New Delhi: In one of the best matches to grace the Champions League in recent memory, Anorthosis Famagusta and Inter Milan shared out a six-goal thriller in an exhilarating game in Larnaca. Julio Cruz grabbed a late equaliser for the Italian champions.
Build-up and team news
Inter had the chance to all but book their place in the Champions League knockouts with a win in Cyprus tonight. Jose Mourinho again picked an attacking 4-2-4 formation, with Riccardo Quaresma, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Amantino Mancini and Mario Balotelli in the offensive positions.
Luis Figo, Luis Jimenez, Sulley Muntari, and Christian Chivu were out injured, while Adriano was not called up for disciplinary reasons. Esteban Cambiasso returned following injury.
Second-place in Group B Anorthosis have been a surprise this campaign, and they were looking for an historic win over the Italian giants. Ioannis Skopelitis (ankle), Stefanos Voskarides (foot), Georgos Theodotou (back), Nikos Nikolau (ankle), and Traianos Dellas (muscle) were all out injured.
First half
Inter made a strong start, and should have taken the lead within 90 seconds as Maicon's cross found its way to Ibrahimovic, who shot straight at defender Nikos Katsavakis when the goal was at his mercy. Cedric Bardon unsuccessfully tried his luck from distance down the other end.
Maicon was rampant down the right in the early stages, and he helped set-up Quaresma who volleyed wide from 20 yards.
The Cypriots were counter-attacking at pace though when they came forward, and on 12 minutes Julio Cesar was forced to race off his line to take the ball off Hawar's feet.
Less than 60 seconds later Inter were ahead. Arjan Begaj could only parry Ibrahimovic's long range free kick, and Balotelli was quickest to react to the rebound to score his first ever Champions League goal.
Anorthosis tried to react and Nikolaos Frousos headed over after leaping above Marco Materazzi, while Quaresma fired wide for a second time for Inter.
Dejan Stankovic had been very impressive in the early stages, and on 27 minutes he was inches away from doubling Inter's lead, flashing the ball wide after bursting into the area.
On the half-hour mark the home side got back on level terms following a disastrous error by Nicolas Burdisso. The Argentine attempted to head the ball back to Julio Cesar but got it comically wrong, and Cedric Bardon was left to slot the ball into an open goal.
This goal riled Inter. Ibrahimovic forced Begaj into a reaction save, while Balotelli also failed to turn the ball home inside the area, volleying wide when well placed.
The Nerazzurri regained the lead three minutes before the break as Materazzi towered above his man to power a header past the unconvincing Begaj.
The first half action was not over yet though, and just 60 seconds later Anorthosis incredibly found a second equaliser. A corner from the left somehow found its way into the net off the head of Giogos Panagi, who had only just entered the pitch as a substitute for the injured Paulo Costa.
Second half
Into the second half, and Inter immediately went on the front foot, with Cambiasso seeing a deflected effort finish dangerously wide of the post.
However, on 49 minutes the home crowd exploded into ecstasy as Anorthosis incredibly took the lead, following yet another dreadful Burdisso error. The defender made a complete mess of his clearance, allowing Frousos to nip in and lash the ball past Julio Cesar.
Jose Mourinho was clearly furious with what he was seeing from his team, and made a triple change on 57 minutes, introducing Julio Cruz, Patrick Vieira and Maxwell in place of Burdisso, Stankovic and Mancini.
Cruz almost made an immediate impact as he headed towards goal from Quaresma's right wing cross, but Begaj made the save.
On 65 minutes Anorthosis could have scored a fourth as another terrible defensive mistake, this time by Maicon at the back post, allowed Laban in, but Julio Cesar came to the rescue.
The Brazilian then performed another miracle on 69 minutes, flying to his left to make a brilliant finger-tip save from Constantinou.
Inter had been abysmal in the second half, but on 75 minutes they showed something as Ibrahimovic peeled off at the back post and volleyed towards the top corner, but Becaj turned the ball around the post.
With 10 minutes to go though Inter did indeed level the scores once again. Substitute Cruz was the scorer, heading home Balotelli's free kick from the right. Once again though Becaj was at fault.
A couple of minutes later they nearly made it 4-3, as Cambiasso toe-poked the ball at the back post, but this time Becaj performed a brilliant reaction save.
Inter were piling forward, and Ibrahimovic was guilty of slicing wide of an open goal after he bundled his way past the goalkeeper. The Same player also headed wide in injury time when well placed.
A quite memorable game finished 3-3, meaning Inter stay top of the group on eight points. Anorthosis remain second with five points, while Panathinaikos move up to third with four points after they surprisingly beat Werder Bremen in Germany.
Teams
Anorthosis: Begaj; Katsabakis, Dobrasinovic, Paulo Costa (Panagi 42), Frousos (Skopoletis 63), Jeffrey, Hawar, Laban, Constantinou, Bardon (Ocokoljic 78), Georgiou
Inter Milan: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Burdisso (Vieira 57), Materazzi, Zanetti; Stankovic (Cruz 57), Cambiasso; Mancini (Maxwell 57), Quaresma, Ibrahimovic, Balotelli
Goals
Balotelli 13 (I)
Bardon 31 (A)
Materazzi 42 (I)
Panagi 44 (A)
Frousos 50 (A)
Cruz 80 (I)
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