CM 97/98 The Wandering Bison – Episode 12

A tale of cigarettes, grappa, time travel and hopefully goals

Season 12 – 2008/09

European Championship winner and golden boot, Dario “Bisonte” Huber begins his second season with Inter, hoping to go one better and win the Serie A title. However before the league season can get underway it’s Champions League qualification round 1. Rangers are the opponents. Dario gets a goal, Inter win 4-0.

Despite it looking as though Champions League football was a forgone conclusion after the first leg, an inspired Rangers side arrive at the San Siro and almost send Inter crashing out before it even really started. Fortunately they couldn’t get that much needed sixth goal, it was a tense 14 minutes at the end.

The Coppa Italia 2nd round offers Dazza and the boys with the perfect opportunity to build some confidence after the Rangers debacle.

After starting the season over a month ago, with some up and down results, including losing 2-3 to Juve the Suppercoppa Italia after Denilson scored two in the last ten minutes. The first league match goes surprisingly well, the only blip is Dazza’s 50 p foot making an appearance from the penalty spot.

Inter’s Champions League group is a tough one, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Dinamo Kiev. Kiev are the first opponents, unfortunately 50 p foot strikes again and Inter draw a game they should and need to win.

Despite the up and down results, Hubs is tracking along nicely and he gets another against Udinese.

A change of formation to a 3-2-3-2 sees Lazio demolished.

Followed by another five goals, away to Ancona

And four more against Bayern.

Followed by another five against Napoli, just the 19 goals in four games then.

Obviously all this scoring and winning can’t continue, the next game is a dull 2-2 draw with Bari, followed by a 0-2 loss to Dazza’s old pals at the Nou Camp.

Inter get back to winning ways against Bologna, and you guessed it, another five goals scored.

Dazza has been scoring freely this season, but he is yet to bag a hat-trick, mostly due to his inability to slot home a penalty. That all changes against Cesena in the 3rd round of the Coppa Italia.

Three more goals follow, away to Sampdoria.

Inter get the result against Kiev that they should have got in the reverse fixture, the final two games against Barca and Bayern will be important, they will need all the points they can get for a top runner up slot.

Juve are a continuing thorn in our side, in an even game Inter lose 0-1. That result is quickly forgotten, Inter making the long journey to the away end of the San Siro.

Unfortunately our next game is a disappointing 1-1 draw with Bayern, meaning Inter have eight points after five champions league matches, even if we beat Barca eleven won’t be enough for us to get through.

The poor form continues in the Coppa Italia, Genoa with two away goals, in an entertaining draw.

Inter are back on song in the game against Reggiana, it’s another five-er.

The team should have saved some of those goals for the following game, despite bombarding the Genoa goal the match ends 0-0 and Inter are out of the Coppa Italia as well as the Champions League. With only the Serie A left to focus on can they secure at least one trophy this season?

A couple more wins, with a loss to Palermo sandwiched in between takes us to the half way stage of the season. Inter have a six point lead at the top, scoring 52 goals in 17 games, an average of just over three goals a game.

Inter haven’t scored five goals in a game, so spurred on by a 64th minute OG from Bari, Hubs and Bri get a couple of late goals to secure another one.

A nice 3-0 win against Torino a week later is followed by an unusual 1-0 win against Udinese, Dida almost pulling off a super keeper move against Inter, Dazza had other ideas.

Inter are flying at the moment, Ancona the next victims of this relentless attacking football.

Inter fans are left in shock, when they travel to Naples. No shock in the result, a W for Inter just in the goals and lack there of from a certain player.

It’s March before Inter lose again, the classic 0-1 after battering a team for 90 minutes, only for them to score with their only chance! Parma the lucky victors in this case. Dazza rights those wrongs the following with a brace in a 2-1 away to Bologne.

Another couple follow against Sampdoria a week later.

Despite dominating most teams this season, Juve are still a different kettle of fish. Once again Denilson proving to be a thorn in Inter’s side.

Milan experience the full bounce back ability of local rivals Inter, it’s another five, again, thanks in part to an OG.

For the first time in a long while, Inter are on the wrong end of a thumping. Cagliari score four and Amoroso (Zola regen) can only get a consolation goal.

Another bounce back is needed, Castel di Sangro have made it all the way to Serie A (there is a great book about their first ever season in Serie B, The miracle of Castel di Sangro, by Joe McGinniss) but they leave the San Siro well beaten.

Inter score seven again, this time Dazza manages to get himself a solitary goal.

Inter have to play the last two games of the season without Hubs. He gets himself injured during the 3-1 win against former club Venezia. Inter win their last two games, 3-2 against Palermo and 3-1 against Fiorentina.

That rounds off a relatively quiet season for Inter, they were only really competing in the league, making the most of only having to play weekly, scoring 100+ goals in Serie A is an achievement.