Story highlights
Inter Milan win first match this season in debut for new coach Claudio Ranieri
Saturday's 3-1 victory at Bologna lifts 18-time Italian champions up table
Serie A champions AC Milan also win first game of season, against Cesena
Napoli held 0-0 by Fiorentina to leave both clubs on seven points from four games
Claudio Ranieri was delighted after guiding Inter Milan to a morale-boosting first victory this season in his first match in charge of the Italian club on Saturday.
Diego Milito and Lucio scored in the last 10 minutes to secure a 3-1 victory away to 10-man Bologna which lifted the 2010 European champions away from the relegation zone and into mid-table.
“It was important to get off on the right foot. The lads needed a confidence boost,” the veteran coach told Inter’s website.
“I said it didn’t matter whether we played well or badly; what mattered was that we fought for every ball to get the result. And that’s what we did.
“These lads are hungry and they showed that. I was pleased with the self-sacrifice I saw in all of them. This is the right spirit.”
Former Juventus, Roma, Chelsea and Valencia boss Ranieri replaced Gian Piero Gasperini, whose tactics proved both unpopular and unsuccessful in his short five-game tenure.
The 59-year-old’s next task is to kickstart Inter’s Champions League campaign in Tuesday’s trip to Russia to face CSKA Moscow, following the opening defeat by Turkey’s Trabzonspor.
He will again be without key Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder, whose injury is “worse than first thought.”
Inter bounced back from Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat by promoted Novara as striker Giampaolo Pazzini netted the opening goal six minutes before halftime when new signing Diego Forlan and Esteban Cambiasso combined to set him up.
Alessandro Diamanti leveled with a penalty in the 66th minute after Walter Samuel fouled Daniele Portanova, but substitute Milito restored the lead with nine minutes to play from the spot after he fell under contact from Archimede Morleo.
Morleo was sent off, and Inter took full advantage as defender Lucio headed in a freekick by Sulley Muntari with three minutes to go.
AC Milan moved up to eighth place with a much-needed 1-0 victory at home to bottom club Cesena – the first in the league this season for the Serie A champions.
Veteran Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf scored the only goal in the fifth minute to boost coach Massimiliano Allegri ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League visit to the Sna Siro by Czech titleholders Viktoria Plzen.
In Saturday’s other match, Fiorentina drew 0-0 at Napoli to leave both teams in a group of five on seven points at the top of the table.
Genoa, who lead on goal difference, travel to Chievo on Sunday while second-placed Juventus visit Catania and Udinese travel to Cagliari.
