Sampdoria vs Inter 2-2: Inzaghi Takes Lead Twice but Samp Bounce Back

Sampdoria and Inter shared the spoils in the Serie A Sunday lunchtime game at the Marassi Stadium. Simone Inzaghi’s Nerazzurri took the lead twice, opening the scoring with a phenomenal Federico Dimarco free kick, but saw the courageous Blucerchiati bounce back in both occasions and even risk to win when Inter were forced to play the last 20 minutes with one man less – consequence of yet another injury picked up by Stefano Sensi. 

The Marassi battle was a vibrant affair, with a spectacular first half and a more calculated second period, when the match turned more into a nervous chess game when Sensi’s injury disrupted Inzaghi’s plans. All in all, both coaches could be happy about their sides’ performances – though Inter might be more disappointed as they risk losing contact with the top of the table already. 

Roberto D’Aversa set up his Sampdoria side with a 4-4-2 inherited from Claudio Ranieri, featuring a very experienced attacking duo in Fabio Quagliarella and Francesco Caputo – who were still goalless after two games though. 

Simone Inzaghi didn’t want to renounce to Lautaro Martinez even though El Toro was just back from his Argentina duties via a transcontinental flight. In absence of Alessandro Bastoni, the former Lazio coach also deployed Federico Dimarco as a left-center back in his three-man defense, alongside Stefan De Vrij and Milan Skriniar. That proved to be a good decision.

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Here's the starting 1⃣1⃣ chosen by #DAversa for #SampInter!#SerieATIM#FORZADORIA ?⚪️?⚫️⚪️? pic.twitter.com/z09cdw7AVQ

— Sampdoria English (@sampdoria_en) September 12, 2021

 

Sampdoria tried to put their footprint on the game by pressing hard and even using Caputo to attack the Inter midfielders and prevent them from making their game. Former Nerazzurro Antonio Candreva seemed to be the added weapon for the Blucerchiati with his crosses from the right side, even though the first chance of the match came from the opposite flank – courtesy of a Tommaso Augello suggestion for Morten Thorsby, whose header sailed above the bar.

On 18 minute, however, the Nerazzurri drew first blood. Inter gained a free kick from outside the Sampdoria box and, among the likes of Edin Dzeko or Hakan Calhanoglu, it was rather Dimarco to prepare for the conversion. The former Verona man conjured a formidable rocket into the top left corner of Emil Audero’s goal to put Inter in the driving seat.

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La perla di @FDimarco #SampdoriaInter 0️⃣- 1⃣@Lenovo @lenovoitalia
#InterXLenovo pic.twitter.com/0bXOkS9jeK

— Inter ??? (@Inter) September 12, 2021

Initially remissive, the Nerazzurri built on their lead and became more dangerous: Edin Dzeko served Lautaro Martinez, the Argentine bested his marker Maya Yoshida and whipped the ball towards Audero, finding the goalkeeper ready to answer.

Sampdoria’s Japanese center back became a protagonist a couple of minutes later, putting his stamp on the equalizer. From a corner kick headed twice by Inter’s defense, Yoshida volleyed the ball to find Edin Dzeko’s unlucky deflection that left no chance to Handanovic.

But right before half time, Nicolò Barella took the matter into his own hands with a thunderous progression along the right flank. The Azzurri‘s midfielder ended his run with a cross for Lautaro Martinez, putting the Argentine in the best condition to volley the ball home and send the Nerazzurri to the break on a one-goal lead.

Inter’s second goal originated from a ball lost by Mikkel Damsgaard to Hakan Calhanoglu that showed how the Danish starlet is still far from the great condition he showed at Euro 2020.

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Le immagini del primo tempo dal Ferraris #SampdoriaInter 1️⃣- 2️⃣ pic.twitter.com/uo4n286KHC

— Inter ??? (@Inter) September 12, 2021

It took less than two minutes after the restart for Sampdoria to draw level again. It was a goal similar to the Nerazzurri‘s second, with Bartosz Bereszynski producing himself in a brilliant feint on the right hand side before delivering the ball to his counterpart Augello on the opposite flank. Tommaso Augello’s volley conversion left Handanovic hapless. 

Inter’s reaction to that was furious and produced multiple chances in the space of a few minutes. First, Marcelo Brozovic served Ivan Perisic with a fine filtering pass, but the Croatian wingback missed the timing to service Dzeko, who was all alone and just ready to push the ball into the untended goal. Immediately after, Barella picked Lautaro in the box, but El Toro was miraculously anticipated by Adrien Silva before he could go one-on-one with the goalkeeper. On 54 minutes, Calhanoglu missed the target by few inches with a razor sharp shot from the edge of the box.

Simone Inzaghi wanted to win it and started to bring in more fresh forces: within 15 minutes, Danilo D’Ambrosio, Arturo Vidal, Joaquin Correa, Denzel Dumfries, and Stefano Sensi all made their entrance to the pitch. For Sampdoria, the young Kristoffer Askildsen replaced captain Fabio Quagliarella as D’Aversa switched to a more conservative 4-2-3-1 setup, showing that perhaps he was happy with salvaging at least one point.

Indeed, Sampdoria went even close to put their heads ahead on 73 minutes and it took a desperate clearance from D’Ambrosio right on the goal line to push back Damsgaard’s shot and save Inter.

But the visitors’ plans suddenly changed as Stefano Sensi picked up an injury (surprise, surprise). Having no substitutions left, Inzaghi asked the Azzurro to play as an offensive terminal rather than remaining with one man less in the last quarter of the game. Roberto D’Aversa tried to take advantage of the situation and added a new striker in Ernesto Torregrossa but the Nerazzurri managed to stay afloat also resorting to tough measures, with three players booked in the last few minutes.

Simone Inzaghi was up to start a Serie A campaign with three wins in a row for the first time in his career but will have to delay such an achievement once again. Sampdoria, on the other hand, finally managed to make it to the scorecard after two goalless games and took home an important point against the incumbent Italian champions. 

 

MATCH SCORECARD

September 12, 2021 – Serie A 2021-22 Round 3
SAMPDORIA – INTER 2-2

SCORERS: 18′ Dimarco (I), 32′ Yoshida (S), 44′ Lautaro Martinez (I), 47′ Augello (S)

REFEREE: Mr. Orsato from Schio
NOTES: Yellow Cards: Thorsby, Bereszynski, Silva (S), Brozovic, Dzeko, Correa, Vidal (I); Added Time: 1st Half 2′, 2nd Half 6′