Internazionale 4-2 CSKA
FC Internazionale Milano are on the brink of the UEFA Champions League first knockout round after recovering a two-goal deficit to complete a thrilling comeback against PFC CSKA Moskva, who now have no chance of progress from Group G.
Fine recovery
Inter remain top of the section with nine points and are all but assured of a place in the last 16 after a dramatic revival against a CSKA side who went 2-0 up after 31 minutes thanks to well-worked goals from Jô and Vágner Love. Zlatan Ibrahimović and Esteban Cambiasso brought the Nerazzurri back into the match with two strikes in three minutes, and the same players scored again after the break to earn a fine victory.
Maicon strike
Inter began brightly with Maicon and Javier Zanetti, in particular, combining well down the right. The Italian title-holders won three early corners, the last of which found Walter Samuel, who failed to apply a finish of the quality of his winning goal in Moscow a fortnight ago. Maicon was also allowed too much room to roam on the quarter-hour, CSKA's five-man midfield inviting him to try a shot from range which swerved a metre wide.
Jô opener
The Russian team, though, were lively coming forward, with Daniel Carvalho and Dudu looking to pick out the runs of Jô and Love. The latter had sent an effort fizzing just wide on eight minutes and Love had also tried his luck to no avail before the Brazilian partnership linked up for the opening goal. Jô skilfully turned Samuel on the halfway line and left him trailing in his wake before exchanging a one-two on the edge of the area with Love and curling a delightful 20-metre shot into the net.
Skill and composure
Inter came forward to make amends, Ibrahimović looping a volley over following a goalmouth scramble, yet the hosts were caught cold on the counterattack for a second time. Carvalho dissected the Inter back line with a long ball to Love, who showed extraordinary skill and composure to deceive Maicon and Samuel before letting fly a fierce shot high beyond Júlio César.
Inter rally
With the exception of a hundred or so travelling supporters in the corner of the Curva Sud, the San Siro had been silenced, but it came back to life within 60 seconds when Ibrahimović arrived unmarked at the far post to side-foot Cristian Chivu's free-kick past Igor Akinfeev. On 34 minutes it was all-square. The excellent Maicon threaded a ball into the box, Hernán Crespo supplied the dummy and his compatriot Cambiasso did the rest, firing across Akinfeev for the equaliser.
Carvalho effort
Valeri Gazzaev's half-time team talk almost produced an immediate response as Carvalho and Love both tested Júlio César, although the first clear chance fell to the unmarked Cambiasso who nodded a free header back across the open goal and wide. The Argentinian made amends when applying a crisp finish to Julio Cruz's clever free-kick from a Chivu corner on 67 minutes, and with a quarter of an hour to go Ibrahimović capped a fine performance by shooting high into net from distance. The knockout rounds beckon for Roberto Mancini's men.
Fenerbahçe 2-0 PSV
Two goals in three first-half minutes took Fenerbahçe SK within sight of a place in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds for the first time as they moved four points clear of PSV Eindhoven in Group G.
Four-point gap
Kazım Kazım's shot was turned into his own net by PSV defender Dirk Marcellis on 28 minutes, and Semih Şentürk swiftly finished off a fine move to seriously dent the hopes of their Dutch rivals. A win at FC Internazionale Milano or at home to PFC CSKA Moskva would be enough for Fenerbahçe to banish memories of four group-stage exits.
Fan factor
The Fenerbahçe fans relished their usual noisy pre-game warm-up, and the home players were suitably inspired as they started the brighter, hoping for a repeat of the performance which defeated Inter on Matchday 1. However, PSV caretaker coach Jan Wouters had stated that his team's first task was to silence the crowd, and they were certainly blunting Fenerbahçe's forward moves. Roberto Carlos waited 23 minutes to take a free-kick, but when he did his low effort zipped just past the post.
Quickfire goals
All PSV's good work was undone in a two-minute spell leading up to the half-hour. First Semih and Alex worked the ball right to Kazım Kazım, and the English-born forward's shot from the corner of the penalty area deflected in off Marcellis. The celebrations went up a notch two minutes later as a fine exchange of passes with Alex set up Semih to break into the box and shoot past Heurelho Gomes.
Alex effort
It was a fine reward for some hard work by the striker, leading the line in the absence of perhaps Fenerbahçe's star man of the campaign so far, Deivid, suspended along with Lugano and PSV's Eric Addo following the goalless draw in Eindhoven a fortnight ago. Still the attacks came as Alex chipped just over, although at the other end Timmy Simons got on the end of a free-kick and forced Volkan Demirel to save.
Gomes saves
Wouters sent on Mike Zonneveld for Jan Kromkamp at half-time in a defensive reshuffle, but Fenerbahçe were not about to give up the initiative. After a one-touch passing move akin to those that made the first two goals, Kazım Kazım produced another fine angled effort that Gomes was able to parry, and the goalkeeper then smothered Mehmet Aurélio's follow-up.
Close again
Alex, as always, was the fulcrum of Fenerbahçe's forward moves and a curling free-kick just past the hour drew another save from Gomes. PSV, with Danny Koevermans now added to the attack, were not giving up, but nor were they really troubling the home defence. Semih's menace had not diminished, though, forcing a flying Gomes stop and from the resulting corner Alex headed over.
Omens
A Gökçek Vederson effort flew past the far post, but Fenerbahçe's job was done. The two previous occasions PSV have come to Fenerbahçe in the European Champion Clubs' Cup, the home team have won but not gone through. On this evidence, that could be another run coming to an end.
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