Tommaso Rocchi missed a sitter and Nicolas Burdisso hit the bar in Inter’s 0-0 draw with Lazio for the Coppa Italia semi-final.
The Nerazzurri’s attempt at the Double continued and Roberto Mancini fielded an almost full-strength line-up. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was still out injured, but Cristian Chivu returned.
This represents Lazio’s only chance of a UEFA Cup spot next season and Marco Ballotta was back in goal after Nestor Muslera’s howlers, but Rolando Bianchi did not recover from injury and was not even on the bench.
Nuno Maniche's screamer was comfortably smothered by Ballotta, but Lazio had a better chance as Tommaso Rocchi sprung the offside trap on Goran Pandev’s pass over the defence and had his shot charged down from eight yards by Marco Materazzi’s sliding tackle.
Moments later an almost identical move was stopped in similar fashion by Chivu, while Cristian Ledesma’s free kick whistled past the post with both Stefan Radu and Stefano Mauri missing the ball by inches.
Luis Figo went off with an ankle injury just before the break, but Inter created a great chance as Suazo threaded through for Hernan Crespo’s powerful effort beaten away by Ballotta.
In a sudden spell of pressure that had not been seen in the first half before this stage, Luis Jimenez also tested Ballotta’s reflexes. Valon Behrami also sustained an injury to his inner right thigh.
Ballotta fingertipped a perilous cross off the head of Crespo from six yards, but Lazio had the best opportunity of the game so far on 65 minutes. Pandev went on a blistering counter and rolled across for Rocchi, who was totally unmarked but slipped at the decisive moment and couldn’t make firm contact with the ball!
Lazio were furious when Materazzi was not carded for a tough tackle from behind on Pandev, as Coach Delio Rossi was calling for a dismissal. They were even angrier moments later when the ball hit the back of the net, but it was disallowed as Mauri was offside when nodding in a Ledesma free kick.
Inter had their best chance 10 minutes from time, as a set piece was nodded back across the face of goal and found a Nicolas Burdisso header that looped on to the crossbar.
It was wide open in the closing stages with Materazzi sliding in to deny Rocchi in the box and a sneaky Siligardi angled drive almost surprised Ballotta at the near post.
So it’s all open for the second leg at the Stadio Olimpico on May 7.
Inter 0-0 Lazio
Inter: Toldo; Burdisso, Materazzi, Chivu, Cesar; Jimenez (Siligardi 75), Maniche, Solari (Cambiasso 78); Figo (Bolzoni 39), Crespo, Suazo
Lazio: Ballotta; Zauri, Siviglia, Cribari, Radu; Dabo (Manfredini 81), Ledesma, Behrami (Mutarelli 60); Mauri; Pandev (Tare 89), Rocchi
Ref: Rocchi
