Goals from Dzeko and Barella inspire Inter to victory

MILAN - Inter were back in front of a full crowd at San Siro for the first time in over two years and the Nerazzurri certainly didn’t disappoint. Simone Inzaghi’s men put in a blistering first-half performance, putting two past their opponents Hellas Verona with goals from Nicolo Barella and Edin Dzeko. Although there were no more goals in the second half, it was a game full of chances. Crucially, Inter came away with that all-important win to put them within one point of the league leaders.

The Nerazzurri looked rejuvenated after their victory last weekend against Juventus. They were without in-form striker Lautaro Martinez due to suspension, but that didn’t stop them from looking dangerous. Edin Dzeko was joined upfront by Tucu Correa, whose impressive brace in the reverse fixture had helped his team bag a 1-3 victory. The game did see the welcome return of Stefan de Vrij to central defence, though it was sadly short-lived as the Dutchman came off in the interval with a thigh strain.

Inzaghi’s side dominated from the outset, with great build-up play and numerous chances. Federico Dimarco, who replaced Alessandro Bastoni in the starting line-up, got the 61,325-strong crowd going with a piercing run in the first four minutes, setting the tone for the entire performance. Verona’s goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo deserves a mention at this stage, as his heroic display stopped Inter from bagging many more goals. Despite making a series of brilliant saves early on, for instance diving low to deny Ivan Perisic, the Italian shot-stopper couldn’t hold out for long. Inter pressed down the left and Perisic put in a perfect cross for Barella, who was quick to react, firing a half-volley onto the underside of the bar and into the net. With the stadium at full capacity, the crowd erupted in cheers as their side broke the deadlock.

It wasn’t long before Inter were pressing again and Montipo was denying them again. On 25 minutes, the goalkeeper blocked what would have been a wonderful team goal after Barella had fed a beautiful ball into Correa. The Nerazzurri were looking sharp and it was only a matter of time before they found the back of the net again. This time, it was Dzeko who managed to capitalise, as he latched on to a knock-on from Milan Skriniar after Dimarco whipped in a corner. 

Verona tried to pull one back, but they were not given much space to create opportunities. It was Giovanni Simeone who came closest for Igor Tudor’s side, but Samir Handanovic was equal to him, making a fantastic save. Inter knew that they needed to stay focused, which is what they did, meaning that they went in two goals to the good at half-time after a commanding performance.

The game picked up where it left off in the second half. Danillo D’Ambrosio replaced De Vrij and looked comfortable in defence straight away. Verona tried to take a higher line to get back into the game, but this left them vulnerable to counter-attacks. Denzel Dumfries looked particularly dangerous in the midfield, as the Nerazzurri continued to press but were let down by some wayward touches in the final third.

Verona had a few long-range efforts and put a couple of probing balls into the box, but Inter managed to clear the danger. Inzaghi made some changes to freshen things up, bringing on Robin Gosens for Correa, as Perisic moved forward to support Dzeko upfront. Next, it was Arturo Vidal and Bastoni’s turn to come on, before Roberto Gagliardini made an appearance in the last ten minutes. Both teams looked a little tired in the final stages and the second half did not offer as much excitement as the first, but it was a very confident performance from Inzaghi’s men.

Importantly, Inter managed to put this game to bed in the first half and treat their returning fans to a great performance. This win leaves them just one point behind Milan as they put pressure on their rivals in this fascinating title race. Forza Inter!

Inter 2-0 Hellas Verona (HT 2-0)

Scorers: 22 Barella (I), 30 Dzeko (I).

INTER (3-5-2): 1 Handanovic; 37 Skriniar, 6 De Vrij (33 D'Ambrosio 46), 32 Dimarco (95 Bastoni 65); 2 Dumfries, 23 Barella (22 Vidal 65), 77 Brozovic, 20 Calhanoglu (5 Gagliardini 83), 14 Perisic; 9 Dzeko, 19 Correa (18 Gosens 59).Unused substitutes: 21 Cordaz, 97 Radu, 7 Sanchez, 8 Vecino, 13 Ranocchia, 36 Darmian, 88 Caicedo.Coach: Simone Inzaghi.

HELLAS VERONA (3-4-2-1): 96 Montipo; 16 Casale, 21 Gunter, 17 Ceccherini (18 Cancellieri 82); 5 Faraoni (29 Depaoli 62), 61 Tameze, 14 Ilic, 8 Lazovic (31 Sutalo 82); 24 Bessa (11 Lasagna 62),10 Caprari; 99 Simeone.Unused substitutes:  12 Chiesa, 74 Boseggia, 30 Frabotta, 45 Retsos, 78 Hongla, 88 Praszelik.Coach: Igor Tudor.

Booked: Dumfries (I), Brozovic (I).Added time: 1+3 minutes.

Referee: Marinelli.Assistants: Rossi, Liberti.Fourth official: Massimi.VAR: Aureliano, Cecconi.