Ranieri magic lifts Inter in Moscow

New Inter Milan coach Claudio Ranieri continued to work his magic as the 2010 European champions chalked up their first points in their Champions League Group B with a 3-2 win at CSKA Moscow here on Tuesday. Ranieri took over the Italian giants last week after Gian Piero Gasperini was sacked following a run of two defeats and a draw in their opening three Serie A games. The change worked wonders with a morale-boosting 3-1 Serie A win at Bologna followed by Tuesday night's success which erased memories of their shock 1-0 home defeat in their Champions League opener at the hands of Turkish side Trabzonspor. Brazilian defender Lucio and forwards Giampaolo Pazzini and Mauro Zarate scored as Inter recorded their fifth win over CSKA in as many Champions League meetings. Midfielder Alan Dzagoev and Brazilian forward Vagner Love were on target for the Red Army side. "In general it was a good match but the result is very dissappointing for us," CSKA manager Leonid Slutsky said. "We played good in attack but the defence made serious mistakes. "We allowed Inter too much in the beginning and failed to save the day. It's a pity to lose at home but we have nobody to blame except ourselves." The result lifted Inter into the group's second place equal on three points with Trabzonspor, who play French outfit Lille later Tuesday. Inter got off to a flying start after just six minutes on the synthetic pitch of Moscow's Luzhniki stadium when Lucio sent the ball into an unguarded net from the edge of the box after CSKA keeper Vladimir Gabulov failed to clear a well-served corner. In the 11th minute Nigerian halfback Joel Obi missed a chance to double Inter's lead, when he tried to send the ball in with a close-range header from Pazzini's right-handed cross but Gabulov held firm. CSKA replied positively pinning Inter back but the guests scored again in the 23rd minute when Yuto Nagatomo outplayed Vasily Berezutsky and slide into the Red Army's box to feed uncovered Pazzini, who sent the ball into the net from the five-yard distance. After the half-hour mark CSKA replied with a 17-metre attempt by Dzagoev, which was cleared by Julio Cesar. After a corner that followed the hosts Ivory Coast striker Seidou Doumbia could only send the ball into the woodwork. CSKA however managed to reduce arrears in the first half injury time, when Dzagoev beat Cesar with a well-executed 22-metre freekick precisely under the crossbar. After the interval CSKA moved up a gear and in the 48th minute Pavel Mamaev missed a clear chance to level as his 15-metre shot went just inches wide off the right post. The hosts continued testing Inter's defence and in the 77th minute Vagner fired in from the edge of the box past helpless Cesar to pull the scores level. But Zarate restored Inter's lead just a minute later scoring the winner from the edge of the area on Esteban Cambiasso's feeding pass. CSKA poured in attack seeking the equaliser but failed to save the day.