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Inter beats Lazio 4-1 in final Zanetti home match

Javier Zanetti's last home match at the San Siro was celebrated with a win as Inter Milan beat Lazio 4-1 to all but guarantee a Europa League berth from the Serie A on Saturday

Daniella Matar (The Jakarta Post)
Milan
Sun, May 11, 2014

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Inter beats Lazio 4-1 in final Zanetti home match

J

avier Zanetti's last home match at the San Siro was celebrated with a win as Inter Milan beat Lazio 4-1 to all but guarantee a Europa League berth from the Serie A on Saturday.

Zanetti will retire after 19 seasons at Inter, and the stadium was sold out as fans packed in to bid farewell to their 40-year-old captain.

Lazio threatened to spoil the party when Giuseppe Biava scored the opening goal inside two minutes to stun San Siro.

However, Rodrigo Palacio scored twice, either side of Mauro Icardi's strike, and Hernanes netted against his former club to secure victory.

Inter has five points more than Torino and six more than Parma and AC Milan, which all have two matches remaining. It is the same number of points above Hellas Verona, which squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home to Udinese following a superb goal from Antonio Di Natale.

Verona and Inter have only one match remaining.

Inter coach Walter Mazzarri was resoundly booed before kickoff when it was revealed Zanetti was starting on the bench.

The 20-year-old Mateo Kovacic - who was less than four months old when Zanetti made his Inter debut - set up two of the goals with delightful throughballs.

The Inter players hugged Zanetti after every goal, and the Argentine was eventually sent on seven minutes into the second half to a raucous standing ovation.

Zanetti was wearing a special captain's armband for the occasion. It had the words "Zanetti 4 Ever" in large letters over a background with the name of all his Inter teammates past and present.

In Verona, substitute Badu came off the bench with minutes left and drilled in a stoppage-time equalizer for Udinese with a low shot into the corner.

Luca Toni put Verona in front from the penalty spot in the 14th minute after Alessandro Agostini was tripped by Allan. It was the veteran striker's 20th league goal of the season.

Emil Hallfredsson doubled Verona's lead in the 54th before Di Natale pulled one back two minutes later in stunning fashion.

The Udinese forward controlled the ball with his back to goal and swiveled to fire a volley under the bar with his second touch for his 190th Serie A goal. (**)

 

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