Inter ensured their stay at top of the Serie A table with a 3-1 victory Spezia at the Stadio Alberto Picco. The Nerazzurri produced a pretty good display and opened the scoring through Marcelo Brozovic. The second half was a lot more entertaining with both teams playing their part. Lautaro Martinez scored Inter’s second goal before Giulio Maggiore pulled one back for Spezia.
However, it turned out to be a mere consolation as Alexis Sanchez scored the Nerazzurri’s third goal to put the match to bed.
Starting XIs: De Vrij Benched, Spezia Make One Change
Inter made a couple of changes from their victory over Verona with Danilo D’Ambrosio replacing Stefan de Vrij while Alessandro Bastoni was back in the lineup at the expense of Federico Dimarco.
Spezia made just the one change from their draw in Empoli with Viktor Kovalenko replacing Kevin Agudelo.
Brozovic Puts Inter Ahead
Inter dominated possession and were looking to attack but Spezia’s defense was well-organized. Hakan Calhanoglu tried to shoot from distance on a few occasions but was unable to find the net. The Nerazzurri opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark thanks to Brozovic’s powerful left-footed strike. The Croat played a fine ball towards D’Ambrosio. This was the Croat’s second goal of the season and his first in Serie A since May 2021 when he scored against Roma.
Spezia were forced to make a change in the 37th minute as Salvador Ferrer replaced Arkadiusz Reca who sustained an injury.
Martinez and Sanchez Score as Inter Win 3-1
Spezia made an additional change during the interval as they brought on Agudelo for Kovalenko. Inter were keen on doubling their lead and had a glorious chance early in the second half. Jakub Kiwior’s flick went towards Ivan Perisic who tried to shoot but his shot was way off target. Edin Dzeko was present nearby and might have found the net had the Croat not intervened.
Inzaghi made a number of changes as the second half progressed with Sanchez and Martinez coming on. The latter created a number of chances before finding the net in the 73rd minute. Perisic attempted a cross from the left flank and the Argentine managed to get a touch on it to send it into the back of the net. The Nerazzurri continued to put pressure on the Spezia defense but could not get a third goal.
Spezia also played their part in the second half with skipper Giulio Maggiore pulling one back with a superb right-footed strike. This was his very first goal of the season.
Inter found their third of the match in the dying minutes thanks to Alexis Sanchez who scored from Martinez’s pass.
The Nerazzurri won 3-1 but the match was an entertaining contest, particularly in the second half. Simone Inzaghi’s side showed their class at a crucial stage of the season and will be very motivated with the win ahead of the Milan Derby at the Coppa Italiia.
Spezia were resilient at times but the champions were just too good for them. The Aquilotti need to be more clinical in what will be five very difficult fixtures if they are to avoid relegation.
Inter are at the top of the Serie A table, having played a game more than rivals Milan. Spezia remain 15th in the standings, ten points clear off the relegation zone.
What’s Next for Inter and Spezia
Next up for Inter is the second leg of their Coppa Italia Semi Final tie against Milan with the first leg ending goalless. The Nerazzurri are yet to beat their city rivals this season and Tuesday’s match would be a fine occasion to triumph over them. Spezia travel to Turin for their fixture against Torino who have won only one out of five home fixtures in 2022 so far.
MATCH SCORECARD
April 15, 2022 – Serie A 2021-2022 Matchday 33
SPEZIA – INTER 1-3
SCORERS: 31′ Brozovic (I), 73′ Lautaro Martinez (I), 88′ Maggiore (S), 90+3′ Sanchez (I)
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SPEZIA (4-2-3-1): Provedel; Amian, Erlic, Nikolaou, Reca (37′ Ferrer); Kiwior, Maggiore; Gyasi, Kovalenko (46′ Agudelo), S. Bastoni (60′ Verde); Manaj (60′ Nzola, 70′ Antiste) (Zoet, Sala, Hristov, Nguiamba, Zovko, Bertola) Coach: Thiago Motta |
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INTER (3-5-2): Handanovic; D’Ambrosio, Skriniar, A. Bastoni (82′ De Vrij); Dumfries (75′ Darmian), Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu (75′ Vidal), Perisic; Dzeko (60′ Lautaro Martinez), Correa (60′ Sanchez) (Cordaz, Radu, Gagliardini, Kolarov, Ranocchia, Darmian, Carboni, Caicedo) Coach: S. Inzaghi |
NOTES: Yellow Cards: S. Bastoni (S), Nikolaou (S) ; Added Time: 1st Half 2′, 2nd Half 4′