Inter defeated Dnipro 1-0 at the NSK Olimpiyskiy in their opening Europa League Group F fixture.
A close-range strike from Danilo D’Ambrosio in the second-half only three minutes after Dnipro captain Ruslan Rotan was sent off extended the Nerazzurri’s unbeaten run against Ukrainian sides to seven games.
Despite being unable to play in the city of Dnipropetrovsk for security reasons, there was a strong vocal support for last season’s Ukrainian Premier League runners-up at the Euro 2012 Final venue in Kyiv.
Inter have yet to concede a goal in their opening four matches in all competitions this season but goalkeeper Samir Handanovic was forced to beat away a powerful 25-yard strike from Yevhen Konoplyanka from the kick-off.
Both teams were involved in seven-goal fixtures at the weekend, however the early effort was the best attempt on goal by either side in the opening 25 minutes of the match with the Nerazzurri’s best opportunities coming from rehearsed free-kick routines that failed to materialise into clear scoring opportunities.
Konoplyanka was the Dnipryani’s main threat often coming inside from the left side and proving hard for Inter to pick up, but his side were unable to further test Handanovic and the well-organised Beneamata defence.
Zdravko Kuzmanovic had Inter’s first clear chance on 37 minutes but his header from a D’Ambrosio cross looped over the roof of the net.
Inter had a penalty appeal on the stroke of half-time as Fredy Guarin’s cross for Mauro Icardi appeared to hit Ondrej Mazuch on the arm, but German referee Felix Zwayer waved play on.
Guarin had an excellent opportunity to break for Inter the deadline five minutes into the start of the second-half after Hernanes chipped the ball over the top of Dnipro’s static defence, but his attempted header across goal for the far corner went over the top.
Dnirpo goalkeeper Denys Boyko then made a fantastic double save on 56 minutes as Juan Jesus’s long diagonal ball was cleared only as far as D’Ambrosio and he cut straight through the again static Ukrainian defence.
The wing-back stabbed shot at goal was saved by Boyko and he got back to his feet to block Icardi’s follow-up effort.
The game was significantly opening up as Konoplyanka curled a shot just wide of the post on 61 minutes and Inter coach Walter Mazzarri made an attacking change with Pablo Osvaldo replacing Kuzmanovic a minute later.
Dnipro captain Rotan was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Guarin on 67 minutes and Inter were immediately able to take advantage as they opened the scoring only minutes later through D’Ambrosio.
Artem Fedetskiy was caught deep in his own box after heading away Guarin’s cross and Mazuch and Ivan Strinic were slow to react as the Colombian headed the ball straight back to the 26-year-old, who spun before putting the ball past Boyko to score his second Europa League goal this season.
Dnipro substitute Nikola Kalinic had an ambitious acrobatic attempt following Fedetskiy’s cross from the right in the final ten minutes, but he ballooned the ball over the top of the goal.
