| Inter completed an astonishing comeback from 2-0 down against CSKA Moscow to win 4-2 with a splendid Zlatan Ibrahimovic brace. Roberto Mancini was dealing with an injury crisis in midfield, as Luis Figo, Dejan Stankovic and Patrick Vieira were sidelined, while Marco Materazzi also sat out a long-term problem. This forced a reshuffle, so Javier Zanetti and Maxwell both pushed further forward with Cristian Chivu taking a left-back role. Inter had won 2-1 in Moscow, so CSKA needed a victory to avoid crashing out of the competition, having just one point from three games. A deflection prevented Zlatan Ibrahimovic from tapping in early on, but CSKA were surprisingly confident and went close with two Vagner Love strikes that were just off target. Esteban Cambiasso set up Douglas Maicon for a right-foot effort that skimmed the post, while Zanetti had a penalty appeal rejected and Ibra's spectacular backheel proved futile, as the ball had already crossed the byeline. CSKA took a shock lead to silence the San Siro after 23 minutes. Jo picked up the ball on the edge of the area and smashed a powerful and precise finish to the right of Julio Cesar. The Russians did not sit back and try to control the 1-0 advantage, as moments later Krasic fired over. Maicon and Ibra exchanged passes in the area, the Swede's finishing not equal to the build-up. Ibrahimovic also turned a header over. Incredibly, CSKA went 2-0 up with Brazilian Vagner Love shaking off challenges from both Olivier Dacourt and Ivan Cordoba on the counter-attack to beat Julio Cesar. The long ball through the middle seemed easy enough to deal with, but Vagner Love squeezed between the two players and kept the ball glued to his foot. Ibrahimovic got Inter back into the game almost immediately. A long Chivu free kick found the Inter striker in the six-yard box for a marvellous volley with the inside of his right foot. Within a couple of minutes it was 2-2! Hernan Crespo's smart dummy on a Maicon pass allowed Cambiasso to go clear through the centre where he slid the low finish past Igor Akinfeev to turn it all around in the space of 120 seconds. Crespo chested down Cambiasso's assist and it took a crucial Anton Grigoriev challenge to prevent another goal. Dacourt's ball flashed across the face of goal, as Crespo just failed to get on the end of it. Crespo tripped up during a move and couldn't get his footing back in time to fire in Cambiasso's assist, while Zanetti fired just past the base of the upright. Straight after the restart CSKA were back to their aggressive best with Julio Cesar capturing a Daniel Carvalho snapshot and a dangerous Yuri Zhirkov run was cut short by his handling offence before Vagner Love found space to drill wide from he D. Inter should have taken the lead as Cambiasso pounced on a dreadful Akinfeev goalline clearance, but Crespo couldn't get the decisive touch on to Ibra's low pass towards the back post. There was an even clearer opportunity moments later, Maxwell finding Ibrahimovic and the Swede's lobbed finish flashed across the face of goal to dribble inches past the far post. Crespo made way for Julio Cruz, but it was Cambiasso who missed an open goal. Zanetti won back the ball and sprinted past a group of CSKA players to chip a cross to the back post where the Argentine incredibly turned a free header all the way across a totally open goal. Inter were almost made to pay for that error, as Cordoba's sliding tackle blocked Vagner Love as he pulled the trigger in the box. Chivu's free kick curled inches over the bar. The Nerazzurri finally took the lead for the first time in the match and it was an all-Argentine affair. Cruz flicked a corner up with his heel for Cambiasso totally unmarked to volley under the bar from six yards. The midfielder had not scored at all this season, but got a brace on one night. Ibra nodded Chivu's taut cross over, then the Swede had a penalty shout rejected for Grigoriev's handling offence. Ibrahimovic made it 4-2 with a spectacular individual effort. He spun round between two defenders with his first touch and unleashed an unstoppable rocket into the near top corner that left the goalkeeper rooted to the spot. Ibra was given a standing ovation by San Siro as he made way for David Suazo and the Honduran had a clear shot on goal charged down by Grigoriev.
| 
