Honours even in Rome (Roma 3 - Inter 3)
Sunday, 03 October 2004
ROME - Roma and Inter played out a spectacular 3-3 draw at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday evening. Ninety breathtaking minutes of end-to-end football saw two Argentine midfielders open their scoring accounts for the Nerazzurri.
After a bright start to the match, the Giallorossi took the lead on nine minutes. A.Mancini's right-wing cross fell to Vincenzo Montella, who controlled with his chest then smashed home at the far post.
Roberto Mancini was forced to make a tactical switch just before half time, bringing on Edgar Davids for an injured Obafemi Martins, who failed to reccover from a crunching De Rossi tackle. Inter's equaliser couldn't have come at a better moment, Esteban Cambiasso scoring his first Nerazzurri goal in additional time. Unmarked in the middle of the Roma box, the Argentine midfielder jumped to meet Recoba's pin-point left-wing cross and power a header past Pelizzoli.
A perfect start to the second half saw Veron and Recoba open up a two-goal lead for Inter. On 51 minutes the Argentine's volley from El Chino's corner took a deflection off Mexes, giving Pelizzoli no chance of repositioning. Three minutes after Veron's first goal in black and blue the Uruguayan raced past Mexes before sending a powerful left-footed shot into the top left-hand corner.
Roma reduced the deficit soon after when Totti made it a century of Serie A goals with a majestic 30-yard free kick, then Daniele De Rossi equalised with fifteen minutes left to play, stabbing home from close range after Dellas headed Totti's free kick back across the area.
Inter went close to a winner in a frenetic finale. Adriano sent a blistering long-range free kick just over the Roma crossbar, then in time added on Burdisso received inside the Giallorossi box from Cristiano Zanetti, but couldn't get a shot in.
Scorers: Montella 9, Cambiasso 45+1, Veron 51, Recoba 54, Totti 57, De Rossi 74
ROMA: 22 Pelizzoli, 2 Panucci (31 Dellas 46), 4 De Rossi, 5 Mexes, 8 Ferrari, 9 Montella (15 Dacourt 71), 10 Totti, 18 Cassano (99 Mido 62), 20 Perrotta, 25 Cufrè, 30 A.Mancini
Subs not used: 1 Curci, 7 Sartor, 11 Corvia, 23 Aquilani
Coach: Luigi Del Neri
INTER: 1 Toldo, 2 Cordoba, 3 Burdisso, 4 J. Zanetti , 10 Adriano, 13 Zé Maria , 14 Veron, 19 Cambiasso, 20 Recoba (9 Cruz 85), 25 Stankovic (6 C.Zanetti 82), 30 Martins (8 Davids 44')
Subs not used: 12 Fontana, 7 van der Meyde, 23 Materazzi, 26 Pasquale
Coach: Roberto Mancini
Referee: Bertini
source: inter.it.
