On The Continent: The Matrix Revolutions

SCUDETTO STILL ELUDES INTER
The finishing line has been in sight for many weeks now for Internazionale, but like a marathon pace-setter with a ribbon phobia, they are making hard work of the finishing straight. Ever since feebly crashing out of the Champions League to Liverpool earlier this year, they have been a side seriously lacking confidence or character, and last weekend's humiliating failure to crown their Scudetto charge with a derby win over AC Milan summed up their recent failings.

The same can certainly be said for this weekend's 2-2 draw with Siena. Patrick Vieira got things underway at the San Siro with an 11th minute goal, and even when Massimo Maccarone cancelled it out, Mario Barotelli restored Inter's lead just before half-time. However, Houssine Kharja made it 2-2 with 20 minutes to go and when the home side won an 80th minute penalty, instead of coolly using it as the perfect opportunity to seal the victory and to win the league, they imploded.

Regular penalty-taker Julio Cruz was all set to take it, but was overruled by Marco Materazzi, needing to be restrained by his team-mates from confronting the Italian defender. He was right to be angry too, as Materazzi then stepped up and had his spot-kick saved by former Arsenal keeper Alex Manninger.