Lazio 2 - 1 Inter: Young's first goal not enough

ROME – After a tough encounter from start to finish, the Nerazzurri suffered their second defeat of the season on Sunday. Lazio were the eventual victors at the Stadio Olimpico, maintaining an unbeaten streak that dates back to D’Ambrosio’s winner at San Siro in September. The Biancocelesti triumphed thanks to a second-half comeback at the Stadio Olimpico, with goals from Immobile and Milinkovic-Savic cancelling out Young first’s goal in Serie A. 

Conte returned to the pairing of Lautaro Martinez and Lukaku for this latest fixture, while Padelli retained his spot in between the sticks. Godin, de Vrij and Skriniar lined up in defence, while Candreva and Young started out on the flacks. Meanwhile, the midfield was made up of Vecino, Brozovic and Barella. As for Simone Inzaghi, he was without Lulic due to injury, while Radu returned from suspension and Jony started on the wing. Elsewhere, Caicedo teamed up for Immobile up front and Luiz Felipe and Acerbi started in defence. 

The teams both set up in identical 3-5-2 formations, although Inter enjoyed a more attacking start to the match. Their first chance fell to Godin on what was his 34th birthday, although his header from a Candreva cross missed the target. Lazio soon responded through Milinkovic-Savic, who crashed a long-range effort off the crossbar in the fifth minute. 

The Nerazzurri soon picked up the pace and Candreva nearly set up Lautaro in the 17th minute although Luiz Felipe made the interception. This was then followed by a lethal counter-attack from Brozovic and Lukaku two minutes later,  with the Belgian testing Strakosha for the first time. As the game’s pace shot up, Luiz Alberto was the next player to try his luck, although he also missed the target. Candreva was a constant threat throughout the first half, and he earned the visitors yet another corner in the 30th minute after a pass from Vecino. 

This pressure soon paid off in the 44th minute, as Inter made the breakthrough. Ashley Young was the man with the goal, as he fired in a rebound after an initial strike from Candreva. With what was his first strike in Serie A, the Nerazzurri entered the break one goal up.  

The second half began with a huge setback, as Lazio levelled the scores after just five minutes: Immobile scoring from the spot after Rocchi blew for a foul from de Vrij. Inter reacted well with Lukaku, our no.9 first firing over the crossbar and then seeing his shot off Lautaro’s through ball blocked out for a corner. Young made a break into the Biancocelesti box, but this time Luiz Felipe did well to keep him out. Despite all this good work, it was Lazio who scored next, Milinkovic-Savic slotting past Padelli after the ball pinballed around the box in the play following a corner. Inter looked to bounce back, but Young’s cross in for Lukaku was read well by Strakosha.

Eriksen and Moses came on as Conte tried to turn things around, and our new Danish signing made an impact straight away as his powerful effort tested Strakosha; Young picked up the rebound and squared it for Lautaro, but despite our Argentine’s header into the net, the goal was ruled out for offside. Immobile came close to killing the game off with just five minutes to play, but Padelli pulled out a miracle save to keep Inter in with a chance. The Nerazzurri so nearly found an equaliser in the 90th minute as Lukaku was played in by Eriksen, but our Belgian’s powerful effort was closed down by Acerbi.

Inter gave everything they had in search of an equaliser in the five minutes of added time, but it simply wasn’t to be and the Nerazzurri fell to defeat for just the second time in this league campaign. Their next match sees them in action in the Europa League round of 32, as the Nerazzurri face Ludogorets away on Thursday 20 February.

LAZIO 2-1 INTER

LAZIO (3-5-2): 1 Strakosha; 3 Luiz Felipe, 33 Acerbi, 26 Radu; 77 Marusic, 21 Milinkovic-Savic, 6 Leiva (32 Cataldi ’80), 10 Luis Alberto, 22 Jony (29 Lazzari 63’); 17 Immobile, 20 Caicedo (11 Correa 63’).

Subs: 23 Guerrieri, 24 Proto, 4 Patric, 5 J. Lukaku, 11 Correa, 15 Bastos, 16 Parolo, 28 A. Anderson, 29 Lazzari, 32 Cataldi, 34 Adekanye, 93 Vavro. Coach: Simone Inzaghi

INTER (3-5-2): 27 Padelli; 2 Godin (7 Sanchez ’86), 6 de Vrij, 37 Skriniar; 87 Candreva (11 Moses 76’), 8 Vecino, 77 Brozovic (24 Eriksen 76’), 23 Barella, 15 Young; 9 Lukaku, 10 Lautaro.Subs: 1 Handanovic, 35 Stankovic, 46 Berni, 7 Sanchez, 11 Moses, 13 Ranocchia, 20 Borja Valero, 24 Eriksen, 32 Agoumé, 33 D'Ambrosio, 34 Biraghi, 95 Bastoni.

Coach: Antonio Conte.

Goalscorers: 44’ Young, 50’ Immobile, 69’ Milinkovic-SavicBookings: de Vrij (I), Leiva (L), Luiz Felipe (L), Godin (I), Milinkovic-SavicAdded time: 3’, 5

Referee: RocchiAssistants: Alassio, CostanzoFourth official: PasquaVAR and VAR Assistant: Mazzoleni, Vivenzi