Inter’s strong defence of the Serie A title continued as they came from behind to beat Fiorentina 3-1 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Tuesday.
The Nerazzurri were fortunate to go in at half-time only a goal down, courtesy of a Riccardo Sottil tap-in, after a dreadful display in the opening 45 minutes, but turned the game around after the break.
Goals in quick succession from Matteo Darmian and Edin Dzeko shortly after the interval turned the match on it’s head, whilst Inter took advantage of a late Nicolas Gonzalez red card to add a third through Ivan Perisic.
The turnaround saw Inter go top of the Serie A table ahead of the remaining fixtures of the fifth round and Simone Inzaghi’s side are looking a strong early bet to secure the Scudetto.
Unbeaten in the league so far, and with a last-gasp reverse against Real Madrid in the Champions League and a tight draw against Sampdoria the only blots, Inter are beginning to look formidable.
The Nerazzurri won the title last season after a dominant second half of the campaign and appear to have picked up where they left off, despite a disruptive summer that saw an overhaul of playing and coaching staff and a feeling that momentum could be lost.
Owners Suning have incurred the wrath of fans after financial woes saw disputes with title-winning coach Antonio Conte, and his subsequent resignation. Meanwhile, key figures in the Scudetto charge, Achraf Hakimi and Romelu Lukaku, were sold to Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea respectively.
This does not seem to have affected Inter’s competitiveness on the pitch though, with the Nerazzurri stepping up from a poor first half to earn a comprehensive victory against an in-form and dangerous Fiorentina.
As any title-winner will tell you, the manner of victory is not the most important factor, but rather ensuring that the three points come home with you. Inter may have won ugly and with an underwhelming performance for much of the game, but win they most certainly did and the points were on their way to Milan.
Inzaghi has worked the team into his mould and new acquisitions have hit the ground running, not least Lukaku’s replacement in Dzeko, who has struck four goals in five league games since arriving from Roma.
Despite the fears that Conte’s squad would be dismantled to protect the future of the club, Inter have retained plenty of depth, showcased by Matteo Darmian stepping in and finding the opener, and look as equipped as any team to last the course in the title race.
After a summer that threatened to suck all the joy and optimism out of a first Scudetto since 2010, Tuesday’s win over Fiorentina means Inter fans can start dreaming of that 20th league title and a second star once more.
