Cruz missile hits Spartak

Inter Milan's Julio Cruz celebrates with Portuguese midfielder Luis Figo (L) after scoring against Spartak Moscow during their Champions League group B football match at Luzhniki stadium in Moscow. Inter won 1-0.

Italian giants Inter Milan kept their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League alive as a Julio Cruz goal gave them a 1-0 win over Spartak Moscow in their Group B clash.

Cruz, who scored the two goals in their win over Spartak a fortnight ago, struck within a minute of the start and that was just enough despite a spirited showing from the Russians to put them second in the group on six points after four matches.

However Sporting Lisbon have the chance to retake second spot if they beat unbeaten Bayern Munich in Munich later on Tuesday - defeat for Spartak means they have virtually no chance of progressing with just one point and leaves them winless in 22 Champions League matches.

Inter opened the scoring almost as early as they did in their first meeting a fortnight ago as Zlatan Ibrahimovic got the better of the bounce and the stockinged Swedish star looked up and passed inside to Cruz who had no trouble in slotting the ball into the net marginally a bit later than when he did in the first clash.

Spartak Moscow's goalkeeper Dmitri Khomich (L) catches the ball next to Inter Milan's Julio Cruz (R) during their UEFA Champions League group B football match in Moscow. Inter won 1-0.

Spartak did not wither in the freezing conditions and indeed went on the offensive, as they needed to, but although they had more shots than Inter on goal only Mozart - seven goals already this season in the domestic league - seemed on tune as he forced a save from goalkeeper Julio Cesar in the 27th minute.

Indeed it was Cruz who almost doubled the lead in the 32nd minute as the Argentine international was slipped free by a brilliant ball from Dejan Stankovic and though free on goal he dragged his shot wide of the far post.

The hosts' coach, the lugubrious looking Vladimir Petotor, opted to throw caution to the wind at the start of the second-half by replacing Argentinian defender Clemente Rodriguez with his compatriot striker Fernando Cavenaghi coming on.

However it was Inter that should have scored a second just over a minute into the second-half as Luis Figo delivered a superb cross but Ibrahimovic inexplicably missed with a free header just six yards out.

Inter Milan's Dejan Stankovic (R) fights for the ball with Spartak Moscow's Roman Pavlyuchenko during their Champions League group B football match at Luzhniki stadium in Moscow. Inter won 1-0.

Spartak, though, were playing some sparkling football with Mozart pulling the strings in midfield threading passes through to his strikers, though, they were unable to really test Julio Cesar.

Ibrahimovic, though, showed more of his sublime skill in the 56th minute as the Swede delivered a delightful return ball to Maicon but the Brazilian's shot was blocked by Spartak's Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Kowalewski.

The hosts came agonisingly close to an equaliser in the 66th minute as Roman Shishkin got free down the right and put in a brilliant diagonal ball into the area which evaded the Inter defenders but Yegor Titov with only Julio Cesar to beat could only get the slightest of touches and the ball rolled over the line.

In an enthralling end to end match it was Inter that had the next shot on goal as Figo, increasingly influential despite his advancing years, evaded his marker and released Ibrahimovic but the Swede found Kowalewski equal to the task of saving his fierce effort.

Figo's role, though, was soon to end as Inter coach Roberto Mancini decided to go more on the defensive sending-on Italy World Cup winning defender Fabio Grosso.

It looked as if that had not worked when Shishkin unleashed a stunning long range shot from around 35 yards which beat Julio Cesar all hands up with 13 minutes remaining but his effort was denied by the crossbar.

An increasingly perky Spartak again went close to the equaliser with under 10 minutes remaining as Titov put in a superb cross from the left and only Julio Cesar's brave charge distracted Radoslav Kovac enough for the Czech defender to place his header just over the bar.