Fears leave Inter with fringe show

Leicester City 1 Internazionale

Such reassurances as had been given to Internazionale over safety issues for their on-off then on-again English tour plainly did not include high-profile policing.

If security was tight as the reluctant Italians arrived at the Walkers Stadium in Leicester last night, it was practically invisible. Spectators were warned not to leave bags unattended but the club had been determined that the game would go ahead in a relaxed atmosphere and had the full support of the authorities.

Also invisible were the majority of the Milanese club's better-known players, to the extent that the list of those not appearing was more interesting than the team-sheet submitted by Roberto Mancini, the Inter coach who played five times for Leicester in 2001. The Italian internationals Francesco Toldo and Christiano Zanetti, the Netherlands' Edgar Davids and the Argentinians Javier Zanetti, Julio Cruz and Juan Sebastian Veron were absentees, as were Ivan Cordoba, Obafemi Martins, Adriano and Alvaro Recoba.

The lawyers Leicester had put on standby, when they sensed a claim for cancellation damages, might have profitably touted for work among disgruntled fans, although some recognisable names turned up, among them Sinisa Mihajlovic, Dejan Stankovic, the former Everton defender Marco Materazzi and the new arrival from Real Madrid, Santiago Solari.

Mancini's assembly of fringe players were good enough to beat Leicester comfortably, Solari opening the scoring after 25 minutes, the Greek striker Lampros Choutos adding a second. Chris O'Grady scored a late penalty for Leicester.