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Five in a row for Inter Milan |
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Inter Milan sealed their fifth consecutive Serie A title after Diego Milito eased the nerves of a goalless first half with a 57th-minute winner.
Milito, Inter's top-scorer with 21 league goals to his name at the start of the match, provided the finishing touch as Jose Mourinho's side claimed the victory they needed to secure the club's 18th Scudetto.
Until Milito's intervention, title rivals Roma had moved into pole position by taking a 2-0 lead in their match against Chievo, a scoreline which put the pressure back on the Nerazurri.
Inter enjoyed plenty of possession in the match and were not short of attempts on goal but at no stage did the difference in the sides' league positions - first against second-bottom - manifest itself, with Inter nerves no doubt a contributing factor.
Relegated Siena gave an early warning that things would not be easy when Paul Codrea flicked a cross into the penalty area for Albin Ekdal.
Ekdal held off the attentions of Walter Samuel and got his shot away but narrowly missed the target.
Inter hit back in the 13th minute, Maicon building down the right and finding Mario Balotelli, whose right-footed volley whistled past the post.
Wesley Sneijder also started to exert some influence on proceedings and found Milito with a fine cross that the Argentina striker diverted just wide.
By now Inter were settling into their stride and Milito almost broke the deadlock when his close-range header from Balotelli's cross needed a superb reaction save from Gianluca Curci.
Milito attacked the rebound but his second attempt was cleared by Claudio Terzi.
With 28 minutes gone Sneijder's corner found Samuel, but his header soared over the crossbar.
Siena continued to play second fiddle in the match but Inter's inability to get on the scoresheet was beginning to tell.
Samuel Eto'o was next to try his luck, meeting Maicon's cross the far post and forcing another wonderful save from Curci from a tight angle.
Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar passed a rare test eight minutes from half-time when Massimo Maccarone coasted past a couple of defenders and struck from 25 yards.
Balotelli almost opened the scoring in thrilling fashion moments later, hitting the bar with an athletic bicycle kick.
With Roma apparently coasting to victory, Inter knew a second-half goal would be needed.
Balotelli and Maicon nearly combined to give them that after four minutes, but the latter just slid the ball wide after going one on one with Curci.
Milito was also continuing to cause anxiety in the home defence, first seeing his 20-yard drive tipped onto the crossbar and then hooking a corner over the top.
Mourinho turned to Goran Pandev in the 55th minute in a bid to increase his attacking options and two minutes later the goal came.
Javier Zanetti was the creator, bursting forward and springing a flat-footed Siena offside trap by playing in the onrushing Milito.
He burst forward toward goal and found the net with a neat finish with the outside of his boot, teeing up emphatic celebrations.
With the breakthrough made, Mourinho immediately removed Balotelli for the less attack-minded Dejan Stankovic.
Despite that the champions-elect declined to sit deep and and Milito again went close before Stankovic saw a dipping effort palmed onto the top of the crossbar by the busy Curci.
With 15 minutes to play Pandev bundled home only to see the offside flag raised against him.
By now Inter were playing the majority of the game in the Siena half but, despite a handful of half-chances, a second goal was not forthcoming.
There was one moment of tension for the visiting fans when Aleandro Rosi drifted a right-wing cross deep to the far post and almost saw it swirl goalwards with Cesar beaten.
After that it was left to Inter to play for time before celebrating their silverware.
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