinho's free-kick was just over the bar, after Milito was pulled down on the edge of the box. Motta set Pazzini off at high speed, but Rodriguez tackled.

In the 33rd minute Julio Cesar did well to turn away Candreva's dangerous right-footed shot. Two minutes later Mutu had his first shot on goal but it flew high over the far post. In the 39th minute Inter were awarded a free-kick, which was taken by Motta: the ball seemed to come off Ceccarelli's arm. In the 45th minute Milito went for goal with a curling shot: the ball narrowly missed the crossbar. After two minutes of added time the first half of Cesena v Inter came to a close with the score at 0-0.

SECOND HALF – The second half kicked off with a change in the Inter ranks, Obi taking Coutinho's place. On 51 minutes Maicon crossed from the right to find Pazzini whose header went narrowly over the bar. A minute later Inter were in trouble: first of all from Mutu alone with only Julio Cesar to beat, but Guana's ball didn't make it through to him, and then with Eder who unleashed a right-footed blast only to see the ball deflected off Obi.

On the hour mark the Nerazzurri were almost caught out again by a shot from Parolo: but Julio Cesar dived to save. In the 63rd minute Ranocchia scored with a header to put Inter into the lead, following a cross from Maicon. It was the defender's first goal this season. On 75 minutes Maicon was on hand to make sure no goals were scored into Julio Cesar's net as he cleared when Bogdani picked up a loose ball in the box and tried a shot.

In the 78th minute Maicon lofted a free-kick into the area but Antonioli made it his with ease. After 82 minutes the Nerazzurri brought on Forlan in place of Pazzini. Cesena put the pressure on in the 83rd minute but Inter resisted attacks from Candreva and then Parolo. In the 86th minute Julio Cesar denied Cesena a draw as Ghezzal shot right-footed. This was the third, and the most difficult, of the three great saves the Brazilian made today along with those from Candreva and Parolo. Inter made their last substitution in the 89th minute: Ranieri added support to the midfield with Stankovic, taking off a striker, Milito. Four minutes into added time the Serb blasted in a long-distance shot, but Antonioli parried it. The match ended after four minutes of added time with the score at Cesena 0-1 Inter. The Nerazzurri now have 23 points in the league.

Cesena 0-1 Inter (HT 0-0)

Scorers: Ranocchia 63.

Cesena: 1 Antonioli; 16 Comotto, 25 Von Bergen, 2 Rodriguez, 6 Lauro (Benalouane 88); 18 Parolo, 5 Guana, 77 Ceccarelli (Ghezzal 68); 10 Mutu, 8 Candreva; 7 Eder (Bogdani 67).
Unused subs: 88 Ravaglia, 4 Ricci, 17 Malonga, 23 Djokovic.
Coach: Daniele Arrigoni.

Inter: 1 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 6 Lucio, 23 Ranocchia, 55 Nagatomo; 4 Zanetti, 8 Thiago Motta, 19 Cambiasso, 29 Coutinho (Obi 46); 7 Pazzini (Forlan 82), 22 Milito (Stankovic 89).
Unused subs: 12 Castellazzi, 11 Alvarez, 25 Samuel, 28 Zarate.
Coach: Claudio Ranieri.

Referee: Romeo (Verona).
Booked: Comotto 13, Lauro 62.
Added time: 2 + 4.

starting lineups

substitutes