Streaking Inter Milan - Football (Soccer) News And Picks

Streaking Inter Milan
By Tim Robertsoni
Posted: 7:00 am PDT 2007-01-08

After being handed their first Serie A title in 16 years by a disciplinary committee last season, Internazionale are well on course to successfully defend it on the field at the mid-point of the Italian calendar.

With the teams set to resume this week after winter break (first Inter face Empoli on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia and are a -150 favourite on WagerWeb.com), the Nerazzurri are seven points clear of Roma at the top of the table and in their last game -- against Atlanta on Dec. 23 -- they matched Roma?s record of 11 straight league wins.

But club president Massimo Moratti has used the break to remind his players they have won nothing yet.

"Eleven consecutive victories represent many battles won," he said. "But we still haven't won anything, and the boys have fully understood this.

"We're happy to spend Christmas without any worries and with serenity, but we know we have six months ahead in which we will have to do well to win.

"Inter and Roma are the teams who collected the most points in 2006. This is very positive for both teams. They are teams who arouse curiosity and enthusiasm. The championship could still turn out to be very exciting, but we obviously hope we can be more relaxed as we go on."

He almost certainly can relax. This might be a weakened Serie A in the wake of the match-fixing scandal -- Juventus have been banished to Serie B while AC Milan and Fiorentina are fighting points penalties -- but Inter are unbeaten and playing like worthy champions of any division.

Roma will continue to push all the way, but they know it will be an uphill battle.

"Congratulations to Inter," Coach Luciano Spalletti said upon learning that Inter had matched last season?s wins record.

"I know how much it takes to win 11 games in a row."

The goal-scoring exploits of captain Francesco Totti -- who leads the league with 12 -- will help them keep pace with Inter, but overhauling that seven-point gap seems unlikely, not least as they must go to the San Siro in early February.

With the odds lengthening on anyone but Inter claiming the title, the more interesting battles are a little further down the table where clubs are jostling over the lucrative Champions League places.

Milan are having a poor season by their standards, and find themselves struggling in 12th.

After several appeals from their original punishment for match-fixing, they were eventually docked eight points for their role in the scandal, but it was still thought Carlo Ancelotti?s team could figure in the title race. Last season, they finished second, but still 12 points ahead of third-placed Inter, so why not?

The results have even left Ancelotti, in his sixth season with the club, facing questions about his future.

Back-to-back 3-0 wins over Catania and Udinese in the final games of 2006 took much of that pressure off, but this has still been a hugely disappointing season so far, with the volume of excuses far outweighing the points tally.

"We have had 15 players injured, and we started without any preparation and an eight points penalty," said midfielder Gennaro Gattuso. "We are coming out of this situation. We have had a disadvantage and little training, but we are recovering."

Champions League football is now the aim as, despite their lowly position, Milan are only six points off fourth place.

They look set to reinforce upfront this month to launch a renewed assault. Goals have been in short supply since Andrei Shevchenko left for Chelsea in the summer, and Ancelotti may move for either Real Madrid?s Antonio Cassano or Udinese?s Vincena Iaquinta in the coming weeks.

Their main rivals for fourth spot are likely to be Lazio, who look revitalized under second-year coach Delio Rossi.

Although they are still working with meager resources and had a three-point penalty of their own to deal with, Rossi has kept his team in contention for a return to Europe?s premier club competition next season.

His next major challenge comes off the pitch, though, as he faces a fight to keep midfielder Massimo Oddo, who is a target for several clubs.

"I hope he can stay in this team because I'm convinced we have a future together," Rossi said of his captain. "For me, Oddo may close his career at Lazio, where he is becoming a symbol of the club. But if he leaves we will try to make up for his absence. That's our task."

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