Vieri's hat-trick propels Inter Milan

Vieri, the 50-million dollar man, secured a 3-0 win over Verona, but two other Serie A newcomers caused upsets with Lecce holding champions Milan 2-2 and 10-man Reggina earning a historic point with Juventus.

Reggina's first ever Serie A match in the club's 85-year history ended 1-1 in Turin, and there were identical draws for two of Juventus' other title rivals, Parma and AS Roma.

The happiest fans in Italy were at San Siro where Vieri banished the nightmare of last season's disastrous campaign.

All three goals came from long balls punted 30 or 40 metres upfield for Vieri to run on and score, starting in the 16th minute.

Ronaldo, made to wait on the subs bench, replaced Ivan Zamorano in the secon half, but it was Vieri who continued to find the target, scoring again in the 53rd and 65th minutes.

Inter coach Marcello Lippi said: "We weren't depressed about the fact that we didn't have a brilliant pre-season run and we're not euphoric now.

"But it was a good win. Everybody knows how hard it is against a team who have just been promoted to Serie A."

Lippi, who is re-building the team, said: "For us at the moment, it's all work-in-progress. But what I've seen so far is looking good."

As for the performance of Vieri, who Lippi had at Juventus in 1996-97, the coach said: "He cost a fortune, but today you all saw why. He is definitely a better player than he was three years ago."

Vieri himself played down his achievement, saying: "It was 10 out of 10 for the whole team and not just for me.

"We wanted to prove to ourselves, more than to anyone else, that all the work we've put in over the last month and a half has paid off. We haven't been wasting our time, and today it showed.

"I'm dedicating these three goals to my teamates because they're the ones who've put me in a position to score."

AC Milan mis-fired in the first league match of their centenary season.

Substitute George Weah opened the scoring, drilling a rebound into the roof of the net after hitting the post, but Lecce were soon level with a fine header from defender Alberto Savino.

Milan looked set for victory in the 72nd minute when Weah hooked a high cross into the area, Oliver Bierhoff headed the ball down and Ukrainian newcomer Andriy Shevchenko swept it home.

But Cristiano Lucarelli levelled for Lecce in the 81st minute, pouncing to fire on a loose ball in the Milan area.

Milan's disappointed coach Alberto Zaccheroni said: "They (Lecce) were sharper and more determined than we were. We lacked attention and just weren't in the match as much as they were."

Dismissing the steamy conditions, he said: "The heat was the same for both sides, even though we have been playing at night recently. The problem was more in our approach to the game."

The draw was only one of several surprises on the opening weekend, headed by the David and Goliath game in Turin.

Reggina, from the southern poverty of Reggio Calabria, were facing the richest and most successful club in the history of Italian football and found themselves a goal down after half an hour.

French star Zinedine Zidane threaded the ball through and Filippo Inzaghi steered it deftly past the keeper.

But Reggina bounced back with an equaliser just two minutes after the re-start -- teenager Mohamed Kallon of Sierra Leone heading in a corner -- and then holding on for a draw despite having Andrea Bernini dismissed.

Inzaghi said: "They hadn't had a single shot at the target and then we conceded an absurd goal on a corner."

Reggina coach Franco Colomba admitted: "It's a point we didn't expect."

AS Roma skipper Francesco Totti scored the first goal of the millennium season, a 14th minute penalty against perennial strugglers Piacenza.

But Fabio Capello's men were caught out by Giovanni Stroppa's superb 82nd minute free-kick into the roof of the net.

Parma, denied a European Champions League place by Glasgow Rangers, needed Croatian Mario Stanic to nod home a late equaliser after Renato Olive had chipped lowly Perugia into a 46th minute lead.

However, Fiorentina made no such mistake against battling Bari - new striker Enrico Chiesa poking home the only goal on his debut.

Coach Giovanni Trapattoni, forced to rest skipper and star striker Gabriel Batistuta, was just happy to get the three points.

"I think most of the other teams found it hard today," he said. "And this was an important match for us."

Bari coach Eugenio Fascetti lamented: "We played well and put on a good performance, so it is disappointing to have lost. But we made one mistake and Chiesa punished us for it."

Venezia earned a 1-1 draw with Udinese, while Lazio, who toppled Manchester United in the European Super Cup, face Cagliari on Monday.

Inter salvages draw with AS Roma

Roma applied most of the pressure but drew a blank against Inter goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi, who was on inspired form, along with some solid, experienced defending from Frenchman Laurent Blanc.

Inter were forced to rest the hat-trick hero of their first league match, Christian Vieri, until the last 15 minutes and were less convincing, albeit up against much tougher opposition than Verona.

Roma turned the first-half into an extended turkey shoot. Vincenzo Montella, ably supported by skipper Francesco Totti, had a string of chances to score, the first two with only Inter keeper Angelo Peruzzi to beat.

Roma's two Brazilians, wingback Cafu and midfielder Assuncao both cracked in fine shots of their own, the first former forcing Peruzzi to drop to his knees to smother, while the latter went only inches wide of the mark.

At the other end, Ronaldo made little or no contribution whatsoever while Chilean Ivan Zamorano fought as usual for every ball but the supply from Inter's midfield was of relatively poor quality.

Paulo Sousa was the most effective at distribution for the visitors, while overlapping Greek defender Grigorios Georgatos created more trouble than expected down the left flank.

However, Inter finally pulled themselves together in the second half and began to enjoy more of the possession and more lucidity moving forward.

The improvement continued on the hour when coach Marcello Lippi pulled off Ronaldo for Christian Vieri, who had been carrying a muscle strain after Italy's defeat to Denmark and had been spared.

But barely a minute after coming on, the world's most expensive footballer was in the thick of the action, seeing his skewed shot deflected by a defender from inside the penalty area.

However, the match nearly turned around in the 68th minute when Peruzzi had to pull off two stunning saves to defy first a curling shot from substitute Eusebio Di Francesco and then a piledriver from Assuncao.

Javier Zanetti answered for Inter with a stinging shot from 25 metres and Zamorano would certainly have headed a winner in the closing minutes had Georgatos' high cross not been intercepted.

Vieri kept Roma's defence in a state of constant tension and forced Roma keeper Francesco Antonioli to make an important save when a free-kick was teed up for the Italy centre-forward to hit a sizzling low drive.

Inter's last chance fell to Frenchman Benoit Cauet, who was given a free-shot from the edge of the area, while Di Francesco sent a reflex shot straight into Peruzzi's arms with the last kick of the game.

Super Vieri leads Inter rout

Vieri, who scored a hat-trick on his debut here, followed up with another inspired performance in his second match at San Siro, overshadowing the absence of unfit Ronaldo, who watched from the VIP seats.

Chile's Ivan "The Terrible" Zamorano scored twice, winger Francesco Moriero bagged another and the fifth came from an own goal by World Cup winner Lilian Thuram. Argentina's Hernan Crespo replied for Parma.

Parma's defeat would have been heavier but for a string of saves by goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon; his defence having long run up the white flag and the midfield having been eaten alive by the home side.

A delight for the Milanese crowd, the victory also confirmed pre-season betting that Inter will be a serious title candidate, whether or not Ronaldo is able to rediscover his golden touch.

Inter wasted no time on Sunday night, opening the scoring in the eighth minute.

Vieri saw a snapshot blocked and the ball bobbled straight to Zamorano, who managed to prod it between the legs of Buffon despite being chased by three defenders.

Parma hit back in the 14th minute when Crespo collected a long ball forward, dribbled past Croatian defender Dario Simic and sent a deflected shot looping over the flailing arms of Angelo Peruzzi.

But the scoreline changed again just three minutes later when Vieri, trailed by Thuram, pulled back to the right hand side of the area before unleashing a superb curling shot into the top far left corner.

It was nearly 3-1 in the 20th minute when Greek wingback Giorgios Georgatos hooked a cross over from the left and Moriero volleyed it first time against the far post. The ball bounced out for Vieri, but Inter's burly centre-forward couldn't get in a clean shot.

Peruzzi saved Inter two minutes later when he got his right glove to a piledriver from Dino Baggio.

Buffon did just as well at the other end when Zamorano headed a long pass back to the completely unmarked Paolo Sousa, whose drive was superbly tipped over by the Italian international.

But Moriero, playing at the level which helped Inter win the 1998 UEFA Cup, was rewarded for his efforts in the 39th minute.

Vieri broke down the left, escaped a tackle from Saliou Lassissi and pulled the ball into the middle for Moriero, unchallenged by Paolo Vanoli, to crash an outstep volley past Buffon from 10 metres.

Parma tried to rally in the second half, with coach Alberto Malesani sending on 30 million dollar Brazilian signing Marcio Amoroso, the Serie A's top scorer last season with Udinese and now back from surgery.

But Moriero created two fine chances in the space of five minutes for Inter, his crossses from the right being met with headers by Christian Panucci and Zamorano - both efforts earning a corner.

Buffon's luck ran out in the 64th minute when Vieri broke down the left flank and crossed into the middle, Parma's defence failed to intercept and Zamorano clubbed the ball over the sprawling keeper with his right knee.

And it would have been 5-1 two minutes later if Buffon hadn't got a fingertip to a low shot from Vieri after a free-kick.

Instead the fifth came from Thuram, the man who Inter tried to sign over the summer, when he steered Luigi Di Biagio's cross past Buffon at the near post.

Vieri, Peruzzi star as Inter move two points clear

Ronaldo sees red as Inter fall to Milan

MILAN, Oct 23 (Reuters) - A last gasp header from George Weah gave AC Milan a dramatic win over Inter Milan in an incident-packed derby which saw Ronaldo score and then be sent off. After a frenetic start Inter took the lead in the 20th minute when Ronaldo was adjudged to have been brought down in the penalty area by Argentine defender Roberto Ayala. The taking of the penalty was delayed for around two minutes as Milan supporters lobbed smoke bombs on to the field but Ronaldo kept his composure and confidently converted the spot kick. Just 12 minutes later the Brazilian's joy was shattered when he was sent off for what appeared to be an elbow on Ayala. As the two south Americans tussled for the ball, Ayala fell to the floor and the linesman flagged the attention of referee Gennaro Borriello who swiftly brandished the red card. Although Inter players vehemently protested the decision they appeared not to be affected by the dismissal and continued to enjoy the better possession up to the interval. Five minutes after the break Christian Vieri went close to adding a second but his spectacular volley from a Grigorios Georgatos cross flew just wide. Milan's Oliver Bierhoff should have done better in the 51st minute when he latched onto a high ball into the penalty area but he blasted over the bar when a more composed finish could have brought Milan an equaliser. That miss led to German international Bierhoff, sluggish throughout, being substituted in the 67th minute for Andriy Shevchenko -- a move that was to turn the game. Within six minutes the Ukrainian striker had brought Milan level as Serginho swung in a cross from the left, Shevchenko headed the ball down and in the resulting scramble, the ball ricocheted off the Ukranian and zipped into the net. Shevchenko, buoyed by his seventh goal of the season, was troubling the Inter defence with his movement on and off the ball and went close with a header that flew just wide as Milan began to dominate a tiring Inter. Peruzzi was forced into a brilliant double save 10 minutes from time to keep out shots from the increasingly dangerous Weah. But then Ayala was at the centre of controversy again eight minutes from time as he was sent off after he pulled down Christian Vieri as the two chased a long ball over the top. Although Vieri tumbled just inside the Milan half, Ayala was the last line of defence and the Argentine could have few complaints at the decision. If Inter fans felt justice had been done, their hearts sank in the final minute when another Milan substitute Zvonimir Boban drove over a corner which was met by Weah and his thundering header flew past Peruzzi for the winner. Milan coach Alberto Zaccheroni admitted the sending off of Ronaldo was crucial to the outcome of the game. "I think we played well with determination and personality but I am the first to admit that we had numerical advantage", Zaccheroni said. Inter boss Marcello Lippi criticised Ronaldo for the dismissal, saying: "I don't want to blame anyone but it was an act of great carelessness in such an important match and I think he knows it". In the other Saturday game in Serie A, Perugia came from behind to defeat Venezia with two goals from Nicola Amoruso cancelling out a 10th minute penalty from Filippo Maniero.

Inter-Udinese 3-0

By Diego Antonelli.

3-0 at San Siro underlines a lovely performance by Lippi’s team who showed themselves to be fit and ready for next Sunday’s match against Juventus. Udinese stayed in the game until Inter’s double, after which there was only Inter. Lippi’s boys showed themselves to be above all a complete and organic team in all parts of the field. But let’s get to the details. Inter got the first chance in the 5th minute, inspired by Vieri who went wide on the left wing and put a very low ball into the centre for Georgatos. He got a bad contact and missed his aim. Vieri tried a shot form the edge of the box one minute later, but his aim was too high and the ball went high over the crossbar. In the 8th minute Panucci tried a header on a corner, but the ball went out to De Sanctis’ left. Udinese had an incredible chance in the 10th minute, when a long cross from Jorgensen went straight to Muzzi, unmarked in the penalty area. The former Cagliari player struck on the fly with malice aforethought and was out of range. Recoba and Vieri put together a lovely combination on the edge of the area, but an Inter defender put his oar in and the ball went out for a corner. The situation finally unblocked in the 20th: Vieri headed a pass on from behind, Recoba picked it up on the edge of the area and handled himself well in the middle of 3 opponents. The last of these, captain Bertotto, tried to block him at any cost until the Uruguayan shot from the middle of the penalty area and got past De Sanctis. Thus Recoba justified his presence on the field, which up to this point had been pretty anonymous. The Udinese reacted, but it was Inter who were most dangerous in the 26th minute with a shot from the left by Jugovic which made De Sanctis dive for it and finished a lovely play by Recoba and Zanetti on the opposite wing. Udinese just missed the equaliser with a great shot by Jorgensen in the 30th. The ball went out to Peruzzi’s right by a few centimetres. But Inter kept the pressure up and crushed Udinese in their half of the pitch. In the 38th minute Zanetti made a lovely play by coming down the wing with the ball at his feet and put a splendid cross into the centre which first Recoba and then Vieri couldn’t deflect. The two attackers were in the limelight again in the 45th minute, when the Uruguayan came down with the ball at his feet and passed to Vieri on the sidelines, who raised the ball and placed it neatly into the middle of the area where Recoba caught up with it, but couldn’t control it as well as he might have. The teams left the pitch with the score at 1-0. The second half began with Inter ahead: in the 6th minute Zanetti came down on the right and put a ball along the ground and into the centre which Recoba couldn’t deflect into the net. The double was only postponed until the 12th. Udinese were playing with ten men because Manfredini, who had come on for Bisgaard was out due to an injury. Recoba came down on the right and crossed to the centre for Jugovic who tried a finish from 25 metres. His shot along the ground wouldn’t have been dangerous if it hadn’t found Vieri in the middle of the penalty box, who had started a run at the limits of offside. He controlled the ball implacably and slaughtered De Sanctis. De Canio was forced into a substitution (in fact Manfredini didn’t come back on) and played the Poggi card. However Inter controlled the situation well, kept possession of the ball and put the game to sleep. In the 25th minute referee Rossi disallowed a lovely goal by Vieri because of a doubtful offside. There was a dangerous moment for Inter in the 31st minute when Locatelli finished a nice triangulation at the edge of the black-and-blues’ area high. Meanwhile Lippi rang the changes for Recoba, who was replaced by young Russo. The excellent Di Biagio also left the field in the 34th minute, to be replaced by Dabo, but this didn’t change Inter’s tactical order. Two minutes later Zanetti suddenly raised the pace of the game by getting into the area from the right and finishing with a shot which was just out to the side. Zanchi risked an own goal in the 38th minute when he cut in on a cross by Vieri from the left; De Sanctis had to pull off a miracle to keep it out. The last flash came in the 45th minute when Vieri came down the field like a tank with the ball at his feet, got into the area and tripped over Zanchi, but the defender’s deflection was a perfect knock on for the novice Russo, who made a sure shot and bathed his performance with a goal. A great deal of emotion and the triple whistle.

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