Inter reach Italian Cup final with second leg draw

MILAN, Apr 11 (Reuters) Holders Inter Milan reached the Italian Cup final on Tuesday after a 2-2 draw at Udinese in the second leg of the semi-final.

The draw earned Inter a 3-2 aggregate victory. Inter will face the winner of tomorrow's tie between AS Roma and Palermo in the two-legged final. Palermo lead 2-1 from the first leg.

Argentine Santiago Solari, who scored in Inter's 1-0 first leg win, put Roberto Mancini's side ahead in the eighth minute.

The former Real Madrid winger made no mistake after a low cross from Pierre Wome was cleverly dummied by Julio Ricardo Cruz.

Inter had the best chances of a low key game, played in front of a sparse crowd on a workday afternoon.

Cruz fired over the bar from close range just after the break and Udinese keeper Morgan De Sanctis pulled off a fine double save to foil Walter Samuel.

Udinese brought the game alive in the 83rd minute when Christian Obodo burst into the penalty area and held off two Inter defenders before scoring.

Former Udinese favourite David Pizarro restored Inter's advantage by slotting home a low left-foot shot.

Udinese, struggling for Serie A survival, drew level in the 89th minute with a Vincenzo Iaquinta penalty after the striker had been impeded by Inter defender Marco Materazzi.

Brazilian keeper Julio Cesar saved the tie for Inter with a block in the final seconds from Piermario Morosini.

REUTERS PDS VC2132