Inter - Lugano 3 - 0: Nerazzurri OK in their first friendly

A desire for the pitch, a desire for Inter. The countdown towards the first official match of the season has begun: on 19 August, in a month's time, the Nerazzurri will face Monza at the San Siro. So, in Appiano Gentile, the stage was set for the classic match that has opened the Nerazzurri preseason for several summers: The friendly against Lugano, by now a classic. At the Suning Training Centre, goals from Giovanni Fabbian, Stefano Sensi and Sebastiano Esposito sealed the first victory of this preseason, securing a 3-0 victory against Lugano.

A first outing in Nerazzurro for Yann-Aurel Bisseck, deployed in defence with De Vrij and Fontanarosa in front of Filip Stankovic. The Nerazzurro midfield was composed of Stefano Sensi, Giovanni Fabbian and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with Valentino Lazaro and Andrea Pelamatti on the wings. Up front was Argentine pairing, Lautaro and Joaquin Correa. The scalding heat combined with only a few days of training set a slow pace for the match, even though Lugano are only 8 days from their first league game of the season. Inter, however, controlled the field from the first minutes, even finding good combinations. A positive start was rewarded by Giovanni Fabbian's goal in the 15th minute: it was the 20-year-old midfielder who found the first goal of the Nerazzurri's summer, as he skilfully headed the ball behind Berbic. A beautiful goal, born from Bisseck’s drive forward, doing well with the ball at his feet to the right of the six-yard box. 

Lautaro and Correa linking up well, Sensi's switches to find the wingers, and Mkhitaryan's skill in dictating the rhythm characterised the first half, in which Lugano could only threaten Inter with an attempt from distance by Valenzuela. But before the half-time break, the second goal came in the 40th minute: a Stefano Sensi pearl of a free-kick, with the ball crashing the underside of the crossbar and bouncing in to make it 2-0.  

The second half was less rich in highlights: the many changes upset the two formations and saw Lugano more proactive, especially thanks to Steffen's plays and the speed of the newly-introduced Amoura. Twice, Celar got on the end of good balls, but he was unable to convert. Inter did not give in, they struggled more to counter and build but they never suffered. Inzaghi had sent on many youngsters to play in the second half, and the best play of the second half was made in the Primavera: Martini’s pinpoint cross from the right fell onto the head of Di Maggio, but he nodded just wide. The Nerazzurri’s desire was great and was still apparent by the end of the match, when, with five minutes to go, Sebastiano Esposito made it 3-0. A beautiful, precise and powerful shot. A goal that, along with Celar’s misses in front of goal, sealed the victory for Inzaghi’s team in the first game of the season. 

INTER-LUGANO 3-0

Goalscorers: 15' Fabbian (I), 40' Sensi (I), 85' Esposito (I)

INTER (3-5-2): 35 F. Stankovic (12 Di Gennaro 64'); 31 Bisseck (45 Guercio 68'), 6 De Vrij (50 A. Stankovic 68'), 47 Fontanarosa (44 Stabile 68'); 19 Lazaro (51 Martini 68'), 14 Fabbian (43 Kamaté 68'), 5 Sensi (34 Agoumé 64'), 22 Mkhitaryan (41 Akinsanmiro 64'), 49 Pelamatti (52 Di Maggio 68'); 10 Lautaro (30 Esposito 59'), 11 Correa (40 Salcedo 59'). Unused Substitutes: 42 Curatolo, 46 Stante, 48 Matjaz. Coach: Simone Inzaghi. LUGANO (4-3-3): 13 Berbic (90 Deana 46'); 34 Arigoni (6 Espinoza 46'), 4 Hajrizi (21 Cimignani 46'), 5 Hajdari (44 Pizzagalli 83'), 23 Valenzuela (24 Nkama 59'); 25 Bislimi (29 Belhadj 67'), 16 Grgic (46 Maslarov 83'), 10 Bottani (14 Sabbatini 46'); 11 Steffen (47 Amoura 59'), 19 Vladi (9 Celar 46'), 31 Aliseda (27 Babic 59'). Coach: Mattia Croci Torti. Referee: Ghersini. Assistants: Bresmes, Lo Cicero.