Inter crush 10-man Magpies

Newcastle 1 Inter Milan 4

The volatile Welshman, who has already served a three-match ban for head-butting Dynamo Kiev's Tiberiu Ghioane, received his marching orders and the certainty of another lengthy and costly suspension just five minutes into the game for kicking out in retaliation at former Everton defender Marco Materazzi.

With his side already trailing to Domenico Morfeo's strike after just 66 seconds, Bobby Robson's side were left with a mountain to climb, and that task was to become more extreme before even half the game had elapsed.

Milan, who had scored only four goals in 10 European matches in England before last night, collected two more before the break, Almeyda blasting home the second from 25 yards and then Hernan Crespo adding a third in injury time.

Robson's 10-men, inspired by substitute Laurent Robert, rallied bravely after the break and got their reward when Nolberto Solano reduced the deficit with 18 minutes remaining.

But substitute Alvaro Recoba made certain of the points with a breathtaking 81st-minute strike less than half a minute after replacing Crespo.

The veteran Newcastle boss admitted he had not seen the incident which resulted in Bellamy being sent off but refused to defend the player and said the striker would be fined.

The game was barely a minute old when Javier Zanetti, in what was to become something of a regular occurrence, slipped away from Aaron Hughes and sent in a cross which Crespo could not convert at the near post but Morfeo did in emphatic style at the far.

Bellamy's moment of madness came four minutes later when, after Materazzi roughed him up, he lost his cool and flicked out a boot, earning the inevitable red card.

The home fans were furious with referee Stephane Bre, but the striker's tears as he left the pitch stung all the more for the realisation he had only himself to blame.

But little can they have expected to be put so firmly in their place before the break, Almeyda making it 2-0 with a 25-yard rocket on 35 minutes and then Crespo firing home at the near post in injury time.

Newcastle got their reward with 18 minutes remaining when the Frenchman split the Milan defence with a perfect ball to Solano, who slipped his shot under Toldo to give his side the faintest glimmer of hope.

It could have been even better two minutes later when Shearer slipped past Fabio Cannavaro wide on the right and pulled the ball back for Solano, but he could not control his left-foot shot as the black and white faithful collectively held their breath.

Roberto tested Toldo with a swinging free-kick, but Milan finally killed off United's mini-revival nine minutes from time when Stephane Dalmat combined with fellow substitute Recoba, who curled an exquisite shot past Shay Given to wrap up the points.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Griffin, O'Brien, Dabizas, Hughes (Caldwell 85), Solano, Dyer, Speed, Viana (Robert 45), Bellamy, Shearer.

INTER MILAN: Toldo, Javier Zanetti, Materazzi (Cordoba 15), Cannavaro, Pasquale, Okan

(Dalmat 66), Emre, Almeyda, Morfeo, Crespo (Recoba 80), Vieri.