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ROME - PHILIPPE Mexes and Simone Perrotta scored to give AS Roma a 2-1 win over Serie A champions Inter Milan at Rome's Stadio Olimpico on Saturday to retain the Italian Cup.
French defender Mexes glided unmarked into the area to smack a David Pizarro corner past the near post and open the score in the 35th minute.
Italy midfielder Simone Perrotta scored after a one-two with Montenegro forward Mirko Vucinic to double Roma's lead in the 53rd.
Inter's Portuguese midfielder Pele, on as a substitute, pulled a goal back just before the hour with a remarkable shot from 25 metres out from a corner clearance.
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano handed the trophy to Roma captain Francesco Totti, who was unable to play because of injury.
Roma surged forward in the opening period and Perrotta had a powerful strike deflected away from goal early on.
Dejan Stankovic hit Inter's first shot on target in the 13th minute, but the Serbia midfielder's attempt from outside the box was too central to trouble Roma keeper Doni.
Roma continued to create more danger and it took some desperate defending from Cristian Chivu to deny Perrotta from close range shortly after.
Brazilian Doni produced a fine save to keep out a right-footed strike from outside the area by Brazilian defender Maxwell in the 25th but Roma were soon back on the offensive.
Vucinic could not quite get enough boot on a Marco Cassetti cross before an Mexes struck.
Roma looked sharper after the break too and extended the advantage with Perrotta, although Inter protested that Cassetti committed a foul when stealing the ball earlier in the move.
Nicolas Burdisso almost equalised four minutes after Pele's goal when the Argentine defender hit the post with a header.
Otherwise Roma hung on to their lead without too much suffering to gain some revenge for finishing runners-up to Inter in the league for the second year on the trot last weekend and match Juventus's record of nine Italian Cup victories.
Saturday's match was the fourth successive Cup final between the teams. Roma beat Inter 7-4 on aggregate last season, when it was contested over two legs, not in a single match, with Inter triumphing the previous two years.
There is intense speculation that Saturday's match could be Roberto Mancini's last in the Inter dugout with Chelsea given as a possible destination after the coach made no public comment since securing a third consecutive Serie A title last Sunday.
The game may also be Franco Sensi's last as president of Roma, as Italian media have reported that American billionaire George Soros is poised to take over the club next week. -- REUTERS
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