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Tag: Inter Milan

  • Juve go top as Higuain seals victory at Inter

    Juventus ended Inter Milan’s perfect record in Serie A and took over top spot as Gonzalo Higuain’s superb late strike earned a 2-1 victory in the San Siro on Sunday.

    The Argentine striker, on as a substitute, applied a clinical finish to a flowing move in the 80th minute.

    Paulo Dybala had fired Maurizio Sarri’s Juve side in front after four minutes but Inter, who had won all six of their matches before Sunday’s clash, levelled in the 18th minute.

    Matthijs de Ligt was adjudged to have handled in the area and Lautaro Martinez converted the spot kick.

    Juventus moved top with 19 points to Inter’s 18 and it was a deserved victory in an absorbing contest.

    “Juve is in another category from all points of view, we cannot compare to them,” said Inter manager Antonio Conte. “The gap is there and it is important. We have won six games bringing the car to 200 miles per hour and we will try to do it again.”

    Inter recovered from conceding early and after equalising could have gone ahead when Martinez forced Wojciech Szczesny into a great save with a powerful cross shot.

    But Juve carved out the best chances with Cristiano Ronaldo denied by keeper Samir Handanovic and then had a goal ruled out for offside before the break.

    Sarri sent on Higuain and Rodrigo Bentancur as Juve chased a winner in the second half and the changes worked wonders.

    Just when it was beginning to look as if the sides would have to settle for a point, Juve worked the ball forward and, after Ronaldo and Bentancur exchanged passes, Higuain was freed to slot home the winner in lethal fashion.

    “It was a great match for Juventus,” Higuain, who replaced Federico Bernardeschi, said. “Inter came from six victories but we played with great character and determination and luckily we managed to bring it home.”

    Atalanta have 16 points in third after their impressive start continued with a 3-1 home victory over Lecce.

    Duvan Zapata opened the scoring in the 35th minute when he punished a defensive mistake and then combined well with Alejandro Gomes who made it 2-0 before halftime.

    Robin Gosens added a third early in the second half.

    Fourth-placed Napoli, on 13 points, were held 0-0 at Torino while AS Roma, fifth with 12, drew 1-1 at home to Cagliari.

  • UCL: Suarez hits brace in Barca comeback against Inter

    UCL: Suarez hits brace in Barca comeback against Inter

    Luis Suarez scored a fine double as Barcelona came from behind to beat Inter Milan in the Champions League.

    Lautaro Martinez gave Antonio Conte’s Inter a deserved lead and went close to a second, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen expertly keeping out his header.

    Suarez levelled with a wonderful volley from Arturo Vidal’s cross.

    Then Lionel Messi, on his return from an injury, found Suarez – whose first touch took him past defender Diego Godin – and he blasted in the winner.

    Those were Suarez’s first two Champions League group goals in over three years.

    Barcelona, who are unbeaten in 33 Champions League home games, are level on four points with Borussia Dortmund, whom they drew 0-0 with in their opening game, at the top of the table.

    Earlier on Wednesday, Dortmund won 2-0 at Slavia Prague thanks to two excellent solo goals by Achraf Hakimi, the first two Champions League goals of the Real Madrid loanee’s career.

  • Seria A: Ronaldo seals Juve win to keep pressure on Inter Milan

    Seria A: Ronaldo seals Juve win to keep pressure on Inter Milan

    Cristiano Ronaldo helped Juventus to continue their unbeaten start to the Serie A season with a comfortable 2-0 home victory over struggling SPAL on Saturday.

    Miralem Pjanic’s strike put the hosts in front on the stroke of half-time before Ronaldo headed his third goal of the campaign with 12 minutes remaining.

    Juve lead the table on 16 points but Inter Milan can return to the summit when they travel to Sampdoria later on Saturday.

    SPAL goalkeeper Etrit Berisha made a string of impressive saves to keep the score down as the visitors fell to their fifth defeat in six matches.

    They stay level on three points with Sampdoria at the foot of the table.

  • Lukaku fires Inter Milan ahead of Juventus

    Lukaku fires Inter Milan ahead of Juventus

    Romelu Lukaku fired Inter Milan back to the top of Serie A with the second goal of a 2-0 derby win that extended their perfect start to the season at the expense of city rivals AC Milan.

    Belgium striker Lukaku and Marcelo Brozovic’s second half strikes gave Inter their fourth win in as many games, putting them two points ahead of Juventus after the champions’ came back from a goal down beat Verona 2-1 thanks to Aaron Ramsey’s first Serie A goal and a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty.

    Antonio Conte’s Inter were looking for a boost after their dismal 1-1 draw in their Champions League draw against Czech outsiders Slavia Prague.

    And they hit back in a fiery Milan derby with Belgian striker Lukaku heading in his third goal in four games with 12 minutes remaining after Brozovic’s 49th-minute opener.

    “At 26 years old, I needed and wanted a coach like this, one who motivates me every day,” said Lukaku of Conte.

    “My relationship with Conte is very strong, he’s a really good coach because he’s someone who helps players to develop a lot.

  • Sanchez says he didn’t have time to show his worth at Man Utd

    Sanchez says he didn’t have time to show his worth at Man Utd

    Chile striker, Alexis Sanchez, on Tuesday said he was not given a proper chance to succeed at Manchester United.

    The 30-year-old played only 31 of 77 possible games in his 19 months at Old Trafford and signed a season-long loan deal with Inter Milan.

    “I was happy at Manchester United but I’ve always said to my friends I want to play.

    “If they would let me play, I’ll do my best.

    “Sometimes I’d play 60 minutes then I wouldn’t play the next game, and I didn’t know why,’’ Sanchez said.

    He was one of the biggest stars at Arsenal, where he scored 80 goals in 166 matches.

    A big-money move to United seemed a step up and Sanchez said he did not regret the decision, even if Jose Mourinho, in particular, did not seem to rate him quite so highly as others.

    “I’m very happy I went to Manchester United.

    “I’ve always said that it’s the club that’s won the most in England.

    “When I went to Arsenal it was fantastic.

    “I was happy there, but United were growing at the time, they were buying players to win something.

    “I wanted to join them and win everything.

    “I did not regret going there.’’

  • Inter forward Icardi reportedly set for move to PSG

    Inter Milan forward, Mauro Icardi, his club’s leading scorer in each of the last five seasons and former captain, is set to join Paris St Germain, the Gazzetta Dello Sport and other Italian media said Monday.

    The move would end a turbulent spell at the club for the Argentine, who has fallen out with fans along on the way and provided fodder for the gossip columns, thanks to his marriage to Wanda Nara, a media personality who also acts as his agent.

    Gazzetta published what it said was a photograph of Icardi and Nara at Malpensa airport, saying would board a private jet for Paris to finalise a loan spell at PSG with an option to buy.

    Other Italian media carried the same story, including Sky Sport Italia.

    The 26-year-old, an out-and-out centre forward, who is deadly in the penalty area but whose contribution elsewhere on the pitch has been questioned, has scored 124 goals in 219 appearances in all competitions during six years at the club.

    Despite his scoring exploits, Icardi fell out with Inter’s hardcore fans over an account of an argument with supporters in his autobiography in 2016.

    Curva Nord ultras responded that “Icardi is not our captain, not now or ever’’ and applauded when he missed a penalty in one of Inter’s next games.

    In February, he was stripped of the captaincy after becoming embroiled in protracted negotiations over a new contract.

    He then said he could not play because of a knee injury although the club said a medical examination had found nothing wrong.

    He returned to the side in April after talks between his lawyer and the club, although Luciano Spalletti, the Inter coach at the time, said it had been “humiliating” for Inter to have to negotiate with a player to get him to play.

    Spalletti left Inter at the end of last season and was replaced by Antonio Conte, who said that Icardi did not figure in his plans for the future.

  • Transfer: Man Utd reject Inter's Lukaku bid

    Manchester United have rejected a 60m euro (£53.9m) bid from Inter Milan for striker Romelu Lukaku.

    The bid falls well below United’s valuation of the 26-year-old Belgium international, who joined them from Everton two years ago for £75m.
    Inter boss Antonio Conte has made Lukaku – who will not play for United against the Italian side in Singapore on Saturday – his number one target.
    “You know I like this player,” Conte said on Friday.
    “When I was Chelsea’s coach [from 2016 to 2018], I tried to bring him to Chelsea.
    “I like this player and consider him an important player for us to have a good improvement, but at the same there is a transfer market.
    “We will see what happens – but for now Lukaku is a United player.”
    Inter’s move for Lukaku is thought to hinge on the future of Mauro Icardi, who has not travelled on the club’s summer tour of Asia amid reports he is to leave.
    When asked about the Argentina striker, Conte replied: “The club was very clear that Icardi is out of Inter’s project. This is the reality.”
    When pressed on Lukaku’s future at Old Trafford, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Friday he had “no more updates”.
    The Belgian missed both of United’s tour matches in Australia because of injury.
    “He’s not fit. He won’t be available,” said Solskjaer.

  • Transfer: Diego Godin joins Inter Milan on three-year deal

    Transfer: Diego Godin joins Inter Milan on three-year deal

    Uruguay defender Diego Godin has signed for Inter Milan on a three-year deal.

    The Italian side had been favourites to sign Godin, 33, after he said he would be leaving Spanish side Atletico Madrid when his contract expired this summer.
    Godin joined Atletico from Villarreal in 2010 and made 389 appearances for the club, helping them win their first La Liga title in 18 years in 2014.
    Godin also helped Atletico win the Copa del Rey and two Europa League titles, and reach two Champions League finals.

  • Serie A: San Siro Stadium to be demolished

    Serie A: San Siro Stadium to be demolished

    The San Siro, home of Italian giants AC and Inter Milan and one of European football’s most iconic stadiums, is set to be demolished.

    The 80,018-seater stadium will be replaced by a new ground that is being built next door. Both AC and Inter Milan will continue to play in the San Siro while the new stadium is constructed.

    AC Milan president Paolo Scaroni and Inter Milan chief executive Alessandro Antonello confirmed the news on Monday.

    Milan have played at San Siro since it was opened in 1926, while Inter moved in 19 years later. It also occasionally hosts some of the Italian national side’s home matches.

    Speaking earlier this month, the mayor of Milan, Beppe Sala said: “Building a new stadium is a very expensive undertaking, but I don’t want to influence anything.

    “I’m waiting to see the proposal from Inter and Milan. Hopefully it’ll arrive before the holidays. In my opinion, the San Siro is a wonderful facility.”

  • Serie A: Mauro Icardi stripped of Inter Milan captaincy

    Mauro Icardi has been stripped of the Inter Milan captaincy amid protracted talks over a new contract.

    The Argentine striker, 25, is under contract until 2021 but the club has been negotiating a new deal with his wife Wanda Nara, who acts as his agent.

    Inter coach Luciano Spalletti called for a resolution after Saturday’s win over Parma with goalkeeper Samir Handanovic named the new skipper.

    The club tweeted: “Samir Handanovic is the new Inter captain.”

    The Slovenia international, 34, joined Inter from Udinese in 2012 while Icardi arrived from Sampdoria in 2013, taking over as captain from Andrea Ranocchia in 2015.

    Icardi, who has eight caps for Argentina, scored 122 goals in 208 appearances for Inter, who are currently third in Serie A, 20 points behind leaders Juventus.