Football Inter lift pressure on boss
Baku, November 29 (AZERTAC). Inter Milan manager Rafael Benitez was delighted after the Italian champions ended a morale-boosting week with a 5-2 victory at home to Parma on Sunday which halted a run of four Serie A games without a win.
Fifth-placed Inter still trail leaders and arch-rivals AC Milan by seven points after 15 games, but Benitez was satisfied after his team followed up the midweek win over Twente that put his inherited titleholders into the second round of the Champions League with one group match still to play.
Dejan Stankovic scored his first hat-trick in Italian football as Inter led 3-1 inside 22 minutes with two goals from the midfielder and the other from Wednesday`s match-winner Esteban Cambiasso, having trailed to Hernan Crespo`s early strike against his former club.
The veteran Argentine striker pulled another goal back to make it 3-2 at halftime, but Stankovic and Thiago Motta scored in the final 20 minutes to seal Inter`s sixth victory of the Serie A campaign.
"There are many things that make me satisfied. First of all, the fans who I thank because in the moments of difficulty they have always been close to the team," Benitez, who replaced Jose Mourinho in June, told the club`s website.
"Then I like the young players on the pitch today -- Natalino, Nwankwo. I like Motta, in general the effort of the team and I`m very pleased for Stankovic, who needed a similar satisfaction. For all this, I am happy."
The 32-year-old Serbian was delighted to play his part in restoring the team`s fortunes.
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