Super Coppa - Inter vs Roma - Sun. August 24th

Match Card : Inter vs Roma
Competition : Italian Super Cup
Date : Sunday 24th August
Place : Stadio Guisseppe Meazza , Milano

We are starting to get used to such a start of the italian football season , another Inter-Roma super cup match for the 3rd straight year and what a season it has been between these 2 teams last term.Inter beat Roma in the long race for the scudetto in a very narrow difference where we all watched Inter raise the scudetto in the last week after the drama we saw in the last day of the calcio where Inter won in Parma to be announced 2007-2008 Serie A champions for the 3rd consecutive year with just 2 points difference between them and the 2nd place Roma.While Roma returned the favor to Inter and stole the coppa italia in the olimpico rome against the nerrazzurri in the final and now here we go again and another head to head Inter vs Roma.
Last season's Super coppa Roma was able to walk out of Guisseppe Meazza and head back to Rome with the Super cup after a 1-0 win when De Rossi converted a penalty that Burdisso commited against Totti.So let's see how this year's super cup will turn out to be

Mourinho vs Spalletti
1st time ever

Inter Milan

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Absences

New Faces

Key Players

Inter as usual has many keys but the most important and decesive ones are Definatly the Swedish Genius and Magician Zlatan Ibrahimovic , after having a great start last season Ibrahimovic had a long trip with pain of a serious injury to his knee that cause his performances to drop but was always there on time and especially on the Scudetto winning day when he scored twice for Inter to help them win the scudetto for 3rd year.Ibra will be the Striker in Mourinho's 4-3-3 and what else can u ask for in such a position , a creator , scorer and playmaker.



Amantino Mancini will be another weapon for Mourinho , the Brazilian is known 4 his speed and great skills that attracted the Nerrazzurri to sign him this summer and Mancini's abilities will be very important and decesive in the 4-3-3 new formation that mourinho is using.

Expected Formation

gonna be anice game.
roma play nice football and inter will look better with mourinho.

mourinho wnt leave his first trophy with inter, but roma is a good team that could do sth.

inter have a problem with their defence with a lots of abscences and baptista and vuciniuc could make sth with this weak defence baptista is a strong player which i rate him highly but madrid lowered his performances by playing him not much. remember baptista with sevilla he was unstoppable and i think he could get back on track with roma. roma has decent midfield with de rossi perrotta pizzaro and aquilani and they could use it to control the game. inter have new signings muntari and mancini, i expect muntari to have a decent match but mancini is gonna have trouble copping with his old team.

if i expect i'd expect inter to win, but i have a feeling that roma is gonna take the super cup again.

I hope Baptista won't be used in midfield, his ball control (or lack of it) damages viewers.

Is Totti available for this one?

i dnt think totti will be availble, baptista would be a great cover for him

excuse me shinnawy but could u have read the match preview u would have seen that even if Inter r sufferin major absences in defence our defence only accepted 1 goal only in the whole pre seasons and we had matches against tough teams like Bayern , Ajax , Sevilla , Benfica , Milan and Juventus and that's a good proof enough that our defence is not weak as u said.

DV7 wrote:

Is Totti available for this one?

Totti made the trip 2 Milano but he can only play 2nd half , this is what been said.
he still doesnt carry 90 minutes in his legs

friendly games are not a proof of the a team's abillity, official games hsow everything.
it is not weak but it is weaker than it is.

shinnawy wrote:

friendly games are not a proof of the a team's abillity, official games hsow everything.
it is not weak but it is weaker than it is.

why do we have a pre season then ma friend ??
2 try out new tactics , new players and to see the team's ability b4 enterin the new season

you get to try the players and tactics, but both teams dsnt appear in the real form as it is not competitive players dnt give it all

shinnawy wrote:

you get to try the players and tactics, but both teams dsnt appear in the real form as it is not competitive players dnt give it all

well we will see 2morrow but i'm a bit confident with our defence but aint feelin the same 2wards the offence.

I hope Mourinho wont start Figo in the 4-3-3 formation n this is why we need Quaresma soon , Figo is old he became so slow and predictable so i'd prefare Balotelli to start cause he will be more active and will caue more problems.

Stankovic will start in the centre playin the role of Pirlo in Milan behind Cambiasso and Zanetti or maybe Mourinho will choose 2 go more defensivly and file Muntari as a pure DM.

Ibrahimovic with Mancini and Balotelli this should really be effective.

Forza il campione del super coppa italia
It was a great game both teams did very well and i think 2day we saw a definatly different Inter and the team rly looked great but still the absences we had in defence affected us at the end.
Balotelli , this kid is goin 2 be one of the best in the world but Muntari was the man of the match and the best player on the pitch.
it was a breath taking match but Thanx God at the end we captured the super coppa.

Super Cup: Inter win shoot-out!

Sunday 24 August, 2008

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A dramatic last-gasp Mirko Vucinic equaliser held Inter and Roma 2-2, but Javier Zanetti converted a sudden death penalty for the Italian Super Cup.

The Nerazzurri were leading twice through Sulley Ali Muntari and Mario Balotelli, but Daniele De Rossi's piledriver and a Vucinic header keep the trophy in the balance. Francesco Totti had the chance to give Roma the silverware in the shoot-out, but he hit the bar and Zanetti made the difference.

It was Jose Mourinho's debut in an official Italian competition, the same situation for Roma buys Julio Baptista and John Arne Riise. Amantino Mancini faced his former teammates for the first time, but Cicinho was left at home after a training ground tantrum.

It was also the Giallorossi's first match since President Franco Sensi died last week, aged 82, so the team wore black armbands and there was a minute's silence with touching banners of condolence from the fans.

This is the third consecutive season that the Italian Super Cup has been a battle between these two clubs. In 2006 Inter fought back for a dramatic 4-3 extra time victory, while last term Roma emerged 1-0 winners. Before kick-off, Zanetti and Totti were presented with the Scudetto and Coppa Italia trophies respectively.

The visitors had a bright start, as Mirko Vucinic fired wide after just 48 seconds, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic wasted a fantastic chance. He did brilliantly to chest down the ball and skip between Juan and Riise, but incredibly fired wide of the near post from seven yards with Alexander Doni on the ground.

A terrible clearance almost handed Ibra another, while Vucinic was rightfully booked for diving when he was clear on goal getting round Esteban Cambiasso.

The Inter goal was in the air with the pressure growing and it arrived with new signing Muntari. Philippe Mexes had turned Douglas Maicon's effort on to the underside of his own crossbar in an attempted clearance, but the ball came back out to the Ghanaian for a powerful finish.

Riise was incorrectly flagged offside moments later, while Ibrahimovic couldn't get enough power to his shot after combining with Figo. Doni's error allowed Figo a free header at the back post on Maicon's cross, but his effort skimmed the upright. Juan's sliding tackle was crucial to stop Ibrahimovic, who was also booked for simulation.

After the restart David Pizarro blasted over from 30 metres, then Baptista went on a mazy run and was tripped by Dejan Stankovic on the edge of the box. As the resulting free kick progressed, the Brazilian had another effort charged down. Marco Cassetti did well to clear a dangerous cross off Figo's head, but Doni was at full stretch to pluck a fierce Zanetti screamer out of the air.

Roma were having difficulty passing the ball around with their usual pace and fluidity, but equalised with a fantastic individual goal from Daniele De Rossi. He controlled a headed clearance a few metres outside the box and unleashed a right-foot rocket that Julio Cesar couldn't keep out despite getting a hand to it. De Rossi had also scored in the Super Cup last season.

The Giallorossi upped the tempo amid the enthusiasm and a Pizarro free kick was charged down. Inter realised there were problems and made a change, introducing Mario Balotelli for Figo and Luis Jimenez for Mancini. Cassetti stopped Ibrahimovic's run after Mexes had been overcome.

Mexes nodded a Pizarro corner over and Muntari blasted off target, but Cassetti performed a decisive header to prevent Balotelli nodding into an empty net at the back post. The resulting Balotelli corner was punched away by Doni.

Max Tonetto took from Riise and a deflected Baptista shot was comfortably smothered after his determined run. Cambiasso brought down Vucinic on the counter and Julio Cesar had no problems on Pizarro's free kick.

However, less than 10 seconds later Inter restored their advantage through substitute Balotelli. The 18-year-old sprung the offside trap through the centre on the goalkeeper's kick and kept his cool to chip Doni.

Francesco Totti made his comeback in the first official game since damaging knee ligaments on April 19 and Stefano Okaka Chuka was on as Roma fielded four strikers. Inter almost made it 3-1, as Maicon burst through the Roma defence to test Doni.

Nicolas Burdisso was forced off in the final minutes with a calf problem, but Roma snatched another equaliser right at the death! A Pizarro corner kick found Vucinic for a deflected header off Stankovic that lifted the ball into the top corner.

Ibrahimovic went on the counter in stoppages and tripped up over his own feet, then in the final seconds of normal time Stankovic's strike was charged down just outside the box. For the second time in three years, the Italian Super Cup went to extra time.

A splendid Balotelli free kick from 25 metres and a tight angle was soaring into the top corner before Doni got a hand to turn it wide. Totti's ball over the top found Okaka on the counter, but he was penalised for pushing Nelson Rivas, while Doni smothered a Stankovic piledriver.

De Rossi drilled wide, but Doni was almost propelled back into his own net by an incredibly powerful Balotelli free kick on 105 minutes! Ibrahimovic cut back for the unmarked Balotelli's curling right-foot effort that Doni flew to palm out of the far bottom corner.

There was chaos in the Inter box on 117 minutes, as Baptista slipped and Okaka came in with Julio Cesar rushing out to pluck the ball off his foot in front of an empty net. Maxwell closed down Vucinic in the final seconds, as the game went to penalties. There was controversy as Roma won the toss, but the referee insisted on taking the kicks under the end with the Inter supporters rather than the one with the travelling fans.

Vucinic took the first penalty under the bar, Ibrahimovic fired right into the bottom corner, Julio Baptista netted despite Julio Cesar getting a finger to it and Balotelli coolly sent Doni the wrong way with a stuttering run-up.

Cassetti also converted with a powerful finish at the near corner, but Stankovic hit the underside of the bar as the ball ricocheted back out off the line. De Rossi was next up and rolled the low finish past Julio Cesar. Maxwell was the final Inter penalty taker and got a slow but precise shot in despite Doni guessing the right corner.

Totti had the trophy in his grasp with the last kick, but smacked it on to the crossbar! The shoot-out had to go to sudden death and Cambiasso rolled a cool as a cucumber penalty fairly central with Doni rooted to the spot.

Pizarro had cramp in the final minutes of the match, but took a kick to send the goalkeeper the wrong way. Jimenez placed it right into the far bottom corner, while Juan's weak chipped kick was saved. The decider was now with Inter captain Javier Zanetti and he did not fail to give Inter their fourth Italian Super Cup.

Penalties: Vucinic (goal), Ibrahimovic (goal), Baptista (goal), Balotelli (goal), Cassetti (goal), Stankovic (bar), De Rossi (goal), Maxwell (goal), Totti (bar), Cambiasso (goal), Pizarro (goal), Jimenez (goal), Juan (saved), Zanetti (goal)

Inter 2 - 2 Roma
Scorers: Muntari 18 (I), De Rossi 59 (R), Balotelli 83 (I), Vucinic 90 (R)
Inter: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Cambiasso, Burdisso (Rivas 89), Maxwell; Zanetti, Stankovic, Muntari; Figo (Balotelli 66), Ibrahimovic, Mancini (Jimenez 70)
Roma: Doni; Riise (Tonetto 77), Mexes, Juan, Cassetti; Pizarro, De Rossi; Aquilani (Okaka 86), Perrotta (Totti 84), Baptista; Vucinic
Ref: Saccani

Mourinho: This is Italian football!

Sunday 24 August, 2008

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Jose Mourinho dedicated the Super Cup to Roberto Mancini and said this 2-2 draw is “a great response” to those who say Italian football is boring!

“We wanted to win this trophy and I'd say we deserved it, as we did more over the 120 minutes to earn this Cup,” he said after lifting the Italian Super Cup.

Inter were leading twice, but Roma came back for 2-2 and it was only decided in a sudden death penalty shoot-out.

“I believe we played very, very well, but must admit Roma did brilliantly too. For all those abroad who say Italian football is boring, this match is a great response!

“We got four goals, endless chances and spot-kicks, so it was certainly not lacking in drama. If everyone plays like Inter and Roma, then you'll get very entertaining sport.”

This is Mourinho's first piece of silverware in Italian football and since taking over at Inter.

“I have always had a bad record with penalties, losing the Cup in England last year and then the Champions League semi-final. Plus my Chelsea, albeit with another Coach, lost the Champions League Final on spot-kicks.

“I want to point out that I have won the Italian Super Cup, but I could only participate in it because Mancini won the Scudetto, so he deserves a portion of this trophy for all the good work he did with this team.”

inter deserved todays win and in ma opinion balotelli is the man of the match

bayern22 wrote:

inter deserved todays win and in ma opinion balotelli is the man of the match

Balotelli since he came in he added 2 Inter's performance a lot
he is very active and moves a lot controlling problems , he was great on the free kicks and had 2 great shots saved by Doni and he scored a beauty as well and converted the penalty with so much confidence , sometimes i cant belive this guy just turned 18 just a week ago.

Balotelli was awesome. and inter truly deserved that win.
but i dont think they are going to win that league

EL LODDZ wrote:

Balotelli was awesome. and inter truly deserved that win.
but i dont think they are going to win that league

Thanx Loddz 4 ur addition and see u at the end of the league when i make the topic
Inter 2008-2009 Scudetto Champions # 17

Joking Mexes Analyzes Roma Performance

Roma defender Philippe Mexes looked at where his side could improve following their Supercoppa defeat to Internazionale...

Mexes spoke to Roma Channel after the game, using some jokes to boost the morale of his team after a heart-breaking loss.

"I told (Francesco) Totti and Juan after their penalty misses that if I had taken one I would have scored," joked the Frenchman. "Even the greatest players can make mistakes."

Mexes then analyzed the Giallorossi's performance: "We played well, but it wasn't enough to win.

"We could have avoided some mistakes, especially with regards to marking (Mario) Balotelli on Inter's second goal.

"After the poor results in the friendlies, tonight we had a good game. We are very confident."

Finally, Mexes spoke about some of his team-mates. "(Julio) Baptista, he gave everything, he did the certain things Spalletti asked of him in an excellent manner. (John Arne) Riise and (Stefano) Okaka also did well. We played very well."

Mexes and Roma are looking to make a run for the Serie A title in 2008/09 season after narrowly losing out to Inter last season on the final match-day.

Ibrahimovic: We Dominated The Match

Inter Milan won the Italian Super Cup on penalties this evening and Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes that his team deserved the triumph as they were the better side.

Inter defeated Roma 6-5 on penalties after an exciting 2-2 draw at the Giuseppe Meazza to clinch the SuperCoppa. Ibrahimovic played a key role in the win, as he tucked his penalty away in the shoot-out, and insisted his side deserved to win the match.

"The whole team played very well and we dominated for 70 minutes," said the Swedish international, who had a hand in setting up the opening goal.

"But then they scored and took courage from that. To play 120 minutes at the beginning of the season is never easy."

Ibrahimovic played the entire match and hoped it would not aggravate his previous knee injury.

"My knee? I played a lot today, we must hope that tomorrow it won't hurt. Now, I hope the situation is better and I can play continuously."

Finally, Ibra spoke about Mourinho's methodology on the pitch.

"How am I doing under Mourinho? Well, today I enjoyed it, but the important thing was to win," explained the striker who missed two good opportunities in the first half.

Expectedly, Ibrahimovic seemed to be in good spirits due to Inter winning the trophy. Ibra and Inter open their Serie A season next weekend, when they will take on Antonio Cassano’s Sampdoria.

ryt now i aint that worry as i used 2 be b4 about signing Quaresma cause 2day Balotelli proved he can easily play wide in the 4-3-3 formation and he did it greatly.
The kid is goin 2 be somethin great in Italian football soon and this season he will play a huge role in Inter's success.
he is just a bit unexperience and dunno when 2 control himself when he gets nervous and 2day he lost his nerves and got a free yellow n was even about 2 get sent off if there was a bit more minutes in the game.

congratulation to mahdi for the super copa , this match has alot of pros for inter , specially the fabulous start of morinioh and soli montary .
the derby of milano on 28-9 the next month , donnot forget

I'm just guessing...did Totti try to chip his penalty? :p

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