Inter quashed almost any hope their city rivals AC Milan had of winning the Serie A title by jumping 10 points clear at the top following Saturday’s 2-0 win over Lazio at the San Siro.
Sweden forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the inspiration behind the win, scoring one goal and creating the other for the reigning champions.
Inter came into the game without a win in their last three matches and having seen Milan halve a previous deficit of 14 points to their bitter city rivals.
PHOTO: AP
But any thoughts that Jose Mourinho’s team might be cracking under the pressure were dispelled by Ibrahimovic’s magical right boot.
Mourinho said it is only a matter of time before his team, who need two wins from their final four matches, can celebrate the title.
“I think we’ll do it. It seems like the scudetto will never arrive, but it will,” Mourinho said.
Inter made a bright start and Brazilian winger Mancini, making a rare start, shot wide of the near post from 12m inside two minutes.
Ibrahimovic almost opened the scoring on 23 minutes when veteran Portuguese winger Luis Figo picked him out in the box with a pinpoint cross, but his header went just wide of the far post with Fernando Muslera well beaten in the Lazio goal.
The Swede then turned provider on 31 minutes as he clipped a cross into the box for Sulley Muntari, whose flying header from 8m out sailed wide of the near post when the Ghana midfielder should at least have hit the target.
Chances were few and far between in a quiet first half and after the break Inter’s frustrated fans started displaying their frustration.
Surprisingly, Ibrahimovic was the target after he tried unsuccessfully to beat two players in the box when a pass to the unmarked Muntari would have been a better option.
Some fans jeered the striker, but his reaction was immediate as on 58 minutes he teased two defenders on the edge of the box, shifted the ball onto his right foot and then with minimal back-lift thrashed a rocket past Muslera’s despairing dive.
And 20 minutes from time he was again decisive, playing a clever pass around the corner as three defenders converged on him, allowing Muntari to gallop free and beat Muslera at his near post with a crisp left foot finish.
In the day’s other match, basement side Reggina boosted their survival hopes with a crucial 2-1 victory at Bologna.
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never
FRUSTRATION: Alcaraz made several unforced errors over four sets against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, who had never made it past the third round in a major competition Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the French Open after laboring past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the Friday night session. The second-seeded Spaniard had never before played Dzumhur, a 33-year-old Bosnian who had never been past the third round at any major tournament. “I suffered quite a lot today,” Alcaraz said. “The first two sets was under control, then he started to play more deeply and more aggressively. It was really difficult for me.” Dzumhur hurt his left knee in a fall in the second round, and had treatment on Friday on his right leg during the
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
The horn sounded on Wednesday night to signal a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, as the Florida Panthers celebrated merely by hopping over the boards and several heading over to congratulate goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. It was a subdued celebration seemingly more befitting a regular-season win for the reigning Cup champs. “I remember a few years ago, it felt like such an accomplishment from where we were at one point,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said, adding: “It’s all business and we’ve got a bigger goal in mind.” The Panthers closed out the Carolina Hurricanes in five games, with a 5-3 victory in
RSS