New Inter coach off to thrilling start

Andrea Stramaccioni was overjoyed with his debut win as Inter Milan coach after his side edged Genoa 5-4 at San Siro yesterday.

The 36-year-old picked up a victory — Inter’s first home triumph since January 22 — on his Serie A coaching debut, with Diego Milito scoring a hat-trick.

“The most important thing is to have won,” Stramaccioni said.

“The fact it came in such a spectacular manner will please [club] president [Massimo] Moratti, as he did ask us to entertain him and at the end of the game he was with us in the changing room.”

Stramaccioni was promoted from youth team coach to the senior side this week to replace the sacked Claudio Ranieri at the helm.

Juventus reduced the arrears on AC Milan at the top to two points with a 3-0 win over fourth-placed Napoli.

Goals from Leonardo Bonucci, Arturo Vidal and Fabio Quagliarella provided the perfect response to Milan’s 1-1 draw with Catania on Saturday.

Napoli ended the game with 10 men after losing Juan Zuniga in the second half, and they joined fellow Champions League-chasing sides Udinese and Lazio in losing this weekend, leaving Roma, who came from behind to beat Novara 5-2 at the Stadio Olimpico, as the real benefactors.

In Spain, Jose Mourinho hailed Karim Benzema’s “goal from another world” as Real Madrid clocked up another impressive weekend win.

Real boast a six-point lead over Barcelona in La Liga after both sides claimed impressive wins on Saturday night.

Madrid brought up 100 league goals for the season in their 30th match after thumping sixth-placed Osasuna 5-1 at the Reyna de Navarra stadium.

Benzema gave Mourinho’s title-chasers a seventh-minute lead with a stunning volley from a Ronaldo run.

“We converted the first opportunity with a goal from another world,” the Madrid coach said. “And the second goal was fantastic, too.”

Ronaldo took his own tally to 37 for the league campaign with a brace, while Gonzalo Higuain also netted twice.

Portuguese star Ronaldo is confident Real can hold their nerve and win the title, despite having to travel to Barcelona in three weeks.

“I can’t imagine us losing this championship,” Ronaldo said.

Osasuna, who saw coach Jose Luis Mendilibar sent to the stands early on and substitute Roland Lamah red-carded late on, pulled a goal back through Nino just after half-time but they were already 3-0 down at the time.

Ronaldo’s goals lifted him two clear of Barca’s Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring charts, but the Argentinian reduced it back to one when he scored from the spot as his men beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0.

Andres Iniesta opened the scoring as Barca rarely had to leave second gear.

Afterwards coach Pep Guardiola singled out Javier Mascherano for credit saying the Argentina international would never leave the club as long as he was in charge.

“Javier is an almost unimaginable signing,” Guardiola said. “He’s the type of player that a manager wouldn’t trade for anything, and would never sell.”

Malaga’s bid for a Champions League spot suffered a blow as they slumped to a 2-0 home defeat to Andalusian rivals Real Betis.

Ruben Castro and Jose Dorado netted the goals in the final five minutes of the first half as Malaga, who could have moved three points clear in third place with a victory, suffered a rare defeat after winning five and drawing the other of their previous six matches.