Inter answer critics with win in Rome - Mihajlovic

Inter's assistant coach Sinisa Mihajlovic said his team had provided the perfect answer to a week of criticism after a goal by Hernan Crespo gave them a 1-0 win at Roma in Serie A on Wednesday.

Inter, and coach Roberto Mancini in particular, were heavily criticised after losing 1-0 to Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League and stumbling to a draw with Sampdoria in their last two games.

Despite some heavy spending in the transfer market, the Serie A giants had once again produced a team that was less than the sum of its talented parts, claimed their detractors.

"All this criticism - most of it unjust in my opinion - made us angry. But we turned that anger into something positive," said Mihajlovic, standing in at the post-match news conference for Mancini, who had lost his voice.

"We've got a great group of players. We showed that a couple of weeks ago (in the 3-2 win over Fiorentina) in Florence and now we've done it again here.

"To be able to take two wins from both away games gives us a big lift. It shows how strong we are, though obviously we've got to continue on this road."

The result gave Inter seven points from three matches, two behind leaders Palermo, who maintained their 100 per cent record with a 5-3 victory in the Sicilian derby against Catania.

Juventus's relegation to Serie B and the eight-point penalty inflicted on Milan in the match-fixing scandal has put huge pressure on Inter to win the scudetto this season.

"We knew that at the first false step they would be on to us, but we didn't let that bother us," said Mihajlovic.

"We trained well this week, we were focused, and I think that showed tonight."

Rome's 65,000-seater Olympic Stadium was nearly full for the match - billed as a showdown between the main title contenders.

Roma were without influential midfielder Rodrigo Taddei, who was injured, but were brimming with confidence after comfortable wins over Livorno and Siena in their opening two matches.

Their captain, Francesco Totti, was the first player to force a save, firing a free-kick under the wall that Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar kept out with his legs.

An injury to winger Mancini in the 25th minute, however, turned a finely-balanced contest Inter's way.

A minute before half-time Argentina's Crespo jinked round defender Philippe Mexes on the left of the area before angling in a shot that went through the legs of Roma keeper Doni.

Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic could have made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 53rd minute, after Crespo was pulled down by Mexes, but the former Juve striker missed.

Inter again went close late on when Javier Zanetti hit the post with a long-range effort.

"One-nil is a misleading result because we created at least seven or eight good chances, while they barely had a shot," said Mihajlovic.

"We also missed a penalty and hit the post. I think we could have been three-up at the end and no-one could have had any complaints."

Roma coach Luciano Spalletti, meanwhile, was left to reflect on what might have been.

"Mancini and Taddei together give mobility to our attack - they are also very unpredictable," he said.

"Without both we were seriously weakened. But I don't want that to take away from Inter's performance. They deserved to win tonight."