Inter come back, three late goals: Cagliari beaten

CAGLIARI - Football is strange. It’s tough to work out, difficult to explain. Telling the tale of Inter’s trip to Cagliari is especially tricky because it was so packed with twists and tales. Inter did end up taking all three points in their fourth consecutive game in Serie A, but getting there was tortuous going at times. It seemed to be one of those days with Alessio Cragno looking absolutely unbeatable in goal for the home side - until the 77th minute that is. A bitter will certainly be Sottil’s opener, which gave the hosts the lead. The 77th minute saw the equaliser from former Rossoblù man Nicolò Barella. D’Ambrosio had only been on a minute and he headed Inter into the lead and Lukaku tucked it into an empty net to seal the win. We move onto 24 points in Serie A this season.

The Sardegna Arena was bathed in sun but whipped by a strong wind as Inter wanted to start the game on the front foot to send their rivals a clear message and wrap a fixture that was anything but simple. Eriksen, Darmian and Sanchez were all named in the starting XI by Antonio Conte. It was a promising start for the Nerazzurri, even if there were no real chances. From the tenth minute on, Inter began to really grind through the gears, repeatedly peppering the Cagliari goal.

However, Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno was in inspired form. An incredible battle developed between the Nerazzurri and the man between the sticks for the home side. Cragno first denied Lukaku - unleashed by Eriksen; the first of a string of spectacular saves. Again he thwarted the Belgian, getting down smartly to make the stop (14’). Inter created a plethora of chances; there was a lot of intricate inter-play between the forwards, the Nerazzurri full-backs bombed in to put crosses into the danger area and there were always options in the box. Sanchez’s header produced another fabulous save from Cragno, keeping the ball out with an outstretched leg. The Cagliari shot-stopper then denied the Chilean again, this time with a well-hit shot across the face of goal.

Only Inter really tried to play football. Cagliari couldn’t break out. They tried to give lone striker Pavoletti some much-needed support but were unable to get around him. Inter had six shots on target in the first 25 minutes, and Cragno made six saves. Much to Inter’s horror, Cagliari took the lead against the run of play (41’), tough to take for Inter, who had been well on top.

Sottil’s first effort was blocked by Skriniar, but he latched onto the rebound and volleyed home. It was a surprise lead for Cagliari, who even went close to doubling their lead through Pavoletti just before half time.

Starting the second half one-goal down required a complete reset, with the team forced to forget about the countless chances from the opening 45 and fight on with the same desire and hunger. It certainly wasn’t easy, as Cagliari continued to make life difficult for the visitors. However, the Nerazzurri were boosted by fresh legs, with Skriniar and Young soon joining the long list of players to test Cragno. Yet, the Rossoblu shot-stopper wasn’t as busy as the first half, while Handanovic continued to enjoy a quiet afternoon.

There wasn’t as much verve about Inter’s attacking play in the second half, although one got the impression that sooner or later the goal would come. Ultimately, it wasn’t until the 77th minute that Barella found the back of the net, firing in a sumptuous volley from just inside the area. It was a beautiful goal from Nicolò, scored in his home town against his former side.

This equaliser only pushed Inter on further, and it was then Danilo D’Ambrosio who scored the Nerazzurri’s second just a minute after coming on as a substitute. As was the case against Fiorentina, the full-back bravely nodded the ball home from the back post, with Barella this time getting the assist in the 84th minute. However, the match was all but over, with Cerri first missing a good chance before Cragno then raced up for a subsequent corner. It was this that led to Inter’s third, with Lukaku breaking away on the counter before skipping past Cragno and smashing the ball into an empty net. A winning goal that was a complete remake of Big Rom’s strike last season in Prague.

The final whistle soon went with Inter earning a 3-1 win, moving them up to 24 points in what was a positive response. Let’s keep this up… Forza Inter!

MATCH FEED

MATCH DETAILS | CAGLIARI 1-3 INTER

CAGLIARI (4-2-3-1): 28 Cragno; 24 Faragò (15 Klavan 68'), 40 Walukiewicz, 44 Carboni (9 Simeone 90'), 22 Lykogiannis; 8 Marin, 6 Rog; 25 Zappa, 10 Joao Pedro, 33 Sottil (18 Nandez 68'); 30 Pavoletti (27 Cerri 75').Substitutes: 1 Aresti, 31 Vicario, 12 Caligara, 14 Pinna, 17 Tramoni, 19 Pisacane, 21 Oliva, 23 Ceppitelli.Coach: Eusebio Di Francesco.

INTER (3-5-2): 1 Handanovic; 37 Skriniar, 6 de Vrij, 95 Bastoni (10 Lautaro 72'); 36 Darmian (15 Young 58'), 23 Barella, 77 Brozovic, 24 Eriksen (12 Sensi 58'), 14 Perisic (2 Hakimi 46'; 33 D'Ambrosio 83'); 9 Lukaku, 7 Sanchez.Substitutes: 27 Padelli, 97 Radu, 5 Gagliardini, 11 Kolarov, 13 Ranocchia.Coach: Antonio Conte.

Goalscorers: 42' Sottil (C), 77' Barella (I), 84' D'Ambrosio (I), 94' Lukaku (I)Bookings: Faragò (C), Darmian (I), Pavoletti (C)Added time: 2', 5'.

Referee: Pasqua.Linesmen: Bindoni, Raspollini.Fourth Official: Marinelli.VAR: Doveri.Assistant VAR: Giallatini.