20 March 2006, by Sean Gillen

Figo hits the net in confident Inter display

Inter 3-1 Lazio

Luis Figo was on the scoresheet as Inter kept in the hunt for second place with a convincing win at the San Siro.

The Portuguese legend scored the home side’s first goal on 37 minutes and looked threatening for periods during the game until being replaced with 20 minutes to go.

Inter were the better team in the early stages but had little to show for their pressure, with Figo’s shot that went just wide after 20 minutes the closest the Nerazzuri came to breaking the deadlock.

Lazio’s Massimo Oddo’s excellent long-range volley was hit straight at Toldo, Goran Pandev’s left-footed shot went wide and Adriano headed a Cesar cross over for Inter as the game began to open up.

Super strike

Figo, who had been having a quiet period in the game, opened the scoring with a super strike after being found on the edge of the area by Alvaro Recoba. After some great control to cut inside Luciano Zauri, the winger finished superbly with his left foot into the far corner.

Inter scored their second goal just 40 seconds into the second half when Recoba intercepted a short backpass from Oddo to nod the ball over the advancing Lazio goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi.

Excellent strikes from Adriano, Juan Veron and Pierre Wome were all brilliantly saved by Peruzzi in the following 10 minutes as Lazio looked likely to be on the receiving end of a heavy defeat.

However, Lazio stunned the home side with a surprise goal in the 54th minute, as Goran Pandev swept in a cross from Zauri from close range.

Inter continued to put the visitors under pressure though, and after an outstanding reaction save from Peruzzi to deny Recoba, Juan Veron’s throughball put the Uruguayan in again and this time Recoba coolly slotted the ball into the corner of the net.

Substitute Julio Cruz missed an excellent opportunity in the last minute, firing over when well placed inside the area.

With rivals Milan and Juventus both winning, Inter remain in 3rd place, two points behind 2nd-placed Milan and 12 points off leaders Juventus.

Inter:
Toldo, Zanetti, Wome, Materazzi, Cordoba, Cambiasso, Veron, Figo (Kily Gonzalez, 71), Cesar, Recoba (Pizarro, 78), Adriano (Cruz, 84)
Yellow Cards: Cesar (28), Recoba (46)

Lazio:
Peruzzi, Oddo, Cribari, Siviglia, Zauri, Dabo, Liverani, Mauri, Behrami, Pandev (Tare, 77 – replaced by Bonanni, 85)), Rocchi
Yellow Cards: Cribari (9)

Goals:
[1-0] Figo, 37
[2-0] Recoba, 46
[2-1] Pandev, 54
[3-1] Recoba, 72