Inter 0-1 Juventus (Trofeo TIM)

Trofeo TIM: Inter bow to Iaquinta
Tuesday 29 July, 2008

Vincenzo Iaquinta's well-taken goal allowed Juventus to defeat an anxious Inter, but there were injuries to Marco Materazzi and Amauri.

Having lost the opener on penalties to Milan, Juve had one point and changed several of the players from that first match, including new strike partners Alex Del Piero and Amauri. Jose Mourinho introduced a trident attack with Mario Balotelli and Amantino Mancini flanking the rediscovered Adriano.

There was bad news just seven minutes in, as Marco Materazzi appeared to sprain his knee and was forced off the field. Mourinho opted to throw on Dejan Stankovic, who was roundly jeered in Turin after Juve fans put a stop to his transfer with their protests, moving Esteban Cambiasso into central defence.

Cristian Molinaro outpaced Douglas Maicon down the left flank and crossed back for Mauro Camoranesi's deflected finish. Dario Knezevic did well to close down Adriano with a sliding tackle in the box.

Play was halted for a nasty clash of heads between Patrick Vieira and Amauri, the Brazilian getting the worst of it with a deep cut to his eyebrow that prompted a substitution. Young Juve talents Albin Ekdal and Fausto Rossi had dangerous shots blocked and Stankovic earned more jeers with a wayward strike.

Christian Poulsen came on for Momo Sissoko and moments later another substitute, Vincenzo Iaquinta, sprung the offside trap to trap a long ball and place a precise angled drive past Julio Cesar. It was his fourth goal of the summer so far after scoring against Brondby and a brace in the 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund.

Poulsen's attempt was charged down after a counter and teenager Rossi tested the Inter defence with a cheeky curler towards the near post. Gigi Buffon needed his wits about him to prod a wayward Knezevic intervention off the head of Adriano at the back post.

Hernan Crespo and Luis Figo replaced Stankovic and Balotelli for a change of system with 10 minutes to go, the Portuguese winger on the right and Mancini on the left with two main strikers. Maicon seemed to be particularly out of shape and made several simple errors, earning a booking for a late tackle on Ekdal.

Giorgio Chiellini came on for Molinaro and Crespo couldn't get enough contact on his header. Julio Cesar had to palm a dangerous corner away from Camoranesi.

The save of the tournament came from Buffon with an absolutely stunning reaction stop on Adriano's towering header. Adriano then got between the two centre-backs and was sprinting towards goal, but Chiellini did well to anticipate with the aid of a possible shirt-tug from Knezevic.

It should have been 2-0 in stoppages, but Del Piero's free kick incredibly ricocheted off the inside of one upright, then the other and into the grateful arms of Julio Cesar! It didn't matter, as Juventus won 1-0. The final round of the Trofeo TIM is the Milan derby.

Inter 0-1 Juventus
Scorers: Iaquinta 27 (J)

Inter: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Burdisso, Materazzi (Stankovic 7) (Figo 35), Maxwell; Zanetti, Vieira, Cambiasso; Balotelli (Crespo 35), Adriano, Mancini

Juventus: Buffon; Zebina, Legrottaglie, Knezevic, Molinaro (Chiellini 38); Camoranesi, Ekdal, Sissoko (Poulsen 26), Rossi; Del Piero, Amauri (Iaquinta 20)
Ref: Gava

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