11 September 2006, by Sean Gillen

Inter warm up for Sporting with narrow win

Fiorentina 2-3 Inter

Inter Milan survived a late scare to claim all three points and start the new Serie A season with a win against Fiorentina at the Artemio Franchi stadium. Luis Figo played his part for the defending champions, but the win owed much to an outstanding performance from Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso.

The champions appeared to have made light work of what seemed a potentially difficult opening game, storming into a three-goal lead after an hour’s play, but the home side rallied late on to make it a nervous finish for the Nerazurri.

Figo adopted a less familiar central position behind the strikers as Inter coach Roberto Mancini experimented with a 4-3-1-2 formation, with midfielders Dacourt, Vieira and Cambiasso playing behind the Portuguese.

The visitors settled immediately, and Hernan Crespo forced a good save out of Fiorentina goalkeeper Sebastien Frey before Figo’s cross saw the Argentine’s flicked header fly over the bar.

The game was eleven minutes old when Inter found the breakthrough, with a crisp passing move resulting in Zlatan Ibrahimovic finding Cambiasso, and the midfielder drove a sweet left-footed finish across Frey and into the far corner.

Fiorentina showed plenty of determination, but struggled to test the Inter defence, with long-range efforts from Adrian Mutu and miscued crosses the best La Viola could muster.

Vintage Figo

Inter doubled their advantage thanks to some vintage wing play from Figo. The Portuguese legend picked up the ball on the inside-right of the penalty area and clipped an exquisite cross to the back post, where Cambiasso headed in for his second.

The second half began with Inter still in control, and shortly after Figo teed up Ibrahimovic from a free-kick to sting the hands of Frey, the champions got their third. As Inter attacked on the break, Cambiasso picked out Ibrahimovic with a wonderful throughball, and the Swede’s first-time finish put his side 3-0 ahead just after the hour mark.

However, Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni scored twice in ten minutes to give Fiorentina hope of a remarkable comeback. After first nodding in a Mutu cross in the 69th minute, Toni glanced an outstanding header past Toldo with 12 minutes remaining.

Inter survived the scare, though, and held on to claim maximum points on the opening day of the defence of their Serie A title. The Nerazurri now travel to Lisbon to play Luis Figo’s former club, Sporting, on Tuesday in the Champions League, before hosting Sampdoria at the San Siro next weekend.

Fiorentina:
Frey; Ujfalusi (Potenza 70), Dainelli, Gamberini, Pasqual; Donadel, Liverani (Montolivo 53), Blasi; Gobbi (Reginaldo 53), Mutu, Toni
Yellow Cards: Toni (68), Donadel (80), Pasqual (88)

Inter:
Toldo; Maicon, Cordoba, Materazzi (Samuel 59), Zanetti; Vieira (Stankovic 76), Cambiasso (Grosso 84), Dacourt; Figo; Ibrahimovic, Crespo
Yellow Cards: Ibrahimovic (90)

Goals:
[0-1] Cambiasso, 11
[0-2] Cambiasso, 41
[0-3] Ibrahimovic, 61
[1-3] Toni, 68
[2-3] Toni, 78