On 3 December 2010, at the Olimpico in Rome, Lazio hosts Rafa Benitez’s Inter. The Nerazzurri are fresh from winning the Treble with José Mourinho, but are far from the top of the table: -7 to the fifteenth of Serie A. The Biancocelesti, on the other hand, are three points behind Milan and, with the victory against the Milanese, have managed to catch up with the Rossoneri. However, Inter were really in difficulty, even though Lucio and Cambiasso, Sneijder and Thiago Motta or Pandev and Zanetti were in the lineup.
Biava unlocks the match in the twenty-seventh minutegood at blocking Cambiasso’s clearance and shooting past Castellazzi, scoring with his chest. Zarate doubles the lead at the start of the second half, with a touch below that beats the Nerazzurri goalkeeper again. Marking him, however, was Felice Natalino, on the pitch before the problems that would lead him to enormously shorten his career. Half an hour into the second half it was Pandev – former matchday player – who reopened the match with an assist from Sneijder, beating Muslera. Finally Hernanes, who would later become a former player, took the free kick for the final 3-1. Rafa Benitez is in trouble and will be sacked after the Club World Cup.
Lazio (4-2-3-1)
Muslera; Lichtsteiner, André Dias, Biava, Radu; Matuzalem, Brocchi; Mauri, Hernanes (90′ Bresciano), Zarate (80′ Ledesma); Floccari (86′ Rocchi).
Trainer: Reja.
Inter (4-3-2-1)
Castellazzi; Natalino (83′ Santon), Cordoba, Lucio, Zanetti; Stankovic (36′ Thiago Motta), Cambiasso, Muntari (54′ Alibec); Biabiany, Sneijder; Pandev.
Trainer: Benitez.