Inter Milan have beaten Genoa 5-4 in a thrilling Serie A match at the San Siro this afternoon.
The visitors almost made the perfect start to the match when they came close after less than 10 minutes, only to be denied by Esteban Cambiasso's clearance off the line.
Genoa were punished for this just minutes later when Inter took the lead. A cross from Diego Forlan found Diego Milito who couldn't miss after stealing in front of Kakha Kaladze.
Milito should have doubled his tally soon after when he latched on to a rebound from Cambiasso's effort, but his shot went high over the crossbar.
He did get his second just before the half-hour mark, however, when he slotted past Sebastien Frey when clear through on goal.
Two defenders combined for Inter's third, Lucio supplying the cross for Walter Samuel to bundle the ball home.
Genoa got a goal back on the stroke of half time when Giuseppe Sculli's bicycle kick was deflected in by Emiliano Moretti after Alberto Gilardino's initial effort had been cleared off the line.
The visitors brought themselves right back into the match when Zanetti was adjudged to have handled Sculli's header inside the area, and Rodrigo Palacio made no mistake from the spot.
Cambiasso then spurned two good chances before the home side before Zarate restored their two goal lead with a curling effort from the edge of the area.
The match took yet another twist 10 minutes from time when Julio Cesar brought down Palacio in the box, receiving a red card for his troubles. Substitute goalkeeper Lupatelli was unable to keep Gilardino's penalty out as Genoa made it 4-3.
As the visitors pushed on for an equaliser, Inter broke and Obi was upended by Belluschi in the penalty area. The Genoa man was shown a red card and Milito smashed the penalty home to make it 5-3.
There was still time for yet another penalty, however, and it came for Genoa, once again being converted by Gilardino to set up a grandstand finish.
The result means that Inter move up a spot to seventh place while Genoa drop down to 16th.
Barney Corkhill
