Inter battle to beat 10-man Genoa

AFP - 14 January 2009 00:45

Inter Milan´s Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates after scoring a goal during the Italian Cup match between Inter Milan and Genoa at San Siro Stadium in Milan. Inter won 3-1.

ROME (AFP) - Inter Milan booked an Italian Cup quarter-final date with AS Roma on Tuesday but they made heavy weather of beating a Genoa side 3-1 after their opponents were reduced to 10 men in the 20th minute.

Inter - who have faced Roma in the last four Italian Cup finals with both sides winning it twice - progressed eventually thanks to extra-time goals by Argentinian midfielder Esteban Cambiasso - who was being watched by national coach Diego Maradona - and Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Unpredictable Brazilian striker Adriano had put Inter ahead with 15 minutes remaining but a mistake by Argentinian defender Walter Samuel let in Genoa's captain Marco Rossi to level four minutes later.

Adriano had a curate's egg of a match having originally won the penalty in the 20th minute that saw Genoa's Giuseppe Biava sent-off - Adriano, though, had his penalty saved by the outstanding Genoa goalkeeper Alessio Scarpi.

Time and time again Scarpi saved his side, but eventually something had to give and the barrel-chested Adriano headed home from a cross by Maxwell in the 75th minute - only for Rossi to benefit from Samuel's mistake minutes later.

However, Genoa's resistance eventually wilted 10 minutes into extra-time as first Cambiasso turned in an Ibrahimovic shot that had been saved by Scarpi and then three minutes later Ibrahimovic wrapped it up.