Inter U23 lose 4 - 2 to Monopoli at the Breda

Inter U23 fell to a 4-2 defeat against Monopoli at the Breda on Matchday 10. It was a closely fought, action-packed encounter, with the visitors taking their chances and responding quickly after Zuberek had fired the Nerazzurri into an early lead. Vido and Scipioni turned the game around before half-time, before Vido struck again shortly after the restart. Fall and Zuberek added their names to the scoresheet in the closing stages, with the latter netting his second successive brace following his double away to Giugliano.The result leaves Inter U23 tenth in the standings on 13 points, with a game in hand. The Nerazzurri will be back in action on Saturday 24 October, when they face Sorrento.

THE MATCH

An autumn afternoon set the scene for Inter's return to the Breda, where they had last played on 20 September, beating Foggia 3-2. Vecchi's side started brightly and broke the deadlock after just seven minutes. Stante sent a long ball in behind the defence for Zuberek, who raced clear down the right and into the box before firing a superb low finish across Tommasi and into the far bottom corner. It was the Polish striker's third goal in his last two appearances.Inter's lead did not last long, however, as Monopoli hit back with their first real attack. Scipioni timed his run to perfection, catching the Nerazzurri defence off guard and reaching the ball ahead of Taho. The referee awarded a penalty following the contact, and Vido stepped up to convert, sending the Inter goalkeeper the wrong way to restore parity. After a breathless opening, the tempo settled as both sides regained their shape and looked to find openings through possession. Monopoli, however, completed the turnaround in the 24th minute. The visitors launched a swift counter-attack from an Inter corner, with a long ball releasing Scipioni, who stole a march on Avitabile, raced through on goal and rounded Taho before slotting into the empty net.Inter pushed for an equaliser and carved out three good opportunities before the break. Mancuso twice burst forward with purpose, only to see Tommasi deny him on both occasions, while Kaczmarski went close with a powerful right-footed strike from distance that flew just over the top corner.

Monopoli struck with the first attack of the second half, extending their lead with a goal that put them firmly in control. Cerretti whipped in a cross from the right, finding Vido unmarked in the middle of the box, and the striker turned the ball home to complete his brace. It was a major setback for Inter, who tried to regroup and mount a comeback but struggled to find a way through a Monopoli side that dropped deep and shut down the passing lanes. Vecchi brought on Lavelli, Sorino and Cerpelletti in an attempt to shift the momentum, but the Nerazzurri were limited to efforts from distance. Sorino dragged a low left-footed shot wide, Zuberek saw his effort deflected, and Lavelli tested Tommasi with a powerful strike from outside the box. Inter continued to push, but a breakthrough proved elusive.The closing stages brought a debut for Cararra and two further goals. Fall put the game beyond Inter's reach in the 83rd minute, before Zuberek pounced on a defensive error to pull one back in the 89th, completing his second successive brace.

INTER U23–MONOPOLI 2–4 | MATCH REPORT

Goals: 7’ Zuberek (I), 12’ Vido (M, penalty), 25’ Scipioni (M), 47’ Vido (M), 85’ Fall (M), 89’ Zuberek (I)

Inter U23 (3-4-2-1): 22 Taho; 15 Stante, 19 Prestia (80 Garonetti 80’), 86 Jakirovic; 2 Avitabile (37 Sorino 66’), 14 Bovo (4 Cerpelletti 66’), 7 Kaczmarski, 3 Marello; 29 Mancuso (45 Lavelli 66’), 99 Fumagalli (91 Carrara 83’); 11 Zuberek Substitutes: 1 Melgrati, 95 Raimondi, 5 Tosto, 16 Venturini, 23 Donato, 24 Re Cecconi, 27 Aidoo Head coach: Stefano Vecchi

Monopoli (3-5-2): 22 Tommasi; 16 Valenti, 6 Piccinini (5 Angileri 75’), 2 Pucino; 23 Cerretti, 8 Battocchio (19 Calcagni 60’), 15 Greco, 72 Cortinovis (10 Fall 60’), 33 Olivieri; 28 Vido (60 Gioielli 75’), 21 Scipioni (20 Sardo 81’) Substitutes: 1 Albertazzi, 7 Capone, 9 Bernardotto, 11 Belli, 13 Colombaro, 14 Tosi, 18 Paukstys Head coach: Alberto Colombo Bookings: -

Stoppage time: 2', 4'

Referee: Restaldo Assistant referees: Mititelu and Meraviglia Fourth official: Faye FVS operator: Schirinzi