Inter Milan 1-0 Lazio
Inter Milan are back on top of the Serie A table as they edged out Lazio 1-0 at the San Siro. However, they were a bit fortunate to snatch all three points.
As predicted in the SBOBET preview of this match, Lazio gave the leaders a tough test and could’ve come away with at least point if not for some poor finishing coupled with goalkeeping heroics from Inter skipper Samir Handanovic.
Thanks to their captain — who is fittingly nicknamed “Batman” — the Nerazzurri have now won their first five games of the season and are two points clear of rivals Juventus.
The defending champions still have the best Serie A 2019 odds to win the title, but with each passing week, Inter are looking more and more like a legitimate challenger.
Highlights of the game
The first 20 minutes of this match were rather forgettable as neither team was able to produce a single shot on goal. Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi made big Serie A 2019 news as he decided to start with star striker Ciro Immobile on the bench, which didn’t help the visitors’ attack.
It took until the 23rd minute for the first attempt on goal to arrive. It fell to Inter, and they capitalised on that chance to take the lead.
A brilliant cross from wing-back Cristiano Biraghi was expertly met by the opposite wing-back, Danilo D’Ambrosio, who made a great run into the six-yard box and won the header over Lazio’s Jony to put the hosts in front.
Lazio very nearly got back to level terms in mere seconds. Joaquin Correa uncorked a brilliant curling effort at the edge of the penalty area which seemed destined for the top corner. But Inter keeper Samir Handanovic lived up to his “Batman” nickname by coming up a brilliant acrobatic save.
It was Inter’s turn to threaten a few minutes later. Romelu Lukaku tried his luck with a thumping strike from distance, which went just wide.
On 34 minutes, another glorious chance fell to Correa. The Argentine was sent through on goal by strike partner Felipe Caicedo, but his attempted chip on Handanovic went well wide. And despite Correa going to ground after his attempt, no penalty was awarded.
Correa would be denied yet again by Handanovic a minute later. The Inter keeper got down quickly to his right to save the Lazio forward’s shot from 12 yards out. And to cap off a brilliant first-half performance, Handanovic would make another save on Michel Bastos right at the stroke of half-time.
Five minutes into the second half, Correa would squander yet another great opportunity to equalise. He was left completely unmarked at the six-yard box off a corner, but he somehow failed to get his header on target.
Inter very nearly made the visitors pay for their wastefulness near the hour mark but were denied by a brilliant double save by Lazio’s Thomas Strakosha.
Nicolo Barella found himself one-on-one with the Lazio keeper, who made the stop. And as the rebound found its way to Matteo Politano, Strakosha made a tremendous recovery to save again with his leg.
Inter continued to look for that crucial second goal to seal the win. Stefano Sensi and Lukaku tried their luck from distance, but both saw their attempts sail high over the bar.
Inter also brought on strikers Alexis Sanchez and Lautaro Martinez in the final few minutes. But they weren’t needed in the end as the Nerazzurri hung on to claim another three points which sent them back to the top of the table.
Key statistics
After a slow start to proceedings, the match did eventually get going and produced a fair number of shots. Inter had the edge with 15 shots to 10 as well as 64 per cent of possession.
But Lazio had four shots on target to Inter’s three. Correa was responsible for three of those shots on target and had six overall.
Unfortunately for Lazio, though, he was unable to capitalise on any of those chances, which could’ve earned them a well-deserved point.
On the Inter side, their star strikers were also off the mark. Lukaku had four shots and Lautaro Martinez had three after coming on as a sub, but none of those seven shots were on target.
Meanwhile, Handanovic made his 300th appearance for Inter, and he marked the occasion with a brilliant Man of the Match performance.
What’s next?
After playing four consecutive home games, Inter will now play back-to-back matches away from the San Siro. First, they pay a visit to Sampdoria in Serie A this weekend. Then, they travel to the Camp Nou to face a Barcelona side that could be without Lionel Messi.
Meanwhile, Lazio will have back-to-back home games coming up. They host Genoa in the league this weekend before taking on Rennes in the Europa League in midweek.
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