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Roma have one hand on the Coppa Italia after crushing Inter 6-2 in the first leg! Only Hernan Crespo's brace gives the Nerazzurri hope from the highest scoring Final ever.
Roberto Mancini's men beat Roma in the last two consecutive editions of this Final, so the Giallorossi knew they were the underdogs and that this was their only remaining challenge for this season, having already secured second place behind the Scudetto winners. Luciano Spalletti's men came flying out of the blocks.
Within 90 seconds they had taken the lead at the Stadio Olimpico. Rodrigo Taddei cut back low from the by-line and Francesco Totti shook off a defender to sweep home from eight yards.
It was 2-0 to the home side when former Inter midfielder David Pizarro's corner kick found a Philippe Mexes volley and decisive deflection from six yards off Daniele De Rossi. The Inter defence was once again caught napping.
Moments later Toldo punched away a Rodrigo Taddei rocket, then both Totti and Simone Perrotta failed to turn in a Christian Panucci cross, as Roma were running riot down the right flank.
Taddei saw Toldo off his line and the lob was off target, then hooked down a Totti searching pass, cutting back for Amantino Mancini to blast over. The goalkeeper comfortably smothered a Pizarro snapshot, as Inter seemed to be shell-shocked.
By the 15th minute Roma had snatched a third goal. Cristian Chivu found space down the left and his low pass rolled across the face of goal where Perrotta stuck out a foot to poke it into the far bottom corner past Toldo's outstretched hand.
When these two sides met at San Siro for the Italian Super Cup back in August, the Lupi were 3-0 up at the half-hour mark only to end up losing 4-3 in extra time. Inter were unbeaten on their travels in 23 official matches.
There were memories of that Italian Super Cup comeback when Inter got one back on 20 minutes. Pizarro's appalling backpass was intercepted by Hernan Crespo, the former Lazio striker keeping his cool to slide a precise finish past the stranded Alexander Doni.
A Luis Figo free kick was cleared with some difficulty as that goal finally woke the Nerazzurri up.
However, it was Roma who restored their three-goal cushion with Inter transfer target Mancini. Toldo only pushed a cross off the head of Perrotta at the near post, leaving Mancini to dive on to the loose ball from six yards.
Perrotta was about to net a fifth as he ran on to Panucci's pass, but was judged to have been pushed by Douglas Maicon on the very edge of the box. Totti drilled the resulting free kick just past the post.
Another terrible defensive error allowed Totti to shoot, comfortably held by Toldo, and a fine team move was intercepted at the last moment. At the other end Adriano's hopeful effort barely tickled Doni, but Inter had a fantastic chance with Figo's strike denied by the upright.
Figo was the liveliest of his team and only had another shot charged down by the attentive Mexes just before the break.
Roma made a more attacking substitution after the break, Marco Cassetti coming on for the injured Mexes (calf muscle) to push Chivu into the centre. Adriano's snapshot from 30 metres was pushed round the near post by a surprised Doni.
Patrick Vieira came on for Figo in only his second appearance since February, but Ivan Cordoba needed some brave defending to stop Pizarro completing a triangle with Perrotta inside the area. From the resulting corner kick, Panucci was allowed a free header into the near top corner for Roma's fifth.
But within 60 seconds Inter got their second away goal with that man Crespo, his fourth goal against the Giallorossi this season. A defensive error from substitute Cassetti let Maicon clear for a cross that Crespo nodded in from six yards.
Alvaro Recoba replaced the disappointing Adriano, but Mancini's effort was deflected wide off Materazzi. Roma continued to pour forward and Totti's angled drive went through Materazzi's legs to be fingertipped inches round the post by Toldo.
Fabio Grosso came on for Maxwell as Roberto Mancini's last substitution, but Cordoba was booked for a cynical foul to halt Perrotta's counter-attack, blatantly shoulder-charging him with no attempt to play the ball.
Taddei intercepted a pass on the D and Mancini skimmed the base of the upright. Alberto Aquilani has missed five months of the season with injury and replaced the injured Taddei. The substitution was originally for Pizarro, but changed at the last second as the Brazilian asked to be taken off.
Within seconds Aquilani's spectacular overhead kick pass was volleyed over by Totti. Recoba aimed at the goal with his weaker right foot, bringing a tough save out of Doni. Olivier Dacourt was booked and will be suspended for the second leg and Vieira saw yellow for a horrible high tackle on De Rossi.
Pizarro went off with cramp for Max Tonetto. In the final minutes, Javier Zanetti brought down Mancini. Totti took the free kick, a central cannon that Toldo only pushed off the line, straight into the path of Panucci for his second of the game. This is the top scoring Final in Coppa Italia history!
Roma weren't giving in and Perrotta had a volley charged down from nine yards and Materazzi went through the back of Totti, also ruling him out of the second leg.
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