Champions League: David Pizarro's 49th minute free-kick gave Inter Milan a 1-0 win over Rangers in their Champions League Group H match played in an empty San Siro last night.

Julio Cruz struck a penalty against the post in the 38th minute and Santiago Solari missed a sitter for Inter after Pizarro's strike in a game that Inter never looked in danger of letting slip.

Inter were playing the second game of a four-match ban on supporters imposed after crowd trouble at their Champions League quarter-final with AC Milan last season.

Rangers looked solid at the back and organised in midfield but lacked the guile to open up an Inter defence marshalled by Marco Materazzi and Argentine Walter Samuel.

Inter now lead Group H with six points after Porto fell to a surprise 3-2 home defeat by Slovakia's Artmedia Bratislava.

Inter should have taken the lead in the 38th minute when they were awarded a penalty after Cruz was brought down inside the area, Rangers keeper Ronald Waterreus catching his trailing leg. The Scottish side received a let-off when the Argentine fired his penalty against the post.

Four minutes after the half-time break Pizarro's firmly struck free-kick deflected off Fernando Ricksen in the Rangers wall and zipped past Waterreus.

Solari should have wrapped the game up in the 73rd minute when substitute Alvaro Recoba presented him with the simplest of chances. With the goal at his mercy the Argentine miscontrolled and the ball bobbled harmlessly out of play.

INTER MILAN: Julio Cesar; Cordoba, Samuel, Materazzi, Wome, Figo (Ze Maria 75), Pizarro, Cambiasso, Solari (Gonzalez 84), Martins (Recoba 60), Cruz. Subs not used: Toldo, Stankovic, Adriano, Favalli. Booked: Figo, Cordoba. Goal: Pizarro 49.

RANGERS: Waterreus; Ricksen, Rodriguez, Kyrgiakos, Bernard, Namouchi (Thompson 89), Ferguson, Murray (Nieto 84), Lovenkrands, Buffel (Jeffers 78), Prso. Subs not used: Klos, Andrews, Malcolm, Pierre-Fanfan. Booked: Waterreus.

Referee: Kyros Vassaras (Greece).