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IT'S A GRAND PRIX INTER

Accelerated together with Ranieri, a specialist in overtaking others: has gone from 15th place to 4th.  A rise that happened in 40 days.

From the win against Fiorentina on December 10 to the victory against Lazio.  Now in 4th place after a series of breathtaking events.

And the coach (only one draw) is not mister X.

• 5 - The goals scored by Diego Milito in the last four games in the league: one against Lecce, two against Parma, one versus Milan and one more against Lazio.
• 3 - The goals scored by Giampaolo Pazzini in the last four games in Serie A: Lecce, Parma and Lazio are all his victims.
• -15 - The distance from league leaders after Inter lost the home game against Udinese (0-1) on December 3, 2011.
• -6 - The difference from league leaders after the win against Lazio and especially after seven straight wins in the league.
  
• 1 - The draw under Ranieri which was against Atalanta.  For the rest, it's either win or lose.
• 7 - The number of games won in a row by Inter which has led them to fourth place.  The victims are: Fiorentina, Genoa, Cesena, Lecce, Parma, Milan and Laizo.

Appiano Gentile - And they bite.  Javier Zanetti was right: "We are like a shark... and quietly here we come..."  That was the Inter captain on December 18 after the victory against Cesena thanks to the decisive goal of Ranocchia.  Since then, this shark has been biting others.  Lazio were the latest victim that was overtaken by Inter, or sorPazzo (sorpasso means overtaking) as Pazzini was the one that scored the decisive second goal.  Inter have surpassed 10 teams within just 40 days by winning all seven of its games.  Moral: there is so much of Claudio Ranieri in all of this (one tie for him in Bergamo against Atalanta) and there is also a lot of Inter who have now understood winning ugly and when they were playing badly.

Bologna, the first victim Claudio Ranieri arrived at matchday five and won at Bologna with the score of 3-1 on September 24.  And with that victory, he had his first three points that were added to the four gained by Gasperini in the first four matches.  Inter did not surpass anybody and it was like that until the 12th matchday of the season, keep in mind that Genoa-Inter was canceled due to the weather.  The first breakthrough came on November 19 when Inter beat Cagliari, went from 8 points to 11, and left behind Bologna in the 10th place.  It was not yet the time for celebration however.

Siena and Fiorentina, the start Then there was the trip to Siena where Castaignos scored the winning goal and then matchday 13 when Inter surpassed Fiorentina.  Matchday 14 which was the lowest point on the Ranieri era because Udinese won at the San Siro, Fiorentina then jumped over Inter and the Nerazzurri were tied for fourth place from the bottom with Siena and Bologna, 15 points away from league leaders.  It was a canyon.  After this game, the duo of Pazzini-Milito were always featured in the starting lineups and Inter started steering back on course: Inter 2-0 Fiorentina (Inter surpassed Atalanta, Chievo, Fiorentina, and reached Parma), then the game against Genoa at the Marassi (1-0, Nagatomo) and with that win, Inter surpassed Catania, Roma, Cagliari and Genoa.

Cesena at -6 It was like a Grand Prix, the Nerazzurri machine just kept on going.  Next up was Cesena and it was a very difficult game.  Ranocchia scored while Julio Cesar made an incredible save on Ghezzal.  It was another three points and this time it was Napoli's turn to see Inter.  Then came the new year but it was an old and red hot Inter with wins against Parma, Lecce and Milan.  Inter did not surpass anybody but they did reduce the gap between them and league leaders to -6.

Moratti: Bravo Ranieri Then of course the game against Lazio on Sunday.  They were the ninth team that Inter have exceeded in seven games.  It was the game where Ranieri did a Mourinho in order to keep the team in great attention for the Coppa Italia game against Napoli and Lecce.  "It's certainly a positive sign from his point of view because he's close to the team, has his finger on the pulse and tries to motivate them for upcoming matches. It seems to me he's taken an intelligent position," said Moratti.  This great stretch is because of many reasons but main ones are the five goals from the last four games of Milito, three goals from Pazzini and the return of Sneijder. "Sneijder has said that he's staying? No one has ever thought otherwise.  Milito is being decisive? Thank goodness. We were counting on him. It didn't seem easy but he's a champion, and he always strikes the ball in a certain way that makes it so lovely to see his goals – and he scores many of them. Let's hope he continues like this.  Protests from Lazio? No, more than from Lazio they came from the press. Lazio seem to have made very little out of it."

Source: Gazzetta dello Sport