Twice VAR almost denied Inter, but a late Marcelo Brozovic strike gave them a 1-0 win over Sampdoria at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
Radha Nainggolan had the ball in the back of the net at the end of the first half, but after some deliberation, the referee Marco Guida decided there was an offside in the build up. Then in the 87th minute a Kwadwo Asamoah rocket looked like it took all three points back to Milan, but again the referee consulted VAR and disallowed the goal.
A crazy end to the game saw Sampdoria have the ball in the net thanks to Defrel, but he was offside as the ball was played through. But Brozovic grabbed the three points in the 94th minute of the game.
Things had started well from the Blucerchiati, as Fabio Quagliarella had his initial shot blocked, before the ball fell to Karol Linetty whose effort from distance deflected wide. Quagliarella and Defrel both had tame shots for Sampdoria as Inter struggled to break though the home side’s defence.
Then, just before half time, Nainggolan tried his luck from the edge of the penalty area and the ball squirmed though a forest of legs and into the bottom corner, but it was later ruled out by VAR for an offside in the build up.
After the break a raking long ball from Marcelo Brozovic found Candreva on the right and he cut inside to then unleash a curling effort which struck the inside of the far post.
Inter dominated the second 45 minutes with Icardi heading wide from close range, then Milan Skriniar heading over the crossbar from a corner. It looked like Candreva would give Inter the lead. However, his vicious volley pulled a fine save from Emil Audero. Then Icardi put another headed chance wide of goal.
Chances were ever rarer for Samp, but Quagliarella did try his luck from distance with the ball fizzing wide of Handanovic’s left-hand post.
In a crazy end to the match, Asamoah had a goal ruled out after VAR review, then Defrel had same happen at the other end, before Brozovic took an Ivan Perisic cross down inside the penalty area and struck to give Inter victory.
EVERY LITTLE HELPS
In the end Inter got the three points but it wasn’t without drama. Two goals chopped off after VAR intervened, and a dramatic ‘pizza Inter’ style win. However, for the majority Inter were predictable. Running down the flanks and whipping balls into the box. They went close a number of times, but still the lack of nouse in the final third is apparent, though it is getting better. Nainggolan was operating close to Icardi and Politano allowed to drift infield as well which added a little more to the Nerazzurri attack.
QUIET KWADWO
More might have been made of some of the other signings this summer, but Asamoah’s acquisition should definitely be considered a masterstroke. He never got forward as much as maybe he would have wanted, but at the back he was a rock. Very little got past him, which in turn made Skriniar and Miranda more comfortable, as well as the midfield in front of him. A class act.
