Pizarro makes point to Jose

Pizarro: Celebrates in Milan

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Claudio Pizarro returned to haunt former manager Jose Mourinho as Werder Bremen claimed a point from their UEFA Champions League meeting with Inter Milan.

The Peru international, signed on a free transfer by Mourinho during the closing stages of his Chelsea career, levelled from close range in the second half after Maicon's cool opener for Inter in the Group B clash.

And Pizarro, who is on loan with Thomas Schaaf's Bundesliga side from the Stamford Bridge club, could even have won it at the death in the San Siro but volleyed wide with the goal at his mercy.

Inter almost scored in the opening seconds when Brazil striker Adriano volleyed acrobatically over the top from Zlatan Ibrahimovic's cross.

Adriano then turned provider for his team-mate as his deep cross reached Sweden international Ibrahimovic at the far post, but his powerful volley from a tight angle was deflected wide.

Inter were making all the early running and they took the lead in the 14th minute when Maicon burst clear to lob Tim Wiese.

Fortunate

The full-back took advantage of a fortunate ricochet after a mix-up between Frank Baumann and Sebastian Prodl as they attempted to cut out Mario Balotelli's pass to race clear and finish with aplomb.

Mourinho was forced to make a change with just 19 minutes on the clock with Nicolas Burdisso, who was sent off in the Milan derby defeat on Sunday, replacing Marco Materazzi, who also saw red while on the bench at the weekend.

Inter missed a great chance to make it 2-0 before the interval when they launched a quick break and Balotelli's lofted ball found Dejan Stankovic bursting clear.

But the midfielder's first touch took him wide and he skewed his shot into the side netting with Ibrahimovic in space behind him.

Pizarro was then within inches of levelling as Prodl's low cross from the right reached the Peru international on the edge of the six-yard box, but his bundled close range effort struck the post and somehow bounced away to safety.

Adriano's dangerous curling ball into the box towards Balotelli was then prodded goalwards by Petri Pasanen, with Wiese forced to make a finger-tip save from his team-mate moments before the half-time whistle.

Clipped

Mesut Ozil warmed Julio Cesar's hands early in the second period before Ibrahimovic flashed a half-volley from outside the area wide of the target.

Diego then showed quick feet to collect Pasanen's pass and volley goalwards from 20 yards, but again Julio Cesar was in the right place to save comfortably.

Werder then grabbed the equaliser their solid start to the second period deserved in the 63rd minute with former Chelsea striker Pizarro escaping at the far post to stab Prodl's curling cross home.

Moments after Naldo headed Diego's cross narrowly wide, Mourinho opted to make a change with Portugal international Ricardo Quaresma sent on in place of Stankovic.

Maicon was desperately close to restoring Inter's lead in the closing stages as he cut in from the right flank and unleashed a curling shot with the outside of his foot which clipped the outside of the upright.

Pizarro had a chance to win it at the death, but he fired into the side-netting after Julio Cesar could only parry Naldo's blistering free-kick.