Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Esteban Cambiasso have scored two goals apiece for Inter Milan while Marco Cassetti and David Pizarro scored for Roma to keep both Serie A sides on track for UEFA Champions League progression.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Esteban Cambiasso have scored two goals apiece as Inter Milan recovered from a bad start for a 4-2 win over CSKA Moscow that put them on the threshold of the UEFA Champions League knockout stages.

CSKA roared into a 2-0 lead with well-taken goals from Brazilian strikers Jo and Vagner Love inside the first half-hour.

But they had little time to enjoy the lead with Ibrahimovic and Cambiasso quickly hauling Inter level with goals in quick succession with only 33 minutes played.

Cambiasso struck again midway through the second half and then Ibrahimovic made the game safe for the Italian champions with a superb strike.

Inter had started well and Javier Zanetti appealed in vain for a penalty as he tumbled in the box.

Just as the Italian champions looked to be gaining the ascendancy, CSKA took the lead.

Love did well to tee up his fellow Brazilian Jo who lashed a ferocious left-footed shot inside the far post from just outside the area.

Inter tried to hit back and Ibrahimovic volleyed wildly over the bar after the ball was headed out to him on the edge of the box.

Ibrahimovic then tried his luck with a free-kick which was deflected wide and the Swede then had another close shave from the subsequent corner when his header hit Jo before going wide.

But then CSKA went 2-0 ahead with another classy finish. Jo released Love and the Brazilian did superbly well to elude challenges from Ivan Cordoba and Olivier Dacourt before scoring with his left foot.

Almost immediately, Inter reduced arrears when Cristian Chivu's free-kick escaped the CSKA defenders and Ibrahimovic sidefooted home from close range.

Before the CSKA players could gather their thoughts Inter were level. Cambiasso exploited a huge gap in the Russian defence to drill home from inside the area.

Love fired a shot wide for CSKA after 55 minutes but at the other end Hernan Crespo just failed to connect with a ball from Ibrahimovic with the Argentinian claiming in vain that his shirt had been pulled.

Ibrahimovic came close when he controlled well and lifted the ball over Igor Akinfeev but failed to find the target. Cambiasso then missed an even better chance for Inter when he headed wide at the far post.

Some clever play from Daniel Carvalho played in Love but Cordoba got in a crucial block.

Chivu curled a free-kick onto the roof of the CSKA net as they looked for a third goal.

It came after 67 minutes as substitute Julio Cruz flicked on Chivu's corner and Cambiasso crashed the ball home from close range.

Ibrahimovic ended any doubt about the outcome when he crashed home a superb goal from outside the area after turning sharply.

Ibrahimovic departed to a standing ovation and his replacement David Suazo missed a chance to add to Inter's lead.

David Pizarro has scored a last-minute leveller to keep Roma on track for UEFA Champions League progression.

The Italians were seemingly cruising to their third win in four Group F games when Marco Cassetti blasted Roma ahead after just four minutes, but goals either side of half-time from Liedson suddenly plunged Sporting into the driving seat in the race for second-place.

It was a position they held until the very last minute when, aided by two hefty deflections, Pizarro bagged the equaliser.

The result leaves Roma three points clear of Sporting in second place, while the latter, who need to finish third to guarantee UEFA Cup action, are four clear of Dynamo Kiev with two games to go.

Just four minutes had passed when Cassetti gathered the ball 18 yards from goal and drove low past Tiago Ferreira's right hand.

It was a stunning strike, if a little unexpected, but the game's pace did not slow after such a frantic start.

First, Daniele De Rossi collected possession following a flurry of fouls and blazed wide from distance and then Felipe Joao Moutinho drove straight into Alexander Doni's arms moments later.

More fouls followed as the tempo of the game became hard to judge, but beyond the half-chances spurned by Sporting duo Correa Anderson Polga and Liedson, the goalmouth incidents were few and far between.

When a clear opportunity presented itself in the 23rd minute, however, Liedsona made no mistake.

Confusion between Doni and defender Philippe Mexes appeared to be responsible for creating the opening and in the mix-up Liedson crept in and buried the loose ball from close range.

Thereafter, the pace slowed.

Simone Perrotta fired a speculative effort wide from distance, Marat Izmailov gave Doni an easy save, while Liedson proved himself not nearly so clinical from distance with an effort that went wide.

All in all it made for a tame finish to an energetic half, but the early signs in the second period were promising.

Felipe Joao Moutinho was the first to attack, driving a Sporting chance over the bar from distance in the 47th minute, while Miguel Veloso was similarly wayward from long range five minutes later.

Marat Izmailov eyed goal as the game entered its 56th minute, but like the effort of Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi two minutes later, it was not good enough to alter the score.

It was frustrating stuff for the fans, but Sporting's supporters soon had something to cheer when Liedson collected Izmailov's 64th minute corner and lashed the ball home.

Daniele De Rossi, meeting a Joao Cicinho cross, came close as Roma sought an immediate leveller, and Alessandro Mancini also blasted wide, but the pressure did not seem to be amounting to anything.

If anything, it instigated a purple patch of home possession, with Miguel Veloso, Moutinho and Polga trying their luck in the moments that followed, but the game was not over.

It was a fact that would be illustrated in cruel fashion one minute before the end of the 90 minutes.

Pizarro will take credit for the goal having propelled the shot from 35 yards, but ultimately deflections off two defenders ensured the Portuguese were denied.   PA SPORT

In Italian: Magie di Ibra: l'Inter vola

Che l’Inter potesse mettere un piede negli ottavi dopo la partita con il Cska era prevedibile. Ma una rimonta così, da 0-2 a 4-2, con almeno due gol bellissimi e un’autentica magia di Ibrahimovic, era fuori da ogni previsione in un momento così delicato della stagione. Le doppiette di Cambiasso e dello svedese, immenso, portano virtualmente i nerazzurri alla fase successiva della Champions. Di concreto resta la carica morale che una vittoria del genere può dare.

Roma ok all'ultimo assalto, A Lisbona finisce 2-2

La Roma barcolla, ma resta in piedi a Lisbona. Quando il capitombolo sembrava inevitabile. Al 90', quando Pizarro lascia partire un destro da fuori area senza troppo pretese, che deviato da Polga finisce in rete. L'autorete del 2-2. Che significa qualificazione più vicina. Con i tre punti di vantaggio sullo Sporting, frutto del 2-1 dell'andata, che restano intatti. Con il Manchester virtualmente già alla fase ad eliminazione diretta, il passaggio del turno sarà deciso dai prossimi incontri con la Dinamo (a Kiev, il 27 novembre) e all'Olimpico con i Red Devils. Ma la squadra di Spalletti è padrona del proprio destino. Una vittoria a Kiev significherebbe già qualificazione matematica.