Champions League quarter-finals, first leg/Inter Milan 2 Villarreal 1: Substitute Obafemi Martins produced an electric, second-half performance to help Inter Milan to an impressive home victory.
Martins came on just after the half-hour, but it was after the restart that he found his feet, scoring what proved to be the decisive goal on 54 minutes.
The win looked unlikely early on, as Diego Forlán gave Villarreal a shock lead in the first minute after some lax defending, although the home side responded with aplomb. Adriano equalised six minutes later but the night was to belong to fellow forward Martins.
Forlán had secured a dream start for the visitors when he tapped in calmly within 60 seconds of the kick-off, after Francesco Toldo could only parry José María Romero's low strike.
It was Juan Román Riquelme's adroit through-ball that had created the initial opening and Alvaro Recoba soon did similar at the other end to send Adriano clear. The Brazilian's chip left Sebastián Viera stranded, but Javi Venta was on hand with a goal-line clearance.
Venta was a late inclusion in the starting XI as he and Juan Manuel Peña returned to provide a timely boost to coach Manuel Pellegrini. But while Venta quickly made a contribution, Peña was found wanting on seven minutes when he failed to deal with Dejan Stankovic's scuffed right-wing cross. The ball fell kindly for Adriano who swivelled and rifled in from close range.
It capped a frenzied beginning to the game in front of an expectant Giuseppe Meazza crowd, who had also seen Juan Sebastián Verón test Viera following another defence-splitting pass from Recoba. The Uruguayan forward was a pervasive presence for the Nerazzurri but both back lines gradually found their shape, with Marcos Senna and Esteban Cambiasso dominant figures in a crowded midfield.
Recoba eventually hobbled off, to be replaced by Martins, and the tireless running of the pacy Nigerian gave Inter options, freeing up space in midfield.
Verón was the obvious beneficiary, but captain Javier Zanetti also grew more adventurous, making a series of surges into the heart of the Villarreal defence.
But then Stankovic sent in a rasping centre that found Martins at the back post and the 21-year-old flicked the ball into the empty net.
INTER MILAN: Toldo, Javier Zanetti, Cordoba, Samuel, Wome, Stankovic (Gonzalez 82), Veron, Cambiasso, Cesar (Materazzi 69), Recoba (Martins 28), Adriano. Subs not used: Julio Cesar, Cristiano Zanetti, Pizarro, Cruz. Booked: Recoba, Samuel, Veron. Goals: Adriano 7, Martins 54.
VILLARREAL: Viera, Javi Venta, Rodriguez, Pena, Sorin, Riquelme, Arzo (Quique Alvarez 60), Senna, Calleja (Santi Cazorla 87), Jose Mari (Franco 76), Forlan. Subs not used: Barbosa, Roger, Alcantara, Rubio. Booked: Senna, Sorin. Goals: Forlan 1.
Referee: Damien Ledentu (France).
