Ibrahimovic magic helps Inter beat Bologna

A fabulous backheel from Zlatan Ibrahimovic [Images] helped Inter Milan to a 2-1 home win over Bologna on Saturday and put the Serie A champions back on track after an awkward week.

The Sweden striker connected with Adriano's cross in mid-air and sent the ball flying inside the near post after 25 minutes.

Inter, who lost to AC Milan last weekend and drew with Werder Bremen in the Champions League in midweek, added a second just after the break when Adriano converted a penalty before a defensive mix-up allowed Bologna's Vangelis Moras to score.

Jose Mourinho's side have 13 points from six games and are level at the top with Lazio, who earlier drew 1-1 at home to Lecce thanks to substitute Simone Inzaghi's late strike.

The bit-part player, younger brother of AC Milan's Filippo, swept in at the far post a minute from time.

Promoted Lecce had gone ahead midway through the first half when forward Simone Tiribocchi netted with a powerful bouncing header after rising above the home defence.

If Lazio had won, they would have amassed their best points tally ever after six league games.

Inter's Mourinho, appointed in June after Roberto Mancini's sacking, was whistled by the crowd after the Werder draw and has faced criticism in the press for his favoured 4-3-3 formation.

He changed to 4-4-2 against Bologna, with wingers Ricardo Quaresma and Mancini supporting Ibrahimovic and Adriano up front.

They were far from fluent and were somewhat fortunate to go 2-0 ahead when Mancini's cross hit Bologna's Sergio Volpi on the foot and then the hand, prompting the penalty.

Bologna, who won at the San Siro on the opening day when they beat AC Milan 2-1, were presented with their goal when Javier Zanetti and Ivan Cordoba left the ball for each other and Moras stroked home after 56 minutes.

"This game is easy to analyse. One team had seven or eight chances and scored twice, the other created nothing and scored because we gave them the goal," Mourinho told Sky TV.

Inter's already stretched defence suffered another blow when Nelson Rivas went off injured in the second period.

The rest of the weekend matches take place on Sunday with improving Milan at pointless Cagliari and Juventus striker Amauri facing his old club Palermo in Turin.

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