Lukaku, D’Ambrosio strikes boost Inter in seven-goal thriller
MILAN: Danilo D’Ambrosio and Romelu Lukaku scored two late goals as Inter Milan grabbed a thrilling seasonopening 4-3 win over a Franck Riberyinspired Fiorentina on Saturday.
Title rivals Atalanta and Lazio also got their campaigns off to winning starts as they bid to deny Juventus a 10th consecutive Serie A title this season.
Antonio Conte’s Inter had been trailing Fiorentina with three minutes to go in the San Siro but broke through after Ribery was substituted.
Lukaku equalised on 87 minutes with defender D’Ambrosio nodding in two minutes later.
“The three points are important, but obviously you have to make the right assessment,” said Conte. “We need to improve, we need more balance.”
Inter finished second in Serie A last season just one point behind Juventus.
It was a far from confident display from Inter who were a goal down after three minutes to Ivorian Christian Kouame.
Lautaro Martinez levelled just before the break and Inter went ahead when Fiorentina defender Federico Ceccherini turned into his own net seven minutes after the break.
But Ribery was omnipresent for Fiorentina setting up their next two goals for Gaetano Castrovilli on 57 minutes and a Federico Chiesa lob in six minutes later.
The 37-year-old French midfielder was substituted with the game seemingly in hand after 83 minutes, but the Tuscany side were to be denied a first win over Inter in over three years.
Ciro Immobile picked up where he left off as Lazio won 2-0 at Cagliari while Atalanta earned a 4-2 comeback against Torino.
Italy forward Immobile — top Serie A scorer last season with 36 goals — grabbed Lazio’s second goal in the last quarter of an hour in Sardinia.
Lazio had Adam Marusic to thank for their two goals. After setting up Manuel
Lazzari for the opener after four minutes, the Montenegrin again broke down the left flank to serve up the pass for Immobile after 74 minutes.
In Turin, Andrea Belotti had put the hosts on the scoresheet first, connecting with a Tomas Rincon pass to rifle in after 11 minutes, the first of a double for the Torino captain.
But Atalanta hit back two minutes later with Argentinian Papu Gomez rifling in from long range for his 100th career goal on his 200th Serie A appearance for Atalanta, leaving Salvatore Sirigu with no chance in the Torino goal.
Gomez then set up Luis Muriel for the second after 21 minutes, with
Hans Hateboer grabbing a third after 42 minutes.
Belotti’s header rekindled hopes going into the break but Atalanta dominated on returning, Muriel setting up Marten De Roon on 55 minutes to hand new Torino coach Marco Giampaolo his second defeat in as many games.
RESULTS
Torino 2 (Belotti 10, 43) Atalanta 4 (Gomez 12, Muriel 21, Hateboer 42, Marten de Roon 54); Cagliari 0 Lazio 2 (Lazzari 4, Immobile 74); Sampdoria 2 (Quagliarella 8, Colley 18) Benevento 3 (Caldirola 33, 72, Sau 88); Inter Milan 4 (Martinez 45, Ceccherini 52-og, Lukaku 87, D’Ambrosio 89) Fiorentina 3 (Kouame 3, Castrovilli 57, Chiesa 63)