Jose Mourinho already won his official debut with a shoot-out Italian Super Cup victory over Roma, but now he faced Antonio Cassano's Samp at Marassi in the first Serie A game of his career. Both sides were missing important players, as the Nerazzurri had to reshuffle their defence with Nicolas Burdisso joining Cristian Chivu, Nelson Rivas and Walter Samuel on the sidelines, but Marco Materazzi returned after a month out. Claudio Bellucci, Emiliano Bonazzoli and goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi missed out for Sampdoria.

Cassano's first shot sailed over the bar from outside the box and a Daniele Gastaldello header was not far off target. Julio Cesar smothered a Paolo Sammarco turn and Daniele Franceschini flashed a shot across the face of goal.

Amantino Mancini had the first real Inter chance after 23 minutes, but under-hit his lob. Salvatore Accardi did well to close down a Zlatan Ibrahimovic counter.

It was Ibra who gave the Nerazzurri the lead with a well-worked move. He combined with Mancini, running on to a flicked pass over the defence to chest down and place a scuffed but precise angled right-foot drive in off the inside of the far post. There were some Sampdoria protests for a possible handling offence by the Swede.

Esteban Cambiasso is growing in his makeshift central defensive role and cleared a dangerous Marius Stankevicius header. Angelo Palombo curled a free kick wide of the near post on the stroke of half-time.

Straight after the restart a wonderful team move from Sampdoria made of six first-time flicks between three players was finally closed down by Materazzi with Cassano clear on goal.

Antonio Mirante held a Sulley Ali Muntari snapshot and Dejan Stankovic effort, but Ibrahimovic wasted a good chance by ballooning over.

Sampdoria were furious on the hour mark, as they felt Javier Zanetti used his arm to block a header from a corner kick, but the referee waved away the penalty appeals. As the move continued, Padalino went for glory when Cassano was unmarked.

Zanetti cleared a dangerous Cassano cross and substitute Mario Balotelli's counter was charged down, as it became end-to-end stuff at the Stadio Ferraris.

A goal was in the air and it came for Sampdoria. Padalino's cross for Franceschini would've gone in had Douglas Maicon not kicked it off his head, but the Gennaro Delvecchio was quickest to react and netted from the outside of his boot from six yards.

Cassano had a golden opportunity to put Samp ahead with a classic counter as a long ball over the top found him against just two defenders, but his first touch let him down!

Mourinho completed his substitutions with Hernan Crespo and Luis Jimenez replacing Figo and Muntari for a very attacking line-up. Stankovic's header from a corner was straight at Mirante, but Jimenez had to be a makeshift defender on Padalino at the other end.

There was the sense in the last 15 minutes that either team could easily score. Balotelli's free kick from 33 metres whistled wide, but on 86 minutes a screamer from Palombo nearly propelled Julio Cesar back into his net!

On the counter-attack, Jimenez's diving header from six yards turned a chipped Ibrahimovic cross over the bar. Cassano went on a mazy run and was eventually stopped after riding the third tackle and Ibrahimovic felt he was unfairly halted by the referee when running on goal in stoppages.