Internazionale vs. Udinese

The pressure was growing on the Nerazzurri after their defeat at Sampdoria and 0-0 Champions League draw away to Rubin Kazan. Marco Materazzi, Thiago Motta, Sulley Muntari and the suspended Douglas Maicon were out, but Wesley Sneijder was back. The Friulani were undefeated in four and coming off two consecutive wins, while Antonio Di Natale had scored eight goals in the opening six rounds. Udinese's last win here was in 2004 and they missed Chris Obodo, Kwadwo Asamoah and Mauricio Isla.

Samuel Eto'o sprung the offside trap on a Sulley Ali Muntari through ball to go round the 'keeper, but dragged it out for a goal kick in the opening 150 seconds. Simone Pepe had a couple of good efforts from distance and Muntari's looping header went well over under pressure from Basta.

Sneijder was correctly booked for an embarrassing dive in the box, flinging himself at Andrea Coda's leg.

Inter broke the deadlock on 22 minutes with a classic counter-attack. Eto'o went forward and dummied a shot, spreading wide for the on-rushing Dejan Stankovic to smash into the far top corner with his right foot.

However, there was bad news moments later when Diego Milito pulled up as he sprinted for a through ball, clutching the back of his thigh. The Argentine limped off to make way for Mario Balotelli, who was sent off midweek in Russia.

It got even worse for Inter, as Udinese equalised with that man Di Natale. He was kept in play by Cristian Chivu on the Gokhan Inler slide-rule pass to go one-on-one and beat Julio Cesar with an angled drive.

Lucio's header from a long free kick was straight at Samir Handanovic. Eto'o tried to score an incredible goal, as he ran on to Balotelli's pass and dribbled past three in the box before he was eventually crowded out.

Balotelli tested Handanovic, but Udinese should've been 2-1 up at the break! Alexis Sanchez was again kept in play by Chivu and spun round on the penalty spot, but ballooned over with only Julio Cesar to beat.

Antonio Floro Flores was furious on the stroke of half-time when he was going clear on goal and fell under a Walter Samuel challenge, but the referee waved play on and eventually booked him for dissent.

Within 60 seconds of the restart both Eto'o and Floro Flores had shots on target. Di Natale had two good chances, firing the second just over from the six-yard box thanks to Javier Zanetti's pressure.

Stankovic pulled an angled drive wide of the far post. Di Natale had a moment of 'fair play' when he put the ball out during a very dangerous counter-attack because Chivu was down after an accidental elbow in the face.

Handanovic got down brilliantly to palm a Stankovic screamer out of the bottom corner and Muntari ballooned the follow-up over from six yards under pressure from Basta. The young Croatian picked up a knock in that move and made way for Cristian Zapata.

Muntari was rather unfairly jeered off by the San Siro crowd as he made way for Suazo and was visibly upset, but his teammates all went to hug him.

At the end of a long period of possession, Floro Flores forced a save out of Julio Cesar from distance. An inspired Sneijder crossfield pass sent Balotelli clear on goal, but he hesitated and was dispossessed by Maurizio Domizzi.

At the other end a decisive Chivu sliding tackle took the ball off Zapata's foot in the area. An Eto'o free kick was hit into the wall, sparking a rapid Udinese countr-attack than Lukovic eventually drilled wide.

Lucio limped off for Davide Santon in the final minutes of the match.

Di Natale went on another very dangerous counter and Julio Cesar was able to smother from nine yards, as he narrowed the angle too much. There were four minutes of stoppages and Balotelli had penalty appeals waved away for a tangle of legs with Zapata.

There was another penalty incident with Balotelli bundled over, but it didn't matter as the ball continued to the back post for a Sneijder snooker shot that squirmed in to the far bottom corner.