Hello Interfriends,

It feels like so long ago since I last wrote about an Inter win, but I can do so tonight as Inter beat Messina 5-0 at home at the San Siro. Inter return to victory and gain there 3rd win in 14 matches but it was an impressive display of Inter's offensive potential. Adriano scores a hat-trick, Vieri returns to the scoresheet and the team as a whole finally keeps a clean sheet. Even though it was only against Messina, all those factors should help to build the morale of the squad.

For this match it was thought that Mancini would go with three strikers playing Vieri, Adriano and Martins all at the same time. However Martins was left out of the squad all together as he was not feeling well leaving Mancini to go back to the 4-4-2 formation.

Mancini also decides not to risk Veron who is back from injury and practiced with the squad for most of the week but decided not give the midfielder the start. Instead Mancini plays with Cambiasso and C. Zanetti in the middle with Stankovic and Van Der Medye wide. Mijahlovic keeps his spot in the defence along side Cordoba and J. Zanetti with Favalli coming back from injury and playing on the left. Up front Vieri and Adriano complete the squad.

Inter starts off the match at full force and scores with less than 3 minutes gone. From a bad Messina clearence, C. Zanetti sends the ball back into the box where Adriano is left alone. He controls and shoots but the goalie gets enough to stop the shot. Adriano however is there only steps from the goaline to take his own rebound and score to make it 1-0.

Inter keep on the offensive and pin Messina into the last third of the pitch. Cambiasso and C. Zanetti basically block all Messina attempts to counter attack and also do well to find the wide players like Van Der Meyde. Although he did not have great game, he did play better than usual and put in a few good crosses and runs to the byline.

Inter have many chances to score and fail to do so with both Vieri and Adriano on a few occasions but Adriano gets his second goal at only the 14th minute from a free kick. His first attempt was blocked by a Messina player who charged to soon. Collina gives him another chance and this time Adriano see's the rushing player and takes an extra touch to go past him. He lets loose a low hard drive that finds the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

Vieri and Adriano seem to be in fine form and look to be comfortable playing with eachother. They made some great one-twos and knew where each were on the field allowing them to combine well. Adriano could have scored two more goals early in the half as he is put one on one with the goalie from a C. Zanetti pass. Adriano does well to enter the area, beat the keeper and shoot at the open goal but a Messina defender gets back in time to clear off the line.

Stankovic then sends Adriano in again all alone with a wonderful diagonal ball but Adriano tried the little chip shot rather than power and the ball ended up safely in the Messina Keepers hands. Vieri then also misses a sure goal as he beats the defenders in the box and shoots a low drive. The goalie seems to get a touch and it was enough to put the ball off the post .

Adriano finally closes the match with his 3rd goal at the 36th minute of the first half as he taps in a Mijhalovic corner kick. The Messina keeper makes the first save but Adriano is there to score from close range and make it 3-0.

Inter had full control and dominated Messina in every aspect of the match. We must be fair and point out that Messina had six starters out of the line up for this match. However Inter were in inspired mood and I don't think the best Messina squad could have competed today.

The second half begins with more excitment, not for Inter scoring another goal but for going a man down. At the 4th minute Rafael frees Yanagisawa with a through ball and Toldo comes out of the area to try and stop the rush. Toldo takes down the Messina striker outside the box and this time gets a straight red card for the offence.

Mancini takes out Van Der Meyde and brings on Fabian Carini to make his Inter debut and plays the squad in a 4-3-2 formation with Cambiasso playing dead center in front of the defence. Inter re-organize and continue to control the game and pin back Messina.

Mijhalovic gets the honor of the 4th goal from a free kick outside the area at the 11th minute. He sends a low blast around the wall that hits the far post. The ball comes back off the upright and hits the Messina Keeper in the back who was diving to save the shot. The ball ends up in the net to make it 4-0.

Carini then gets his chance to shine as Collina awards Messina a penalty shot as C. Zanetti is judged to foul a player in the box. There was contact but very small. I doubt that Collina would have awarded the penatly if the game was scoreless. None the less Amoruso takes the penalty and scores but Collina rules it a no-goal as Messina players charged the box early. Amoruso goes to the same side on the next attempt but Carini did well to save the penalty and keep the clean sheet.

Only time left was for the icing on the cake as Mancini makes his final changes and brings on Davids for Adriano and Ze Maria for Stankovic. Before the end of the match Favalli sends a wonderful long ball into Vieri's path to convert. The Messina defender is all over Vieri starting from outside the box pulling his shirt and shoulder but the Italian striker wanted the goal and pressed on into the box and shot a hard strike through the keepers legs to make it a 5-0 final.

All in all it was a magical night and yes it came against Messina so no need to get over excited. But after 11 draws in 13 games, Inter fans have the right to celebrate a wonderful win and also hope that its the first in a string of many.

Inter must put a run together at this point to make way back up the standings and the schedule looks to be in favor. Looking ahead Inter face Siena, Brescia, Livorno, Sampadoria, and Reggina in the next five matches. 15 points for the taking and without excuse, Inter is expected to win each and everyone of those matches. For now however, lets just enjoy the feeling of winning again...Its been so long

Eddy Lio