SPORTS
Serie A leaders Inter Milan ground out a 1-0 win at Chievo on Wednesday.
Serie A leaders Inter Milan ground out a 1-0 win at Chievo on Wednesday with new signing Goran Pandev unlucky not to score his first goal for the club and the winner credited to Mario Balotelli.
The champions moved 11 points clear of second-placed AC Milan, who have two games in hand and host Genoa in Wednesday''s late match (1945).
Chievo had a shout for a penalty turned down when Sergio Pellissier fell under a challenge from Ivan Cordoba and Inter immediately broke up the other end to score on 12 minutes.
Neat work by Pandev and Wesley Sneijder left Balotelli in space and after his first shot was saved, his second effort was cleared off the line only for Pandev to nod in.
However, television replays showed Balotelli's second shot had crossed the line. The scorer was later booked for kicking the ball away which means he misses the weekend match with Siena but will be available for the Milan derby later this month.
"This is Inter. Whoever plays is strong," the outspoken Balotelli told Sky TV before blasting home fans for booing him.
The pitch in Verona was very cut up and made expansive play difficult. The stadium was reasonably full for the unusual midday kickoff, aimed at a bigger television audience on the Epiphany holiday ahead of nine other Serie A games later.
Immediate start
Striker Pandev had not played a league game since May having been banished from the Lazio squad in a contract dispute but made an immediate start because of injuries, suspensions and Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o being at the African Nations Cup.
The Macedonian belied his lack of sharpness with a lively display as Inter clung on and avoided conceding a late penalty for a Ricardo Quaresma handball.
An impressive Patrick Vieira started what could be his last Inter match before a transfer while Cristian Chivu went off with a head injury and on-loan forward Marko Arnautovic made his debut.
"Patrick has found the best way to say goodbye," coach Jose Mourinho said, adding he did not know where the Frenchman would go amid media speculation of interest from Manchester City.
"I'm super satisfied. These are the matches that decide lots. What makes the difference is personality and character."
Third-placed Juventus visit Parma at 1400 with underfire coach Ciro Ferrara desperate for a win after losing three in a row before the mid-season break.
Badshah breaks his silence on dating rumours with Pakistani star Hania Aamir: ‘We have a lot of…’
Delhi pollution: Air quality deteriorates to 'severe' category in Delhi-NCR; AQI at 419
'I think bro is her EX': Man performs risky bike stunt with burqa-clad woman in Bangladesh, watch
Viral video: Little girl's power-packed dance to 'beer song' melts hearts online, watch
Explained: Why India must win the 1st Test against Australia in Perth
Raima Sen mourns Bharat Dev Varma's demise, pens emotional note for 'great father, great husband'
DNA TV Show: Ahead of Maharashtra poll results, MVA, Mahayuti engage in resort politics
Maharashtra: Stage set for assembly poll results; Mahayuti, MVA confident of their victories
All set for vote counting in Jharkhand tomorrow; NDA, JMM-led alliances confident of winning
Watch: Australia star inquires Rishabh Pant about his next IPL team, gets 2-word reply
Shah Rukh Khan’s house Mannat was first offered to his industry rival…, but he refused because...
The Visionary Who Promises a Blue Sky for India: Holger Thorsten Schubart’s G20 Climate Speech
The Surge of High-End Living: Luxury Residential Market to Outpace Other Segments
FeFCon 2024 to be Held in Bangalore: A Premier Event on Fever Management
'That’s wild': Noida man turns cigarette butts into teddy bears in viral video, watch
London Airport evacuates passengers over security threat, thousands stranded
The World’s First Innovative Iron Supplement to Combat Iron Deficiency and Anaemia
Meet grandmother who became fashion icon after trying on her granddaughter’s clothes
IND vs AUS: Rishabh Pant joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in elite WTC list, becomes 3rd Indian to...
'All scripted drama...': Puneet Superstar allegedly assaulted by influencers in viral video, watch
Actress Ana de Armas caught kissing Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s son in viral photos
Oreshnik's Shadow: Will Russia's hypersonic missile force west to back down?
‘You’re So Beautiful’: World’s tallest woman meets world’s shortest woman over tea, pics go viral
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Consequences of GRAP-4 are drastic, may have adverse effects, says SC
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Schools likely to stay closed till..., check city-wise update
Maharashtra: 3 killed, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Sangli
THIS farm is selling a cup of coffee for Rs 28000, but there's a twist, it is...
Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed after encounter with security personnel in Sukma
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT plan for Jio users, offers unlimited 5G access for 1 year for just Rs...
IND vs AUS 1st Test: KL Rahul's dismissal sparks DRS controversy in Perth Test
Dense fog, heavy rain predicted in these states till November 25; check here
Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile: Which nations are within its range?
Bihar teacher, principal reach school in drunken state; know what happened next
'I have faced a lot of...': Arjun Kapoor REVEALS his biggest fear amid break up with Malaika Arora
How millions of Indians may get affected due to US indictment of Gautam Adani in bribery case
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says 'missing someone is okay but...'
After Bibles, watches and sneakers, Donald Trump is now selling autographed guitars, price is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality improves to ‘very poor’ category, AQI at...
Vladimir Putin's BIG threat, warns he could strike UK with new ballistic missile if...
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 22, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here