Milito gives Inter slight edge

Inter Milan 1 CSKA Moscow 0:INTER MILAN will take a slender one-goal advantage into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash with CSKA Moscow next week after Diego Milito earned them a 1-0 win at the San Siro last night.

Jose Mourinho’s side took over an hour to get warmed up, but they were then guilty of wasting a hatful of chances to settle this tie after Milito’s solitary strike in the 65th minute.

Nevertheless, the Nerazzurri will still fancy their chances of finishing off the job in the Russian capital next week after keeping a clean sheet at home.

Mourinho had warned on the eve of the game that it was not likely to be much of a spectacle and he was proven right for the first 45 minutes. Inter struggled to find a way through a well-organised block of CSKA Moscow players, who waited patiently for their chance to break with the lively Pavel Mamaev and Milos Krasic looking dangerous on the ball.

A mazy run from Mamaev, who beat both Dejan Stankovic and Walter Samuel, was ended by Marco Materazzi, who had been preferred in the Inter defence over Ivan Cordoba to replace the suspended Lucio. Inter then started to create a few chances with Walter Sneijder’s shot from a free-kick punched clear by Igor Akinfeev to Stankovic, who shot wide from 20 yards.

Sergei Ignaschevich’s direct free-kick at the other end was easy for Julio Cesar before Goran Pandev came the closest to opening the deadlock in the first half with a 25-yard shot which missed the crossbar by a matter of inches.

Samuel Eto’o then had a few half chances for the Nerazzurri, but Akinfeev’s goal was rarely under any real threat.

CSKA made a bright start to the second half with Mamaev shooting just over the crossbar from 25 yards and then Aleksei Berezutski’s dangerous low cross was put behind for a corner by Materazzi.

In the 55th minute, Evgeni Aldonin’s 20-yard shot swirled in the air, forcing Julio Cesar to tip it over the crossbar. That effort seemed to spark Inter back into life and Eto’o’s shot in the 65th minute was saved on the line by the CSKA goalkeeper, but he was unable to get to Milito’s effort in the same minute as the Argentinian put the home side ahead with a low shot from just outside the penalty area.

INTER MILAN:Julio Cesar, Maicon, Materazzi, Samuel, Zanetti, Stankovic, Cambiasso, Eto'o, Sneijder, Pandev (Mariga 90), Milito. Subs not used:Toldo, Cordoba, Quaresma, Muntari, Chivu, Arnautovic. Booked: Materazzi.

CSKA MOSCOW:Akinfeev, Vasili Berezutsky, Alexei Berezutsky, Ignashevich, Shchennikov, Krasic, Aldonin (Rahimic 75), Semberas, Mamaev (Gonzalez 73), Honda (Dzagoev 69), Necid. Subs not used:Chepchugov, Nababkin, Odiah, Guilherme. Booked: Krasic, Aldonin.

Referee:Howard Webb (England).