Champions League: CSKA Moscow 1-2 Inter MOSCOW - Inter fought back to defeat CSKA Moscow 2-1 and move top of Champions League Group G ahead of tonight's game between PSV Eindhoven and Fenerbahçe.
CSKA took a deserved first-half lead at the Lokomotiv Stadium through Jo but the Nerazzurri came back strong and Hernan Crespo cancelled out the Brazilian's opener before Walter Samuel applied the killer blow late on. Inter suffered an early setback, losing Patrick Vieira to injury in the 17th minute. In his place, on came Dejan Stankovic. The Russians showed a more aggressive dimension to their game as the Nerazzurri adjusted to the early switch and should have taken the lead on the half-hour when Dudu shot wide from close range. Gazzaev's men kept up the pressure and got their reward in the 32nd with Jo curling over Julio Cesar and into the far corner after shrugging off a challenge from Cordoba. CSKA were forced into two substitutions just before half time, with Eduardo and Grigoriev replacing injured pair Dudu and Aleksei Berezutski. Inter grabbed the all-important leveller early in the second half when Crespo slotted past Mandrykin with a deft touch to equal Jair's tally of 11 European Cup/Champions League goals for the Nerazzurri. Samuel popped up with the winner ten minutes from time, heading Figo's right-wing centre beyond Mandrykin who fumbled his save. The Russian keeper kept out a sidefooted effort from Ibrahimovic as Inter came looking for a third goal in added time. *CSKA Moscow 1-2 Inter* (HT: 1-0) *Scorers*: Jo 32, Crespo 52, Samuel 80. *CSKA Moscow*: 1 Mandrykin; 24 V.Berezutski, 4 Ignaschevich, 6 A.Berezutski(50 Grigoriev 45); 22 Aldonin, 25 Rahimic; 17 Krasic, 20 Dudu (21 Eduardo 42; 19 Janczyk 76), 18 Zhirkov; 10 Jo, 7 Carvalho. *Subs not used*: 33 Pomazan, 5 Ramon, 39 Taranov, 88 Caner. *Coach*: Valery Gazzaev. *Inter*: 12 Julio Cesar; 4 Zanetti, 2 Cordoba, 25 Samuel, 6 Maxwell; 14 Vieira (5 Stankovic 17), 15 Dacourt (21 Solari 77), 19 Cambiasso, 7 Figo; 8 Ibrahimovic, 18 Crespo (9 Cruz 62). *Subs not used*: 22 Orlandoni, 11 Jimenez, 24 Rivas, 37 Puccio. *Coach*: Roberto Mancini. *Referee*: Michael Riley (England). *Booked*: Figo 43, Ibrahimovic 45+2, Carvalho 61, Solari 83. -- ============================ Best Regards, RIO Manaloe [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
