Live Commentary: Inter Milan 2-0 Livorno - as it happened

Inter Milan moved to within touching distance of the top three with a comfortable 2-0 win over Livorno at the San Siro this evening.

The hosts took the lead on the half-hour mark when Francesco Bardi, on loan from Inter, inexplicably spilled the ball into his own net following a Jonathan cross.

They had to wait a while for the second goal, which eventually came when the returning Javier Zanetti helped set up Yuto Nagatomo to finish.

You can read how the entire match unfolded with Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.

9.45pmRight, that's all we have time for this evening. Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for a comfortable evening for Inter at the San Siro. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to check back in for plenty more live football tomorrow. Until then, though, it is goodbye from me!

9.43pmThat will do for Inter as they move within three points of the top three with a 2-0 win over Livorno. It wasn't a breathtaking display from the hosts despite controlling the match for large periods, but they did enough to win the game and had the added bonus of seeing the great Javier Zanetti make his return from injury. An own goal from Bardi gave them a fortuitous lead at half time before Zanetti showed that old dogs can learn new tricks on his way to helping set up the clinching goal in second half stoppage time.

90+4 minFULL TIME: Inter Milan 2-0 Livorno

90+3 minYELLOW CARD! Rolando picks up an unnecessary yellow card late on and he can have no complaints with it.

90+1 minThere is the goal that seals it for Inter. Wouldn't you know it, Zanetti plays a major role by spinning away from his man to set up the chance. He gives the ball to Kovacic, who just pokes it into the box for Nagatomo to latch on to. The Japanese wing-back makes no mistake with his finish, but instead of receiving the plaudits for the goal he joins his other teammates in making a beeline for Zanetti.

90+1 minGOAL! Inter Milan 2-0 Livorno (Yuto Nagatomo)

90 minThere will be three minutes of added time at the end of this match.

90 minAnywhere will do for Inter at the moment, which is strange to see. They don't have a single player in Livorno's half as they desperately look to hold on to their slender lead. This should not be the case against relegation candidates at the San Siro!

89 minThis is a worry for Inter as Jonathan kicks the ball out before falling to the floor without a white shirt within 10 yards of him. It looks like it could be cramp, but Inter have made all three subs so they will be hoping that the Brazilian can continue here.

87 minLIVORNO SUB: One last throw of the dice for the visitors as Miguel Borja comes on for Gemiti. That is an attacking change for Livorno.

86 minZanetti is heavily involved as he belies his advancing years with a burst through the middle before setting up Yagatomo on the left. The Japan international tries to tee up his captain on the edge of the box for what would be a fairytale moment, but the pass is too wide for him and Livorno are able to regain possession.

84 minThat isn't just a token inclusion of Zanetti either. The hosts are in for a tense final five minutes or so here, and Zanetti has bags of experience to steer them through such a situation. What a servant he has been to Inter Milan.

82 minINTER MILAN SUB: What an occasion this is for Zanetti as he makes his return from an Achilles injury. He is given a huge ovation as he trots onto the field, and rightly so. How many players are still playing after their 40th birthday, yet alone able to overcome such a serious injury?

81 minLuci hoists a high ball towards the back post and Paulinho does very well to reach it, but he can't keep the header down as it loops over the bar.

80 minSchiattarella finds a bit of space on the edge of the box but hurries his shot with a bouncing ball in front of him. He doesn't catch it right and it bobbles through to Handanovic.

78 minLivorno are by no means out of this match here. They still haven't really troubled Bardi in the Inter Milan goal but you sense that there is a chance left in this game for the visitors.

76 minInter have posed a few problems from corners today and Ranocchia is the latest to beat his man in the air to put an effort on goal. He gets a firm connection on his header but it is straight at Bardi, who holds on with ease.

74 minYELLOW CARD! Paulinho will miss his side's next match after a silly handball. He knew straight after he had done it that it wasn't a good idea, and sure enough the referee showed him the card. That is a blow to a side who are already missing three players to suspension today.

73 minCHANCE! Good chance for Inter to kill the game off as Jonathan hangs a cross into the box that is only cleared as far as Cambiasso on the edge. He holds onto the ball well before squeezing it through to Palacio, who returns a pass to the Argentine, but his effort is well held by the keeper.

71 minINTER MILAN SUB: Guarin's evening is over as he makes way for Ishak Belfodil in Inter's second change of the match. Just one more chance for Zanetti to make his long-awaited return, then.

70 minLivorno have another free kick from distance and again Emerson chooses to go for goal. He can't keep this one down, however, as he hammers it well over the bar. That was a waste.

69 minPalacio is irate at the linesman for flagging for a foul against Emerson. It probably was the right decision, but the Brazilian defender went down in stages before making a dramatic final leap to the deck.

67 minLIVORNO SUB: A change for the hosts as they look to push for an equaliser here. Innocent Emeghara makes his way onto the field in place of Siligardi.

65 minCHANCE! Another chance for Inter as Nagatomo makes good progress down the left flank before pulling the ball back towards the middle. Palacio and Guarin are both there but get in each other's way, which allows Bardi to collect the ball.

64 minCHANCE! Decent chance for the hosts as Cambiasso's delivery is met by Samuel, who rises highest above his man only to power his header over the bar.

63 minLivorno's improved performance in this second half could have an impact on Inter's tactics. They will want to put a lid on any sort of resurgence from the visitors, and the best way to do that would be to score a goal. The hosts haven't showed any urgency today, largely because they haven't really needed to, but if they let Livorno grow in confidence now then they could pay for it later in the match.

61 minGuarin rolls the ball into Palacio on the edge of the box but the striker's first touch lets him down when a better piece of control would have given him a shooting opportunity. That is the touch of a striker who has not been involved in a match as much as he would have liked.

59 minINTER MILAN SUB: Alvarez hasn't quite reached the level of form that he is capable of tonight and he will play no further part in this match. On comes Mateo Kovacic, a 19-year-old Croatian who is highly thought of here at the San Siro.

57 minThis is a lot better from Livorno now. They are actually challenging Inter's dominance and, although they haven't really threatened Handanovic so far, they are looking a lot more likely to do so now. Luci has just flashed a powerful long range effort wide of the post.

55 minEmerson does indeed go for goal, drilling a powerful effort a few yards wide of the goal. Handanovic was worried enough to dive for it, but it was never really troubling him despite it being a good hit.

54 minLivorno now have a free kick of their own at the other end, and this one is also in a good position. This is more suited to a cross than a shot, but Emerson is looking interested.

53 minInter have a free kick right on the edge of shooting distance and Guarin look interested in it. He tries a move with Cambiasso to steal a few extra yards before eventually shooting, but that gives the wall time to rush out and block the effort.

51 minTaider slips in possession which gifts Gemiti the ball in a promising position. His cross is scuffed his time, however, and the hosts are able to clear. Livorno are looking to get forward more often than in the first half now.

49 minGemiti puts a very good cross into the six yard box that Handanovic bravely collects. He would have been extra careful to hold on to that one after his opposite number's mistake earlier.

48 minAlready there are signs of a little more space opening up in this second half. Livorno are pressing the Inter defence high up the pitch, which is creating room behind them for the hosts to play in.

46 minKICKOFF: Inter get us back underway as they look to build upon their rather fortuitous lead in this second half. Hopefully we will have a little more goalmouth action in the coming 45 minutes!

8.52pmLIVORNO SUB: The visitors have made a change at the break, bringing Marco Benassi on for Duncan.

8.50pmAs things stand, Walter Mazzarri's side will be back within three points of the top three, with at least one of Juventus and Napoli guaranteed to drop points when they face each other tomorrow.

8.48pmFor Inter, they didn't seem in any rush during that first half, playing at a slow tempo and not forcing the issue too much. It will be interesting to see how they approach the second half as another goal would all but seal the three points, but even at 1-0 they looked comfortable in the first half.

8.46pmHopefully Livorno will come out with more attacking intent in the second half, which should make for a more open match. The visitors are unlikely to start the half gung-ho, but as long as they remain within one goal then they will fancy their chances of nicking an equaliser.

8.44pmInter have had a couple of penalty shouts for tackles on Nagatomo and Palacio, but the referee has been unmoved on both occasions. Both could have been given as there was contact, but they would have been a bit harsh and at least the referee has been consistent with his decisions so far.

8.42pmAside from that own goal, though, there has been very little drama in either attacking third. Handanovic has been a spectator for the entire half while Bardi has only been involved twice himself. The game just never got going in the first half.

8.40pmLivorno, and in particular Bardi, will be kicking themselves at the break as they should still be level. The young keeper went some way to redeeming himself with that late save, but it is his mistake that separates the sides. Jonathan's ball towards the near post wasn't the easiest to deal with, but that doesn't excuse Bardi letting it spin out of his grasp and over the line.

8.38pmThat was a strange first half in many ways. Inter controlled it from start to finish, but didn't really create any danger until the last action of the half when Alvarez forced a save from Bardi. However, they take a lead into the break thanks to a calamitous own goal and Livorno haven't shown any signs of finding an equaliser so far.

45+2 minHALF TIME: Inter Milan 1-0 Livorno

45+2 minSAVE! Inter come close to doubling their lead just before the break as Alvarez lets fly from 25 yards, drilling an effort towards the bottom corner. It is certainly going in until Bardi makes a fine save to tip it wide.

45 minThere will be a minimum of two minutes added time at the end of this first half.

45 minPalacio gets a small amount of space in the box and takes the ball down before turning and shooting. His effort is disrupted by Luci's challenge from behind, and the striker wants a penalty but the ref once again waves it away. Both of those decisions were borderline and you could argue for and against penalties in both circumstances.

43 minNagatomo bundles his way into the area and manages to squeeze a low cross towards the near post under a challenge from Mbaye that could easily be given as a penalty. The ref takes a long look at it before deciding against giving the spot kick, while Bardi safely collects the ball in a similar position to his horrendous error earlier.

42 minCambiasso floats a cross into the area for Palacio to attack. Once again it is higher than the Inter man would have liked, but he does well to reach it and steer a looping header towards goal, only to see it land on the roof of the net.

40 minThat Bardi own goal really does get worst the more you see it. It will no doubt be weighing heavily on his mind right now, but it was good to see a number of teammates immediately surrounding him in support after the incident.

38 minNice play from Mbaye as he holds off a number of challenges inside the box to keep possession of the ball. He eventually works it back to the edge of the box, where the ball is teed up from Luci to shoot first time. He drills it in low but doesn't catch hold of it, dragging it well wide of Handanovic's goal.

37 minJonathan has looked like Inter's most dangerous player so far. He makes another burst forward to latch on to Guarin's touch, but he is well marshalled and can only win a corner for his side.

35 minI was hoping that a goal might liven this match up but the early signs aren't good! The match has fallen into a familiar rhythm with Inter seeing a lot of the ball but not doing anything with it.

33 minYELLOW CARD! Samuel swiftly follows his defensive partner into the book for a tackle that would be more suited to the Autumn Internationals at Twickenham today. He lost his balance and threw his body into the path of the attacker to bring him down. Again, the referee had no choice but to brandish the card.

32 minYELLOW CARD! Ranocchia goes into the book for a late, mistimed and rash challenge. He can have no complaints.

30 minOh, Bardi has had an absolute shocker! You felt that it would take something out of the ordinary to break the deadlock here, and this certainly falls into that category. Jonathan puts a decent delivery low towards the front post but it isn't anything that Bardi should have trouble with. He makes the right decision in coming to claim it, but the ball squirms out of his grasp and trickles over the line. Terrible mistake from the young keeper.

30 minGOAL! Inter Milan 1-0 Livorno (Francesco Bardi og)

28 minInter are certainly in control of things here but Livorno won't be too unhappy with things have gone so far. The hosts haven't really threatened for all of their possession and the visitors are looking fairly comfortable at the back right now.

26 minGood move from Inter as Jonathan pokes the ball out to Taider on the right. The Algerian cuts back onto his left foot before putting a cross into the box that Palacio flicks some way wide. That was just too high for the Inter striker.

25 minYELLOW CARD! Duncan got away with one a few moments ago, but not this time. The man on loan from Inter goes scything through the back of Alvarez to earn himself a well-deserved yellow card.

24 minLivorno have a good chance to break away from an Inter corner but can't utilise a five on two situation to their advantage. That was a chance wasted for the visitors.

23 minNice play from Alvarez as he feints a shot before wriggling past Duncan. The Livorno midfielder dives in from behind in an effort to get the ball back and sends Alvarez sprawling dramatically to the floor. The referee doesn't give a free kick when he should have, perhaps being put off by the manner in which Alvarez went down there.

21 minTaider and Guarin exchange passes before the former whips a delivery towards the near post. Jonathan has made it into an advanced position and flicks the ball on with a header, but it ends up a long way wide. That was the highlight of the match so far, and that is saying something.

20 minGood news for the hosts as Cambiasso jogs back onto the field. He looked to be dizzy when he went off the field, but that was soon cured by a splash of cold water over his head and he should be able to continue now.

18 minThis is worrying for Inter as Cambiasso goes down out of the blue while in possession of the ball. He kicks it out, with no defender anywhere near him, before sinking to the floor and asking for treatment.

16 minWe're still just waiting for this match to really get going at the moment. Neither side look willing to commit too many men forward and the match is being played almost exclusively in the middle third.

14 minIndeed, Schiattarella does continue and is now moving freely after a brief bit of treatment. That is good to see as he looked like he may have hyper-extended his knee there.

12 minSchiattarella looks hurt here. He stretched out for a ball and landed awkwardly on his own leg under no pressure from a defender. It looks bad on the replay, but I think he will be able to continue here.

11 minBardi's first task to keep a lopping ball in play as it threatened to go out for a corner. It came from a promising break from Jonathan but was easily dealt with by the keeper.

10 minStill nothing to report in terms of chances at the moment. As expected, Inter are dominating possession and dictating the tempo of this game, but neither keeper has been forced into action in the opening 10 minutes.

8 minInter are being quite adventurous in attack at times, with Rolando and now Samuel making breaks forward. Samuel receives the ball on the edge of the box, but he is quickly closed down and his shot it blocked.

7 minRolando plays a nice ball to Nagatomo, who has found his way to the byline with a clever run. His first touch is good and he does well to beat his man in a tight space, but he just can't keep the ball in as he looks for a teammate in the middle.

5 minLivorno are getting plenty of white shirts behind the ball when Inter are in possession. It looks like they will be happy to let the hosts have the ball in front of them, challenging Inter to break their disciplines defence down. No signs of that happening just yet.

3 minInter take control of the ball early on, and it is a pattern that I think will repeat itself throughout the 90 minutes tonight. Their first attack comes to nothing as Jonathan's cross is easily cleared, but it is a bright start from the hosts.

1 minKICKOFF: The visitors get us underway in a big match for both sides as Livorno look to gain some unexpected points and Inter look to close the gap on those above them.

7.45pmLivorno are missing a number of players through suspension today, with Coda, Rinaudo and Greco all picking up yellow cards in the last match which rules them out of today. The visitors also have a number of familiar faces in their side today, with a number of their players being on loan from Inter Milan. Could that come back to bite the hosts tonight?

7.44pmThe last time these sides met was more than three years ago, and Inter cruised to victory on that occasions with a 3-0 win. Livorno will have to work hard to avoid a repeat result tonight against a team beginning to find their confidence again after last season's horror show.

7.42pmLivorno have the weight of history on their shoulder tonight as well. They have never beaten Inter Milan, losing nine and drawing two of the 11 meetings between the two sides. They have lost their last four games against the Nerazzuri and have not scored a goal in that time. The last time they managed to score past Inter and take a point off the Italian giants was back in 2007 in a 2-2 draw.

7.40pmPREDICTION: We're nearing kickoff at the San Siro, so it is about time I made a prediction for the game! With Inter is good form and needing a win to keep the pressure on the top three, I can't really see past a home win this evening. The visitors will be buoyed by their result against Atalanta, but even they won't be expecting much from tonight's match. I'll go for a 3-0 win to Inter.

7.39pmThe dangerman for Inter Milan tonight will be the prolific Palacio, who has been in fine form in front of goal recently. For Livorno, Paulinho is as likely as anyone to be able to unlock the Inter defence and he will be key if the visitors are going to pull off a shock here tonight.

7.37pmLIVORNO STARTING XI: Bardi; Ceccherini, Emerson, Valentini; Gemiti, Luci, Duncan, Schiattarella, Mbaye; Siligardi, Paulinho

7.37pmINTER STARTING XI: Handanovic; Samuel, Rolando, Ranocchia; Nagatomo, Jonathan, Cambiasso; Alvarez, Taider, Guarin; Palacio

7.35pmTEAM NEWS: The team sheets are in for both sides and from Inter's point of view it is good news as Walter Samuel and Jonathan are both deemed fit enough to start the match having limped off during the 3-0 win over Udinese. Zanetti once again appears on the bench following his Achilles injury, and he could make his long-awaited return this evening. Full team news for both sides on the way.

7.33pmOne thing that certainly isn't a strong point for Livorno is their away form. They have lost their last three games on the road, scoring just one goal in that time. The winless streak stretches back to four games, while their win over fellow struggler Sassuolo earlier this season is their only away victory in their last nine - a record that includes the tail end of their Serie B campaign last season.

7.31pmWhile Inter's strength lies in their ability to score goals, Livorno's main strength this season has been their defensive record. They have conceded fewer goals than any other side in the bottom half so far this season, being breached just 16 times. If they can keep that record up, it will give them a very good chance of surviving the inevitable relegation dogfight.

7.29pmRealistically, they won't go into tonight's match expecting to come away with a win, but victory in their last outing will give them plenty of confidence. That victory ended a seven-match winless streak in which they had lost four and drawn three games, including a 3-3 match against Torino - the same scoreline that Inter managed against Torino last month.

7.27pmInter come up against a team who have made a decent start to life back in the top flight following their promotion from Serie B last season. Livorno are currently sitting pretty in 14th place, although that league position is by no means a safe one yet as just three points separates them from the relegation zone.

7.25pmTonight's hosts are unbeaten in those four games since the 3-0 loss to Roma, scoring 11 goals. They have conceded six which, on the face of it, isn't too bad considering how many they have scored, but it is still more than Mazzarri will be happy with. At home this season Inter has won four, drawn one and lost that one against Roma.

7.23pmThey currently sit on 22 points, and it is easy to see why they are well placed almost a third of the way through the season. Inter are the league's highest scorers so far this season with 27 goals, two more than top of the table Roma. That tally was helped largely by the 7-0 drubbing of Sassuolo, but they have also kept up an impressive scoring rate in their other matches, scoring three or more goals in three of their last four games.

7.21pmThe Nerazzuri have lost just once all season, and that came against the relentless Roma while they were in the sort of form that swept all before them. They have drawn too many games for Mazzarri's liking, however, sharing the spoils in four of their 11 games.

7.19pmGetting maximum points tonight is made even more important by the fact that two of the top three - Napoli and Juventus - play each other tomorrow, meaning that one or both will drop points. Inter need to win these sorts of matches to stay in contention, and they will be in confident mood ahead of tonight's match. Certainly, they are the favourites going into the game, but they can't afford to rest on their laurels here.

7.17pmWe'll start by looking at our hosts tonight, and it has been a steady beginning to the season for Walter Mazzarri's side. A win tonight would move them within three points of the top three, which is not a bad position considering how well Roma, Juventus and Napoli have done so far this season.

7.15pmGood evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's Serie A match between Inter Milan and Livorno. Both sides will be looking to build upon impressive results in their last outing, so we should have an intriguing match ahead of us.

Live Commentary: Inter Milan 2-0 Livorno - as it happened

People mentioned in this article :

Teams mentioned in this article :

Inter Milan

Livorno