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.
Backup quarterback Luke Weaver on Wednesday night threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Nick Cenacle with 10 seconds left, as the University of Hawaii rallied for a 35-31 comeback victory over the University of California, Berkeley in a thrilling Hawaii Bowl. Weaver entered the game after Micah Alejado took a hard hit on the previous play. With the Rainbow Warriors (9-4) in range for a tying field goal, coach Timmy Chang took a shot at the end zone, and Cenacle got between two defensive backs and made the contested catch. “How amazing is that?” Chang said. “It’s a program that is built
STILL IN THE HUNT: Rasmus Hojlund took his goal tally for SSC Napoli to nine as the champions cruised to a win at US Cremonese and stayed two points behind the leaders Inter on Sunday stayed at the Serie A summit after beating Atalanta BC 1-0 to maintain their slender lead over local rivals AC Milan. Lautaro Martinez netted the only goal of the game in Bergamo for Inter, who lead Milan, 3-0 winners against Hellas Verona thanks to Christoper Nkunku’s first Serie A goals, by a single point at the top of the division. The Argentina striker has scored in four consecutive league matches to end what has been a tricky year in positive style. “I ended last season in a lot of pain... I kept going during the Club World Cup and international
Hosts Morocco on Friday were held to a 1-1 draw by Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations, ending their world record run of wins and leaving them still to make sure of progress to the next stage. Midfielder Brahim Diaz tucked away a penalty in stoppage-time at the end of the first half, but Mali equalized from the spot midway through the second half through Lassine Sinayoko. Both penalties were awarded after video reviews in a tempestuous clash at the end of a busy day of action at the tournament. Morocco were atop the Group A standings with four points, while Zambia,
An astounding 20 wickets fell on a frantic first day of the fourth Ashes Test yesterday, with Australia all out for 152 before storming back to dismiss England for 110 and leave the clash on a knife-edge. England skipper Ben Stokes won a key toss on a green track and his quicks feasted after sending in the hosts under overcast skies in front of 94,199 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It was the biggest cricket crowd ever at the cavernous arena, exceeding the 93,013 who watched the 2015 World Cup final, and they witnessed the home side collapse with Josh Tongue
RSS