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David Suazo was crucial as Inter struggled to defeat Atalanta 2-1, but both teams had complaints about the referee.
This was a sort of local derby, but the Atalanta fans could not travel the short journey from Bergamo due to rioting on November 11, so Inter handed the seats usually reserved for away fans to 5,000 children.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was left on the bench as he was tired from international duty, while Dejan Stankovic, Patrick Vieira and Luis Figo were injured. Cristian Chivu and Esteban Cambiasso were able to start despite niggling fitness problems. Atalanta have frozen out star striker Riccardo Zampagna following a furious row with Coach Luigi Del Neri.
Javier Zanetti marked his 400th Serie A appearance and Cristiano Doni set up Sergio Floccari for an effort comfortably saved before Inter threatened with David Suazo drilling just over.
The Nerazzurri took just 10 minutes to break the deadlock. Cruz combined with Suazo on the edge of the area and the Honduran smacked the ball into the far corner from the tightest of angles, beating goalkeeper Ferdinando Coppola at his near post.
Walter Samuel couldn't make the most of a Chivu free kick to the back post, while Capelli closed down Cruz after good work from Cambiasso.
Inter doubled their lead with a bizarre goal. An acrobatic Suazo cross looped over the goalkeeper and clipped the far post, landing right on to the foot of Cruz while Coppola flapped at thin air.
Atalanta had started brightly, but disappeared from the field after going a goal down. They only rediscovered their pride on 34 minutes, when Antonio Langella took advantage of a Douglas Maicon error and Julio Cesar came rushing out to smother the shot from point-blank range.
Maicon went on a mazy solo run and nutmegged defenders, but the shot was charged down for a corner.
However, Atalanta got back into the game with a sensational goal out of nothing. Floccari had his back to goal and held off Ivan Cordoba to spin round and thump a right-foot half-volley that cannoned past Julio Cesar.
The Orobici's problems had been psychological, as suddenly they woke up and returned to the sprightly side that had begun the game. Santiago Solari horribly wasted by firing well wide inside the area, but Atalanta were really pushing forward after the restart.
Langella's cross flashed past the six-yard box with nobody able to get on the end of it, then the move continued and Julio Cesar was at full stretch to fingertip Doni's header round the post.
Inter threatened by accident, as Coppola had to kick away a wayward Moris Carrozzieri backpass, while Ferreira Pinto's strike was charged down at the other end. A Suazo chance went begging due to a handling offence.
There was controversy on the hour mark, as Atalanta should have been left in 10 men. Suazo sprinted on the counter and Thomas Manfredini hacked him down mercilessly, sending the striker flying through the air like a rag doll. Incredibly, the referee only flashed a yellow card. Suazo was stretchered off, but was able to return after treatment.
Cruz nodded over from a corner at the near post and Ibrahimovic replaced Suazo for the final 15 minutes. But there was controversy at the other end as well, Ferreira Pinto tried to get on the end of a Simone Inzaghi cross at the back post and may have been held back by Maxwell, but the referee waved play on.
Ibrahimovic risked a ban, as he asked the referee for a yellow card against Carrozzieri and could have been shown one himself for the request.
Marco Materazzi made his long-awaited comeback three months after a career-threatening thigh injury in Italy's friendly defeat in Hungary. The Inter defender was given a standing ovation by the San Siro crowd.
It was Atalanta who were piling forward in the final minutes and Doni just failed to reach a dangerous cross from seven yards. Inzaghi had a great chance as he sprung the offside trap, but left his foot trailing and clipped Julio Cesar on the head with his shinpad. It was remarkably his second yellow card in the space of 10 minutes.
Nonetheless, deep into stoppages Carrozzieri's header settled on to the roof of the net, as Atalanta continued to give it their all, but it was not enough.
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