Lautaro Martinez scored his first Serie A goal at San Siro for eight months to eventually break down Venezia with a huge late scare and take Inter within a point of leaders Napoli.
The Nerazzurri had Hakan Calhanoglu, Francesco Acerbi and Kristjan Asllani not fully fit, with Carlos Augusto out of action, so Piotr Zielinski stepped in as the playmaker. The Lagunari were fresh from a 3-2 comeback victory after trailing 2-0 to 10-man Udinese midweek and started Inter youth products Filip Stankovic and Gaetano Oristanio.
See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.
Lautaro Martinez’s half-volley skimmed the upright from just inside the area as Marcus Thuram cushioned down a cross, then the Argentine’s glancing header on a corner flashed across the face of goal.
Federico Dimarco won it back in midfield to send Thuram and Nicolò Barella clear on goal, but they both failed to make the most of that opportunity, while Thuram also fired against the side-netting after shaking off Giorgio Altare.
Denzel Dumfries rolled across the face of goal for the Henrikh Mkhitaryan tap-in at the back post, but he didn’t get enough power on it and Stankovic was able to parry.
With all these wasted opportunities, they were almost caught out at the other end, as Joel Pohjanpalo flicked on a Jay Idzes cross from the left, so Yann Sommer made a sensational reaction save on Oristanio’s tap-in.
Inter finally had the ball in the net on 51 minutes when Mkhitaryan started the move, Alessandro Bastoni spread it down the left to Dimarco, who rolled across for the first-time finish with the inside of the left boot. However, Dimarco was offside on the Mkhitaryan goal and it was disallowed by VAR.
Moments later, Venezia had a very similar team move cut short by Sommer’s save on Idzes, while Stankovic got down with one glove to intercept the Lautaro Martinez cross-shot, followed by Mkhitaryan firing the rebound over.
Stankovic also palmed a Dumfries header over, but the breakthrough came at last when Dimarco whipped in a trademark cross from the left for Lautaro Martinez’s cushioned header at the back post. Incredibly, the Argentina international had not scored at San Siro in Serie A for 249 days, since February 28 against Atalanta.
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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt)
It should’ve been 2-0 moments later on another fantastic Dimarco cross, but Thuram’s first touch was poor and then he fired straight at Stankovic from seven yards.
Bastoni went off with cramp and Calhanoglu made his comeback after a month out. Stankovic made a splendid save to keep out the Thuram header at the top corner, but Medhi Taremi’s follow-up was deflected over by a defender’s arm. However, VAR ruled Thuram was offside and it was therefore not a penalty.
Stankovic was again decisive on a Calhanoglu scorcher from outside the box and Stefan de Vrij’s free header was wide from a corner.
There was an incredible last-gasp situation when Marin Sverko bundled a Ridgeciano Haps cross into the box at the back post at the 97th minute. However, VAR confirmed Sverko had knocked it in with his hand while jumping with Yann Bisseck and the goal was disallowed, followed immediately by the final whistle.
Inter 1-0 Venice
Lautaro Martinez 65 (I)
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