Amelia

Last week SempreInter.com presented our new editorialist, Richard Hall, who starting last Thursday and every Thursday takes a look back to the glorious history of Inter by highlighting a certain match, a hero or any other event in Inter’s glorious history worthy of being labelled Nerazzurri Classic’s. Ahead of Saturday’s home fixture against Livorno, Richard looks back at a fixture between the two teams which could have seen Inter’s goal-tally end in double figures if it wasn’t for a certain Marco Amelia.

Inter entered the 2006/07 season as hot favourites to win the Scudetto. The relegation of Juventus and the docking of points from Milan and Lazio, amongst others, due to the Calciopoli scandal had certainly helped their cause. The Nerazzurri had strengthened heavily and it was no surprise that any team that visited the San Siro, did so with trepidation.

Inter brought in some top quality talent into an already strong team adding. The most notable were Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Patrick Vieira from arch rivals Juventus as well as Maicon, Fabio Grosso and Hernan Crespo. This squad was now able to launch very serious attack on Serie A and started well, winning four and drawing three of their first seven games. Next up were Livorno and then followed the Derby against Milan, the Nerazzurri had to prepare with this with a good display against the side from Tuscany.

Inter started the game at a ferocious pace showing all the signs that this multi-talented team had already gelled. After only eight minutes a cross from Alvaro Recoba was missed by everybody bar Livorno defender Marc Pfertzel who unfortunately bundled the ball past Marco Amelia for the first goal.

Recoba continued to be heavily involved and struck the bar moments later with a wicked volley and it was his corner that lead to the second. Only 13 minutes had passed when his wonderfully flighted ball found the leaping figure of Marco ‘Matrix’ Materazzi. It was a superb downward header that left the keeper no chance.

Attention then turned to Amelia as after a few decent saves he was again nearly beaten by Recoba from fully 30 yards, but this seemed to fire up something inside him. He produced a string of fine saves (most notably from a stinging shot from Solari) to keep his side in with a fighting chance. It was at this moment that Inter switched off and allowed Cristiano Lucarelli to head home a soft goal, Livorno sensed that the game was back on but there hope was soon cut short.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic had been quiet in the game so far but had been woken up by this Livorno strike that had been so against the run of play, within moments of this he received a ball from Dejan Stankovic and slotted home in a manner that is now so synonymous of the mighty Zlatan. The match was sealed just before the end when Julio Cruz headed in from close range to seal the points. It was cruel on Amelia he had kept well throughout the game but the strength and tenacity of this Inter side had simply been overwhelming.

Inter went on to in the Derby in the next match 4-3 and put down another marker that this year would be their year. The title was eventually clinched and on the last day of the season it was celebrated in style with those on the Curva celebrating for six hours from start to finish before and after the game.

Get in touch with Richard Hall on Twitter: @Gentleman_Ultra