Eto'o fires Inter into Coppa Italia final

FC Internazionale Milano booked their place in the Coppa Italia final for the sixth time in seven seasons after a 1-1 draw with AS Roma earned Leonardo's side a 2-1 aggregate victory at San Siro.

It was always going to be a tall order for the Giallorossi to overcome the six-time winners in Milan, particularly after Samuel Eto'o had doubled the hosts' aggregate lead three minutes into the second half. Yet Marco Borriello's late header gave the visitors a lifeline and made for an exciting last few minutes as Vincenzo Montella's team sought the away goal that would have taken them to the final at their Stadio Olimpico.

Trailing to Dejan Stanković's first-leg goal, Roma made all the running before the break, with Borriello firing over and Daniele De Rossi sending a curling effort narrowly wide. However, it was the Beneamata who broke the second-leg deadlock when Eto'o stroked his 50th Inter goal past Doni.

The holders could have doubled their lead soon afterwards when Giampaolo Pazzini brought a good stop from Doni after controlling a long ball, while Diego Milito was also denied by the Brazilian goalkeeper having cut inside his marker. At the other end, Júlio César also impressed the home crowd with a wonderful reaction save from Borriello, who subsequently fired a shot off both posts.

Had that gone in, Borriello's late header, from Simone Perrotta's cross, would have counted for more than a mere consolation. In the end, though, the night belonged to Eto'o and Javier Zanetti, whose 1,000th competitive appearance ended on a high note, and the chance for the 37-year-old to lift his fourth Coppa Italia on 29 May, when Inter face US Città di Palermo in Rome.