Marcelo saves Inter blushes
Milan, Sept. 23: Croatia’s Marcelo Brozovic grabbed a late winner as Inter Milan followed their Champions League heroics against Tottenham with a 1- 0 Serie ‘ A’ win at Sampdoria as tensions ran high during a game in which three goals were disallowed.
World Cup runner- up Brozovic scored four minutes into injury time in Genoa after Radja Nainggolan and Kwadwo Asamoah both had goals ruled out for Inter, with Sampdoria’s Gregoire Defrel also denied by VAR on Saturday.
Inter Milan coach Luciano Spalletti was also banished from the touchline by officials for his wild celebration of the winning goal.
“I turned towards the camera to shout ‘ goal’ and the fourth official told me I had done it with too much force,” Spalletti told streaming service DAZN.
“It was too important a goal, like a liberation, and they interpreted it as something with too much emotional reaction,” added Spalletti.
“I didn’t do anything wrong.” The win followed Inter’s 2- 1 Champions League comeback victory in the final minutes against Tottenham on Tuesday.
“The team had demonstrated their character in the previous game ( Tottenham) and did it again tonight, always remaining in the game and fighting, even with some risk.
“But we are Inter and we have to play until the win.”
The three points give Inter just their second win of the Serie ‘ A’ season and move Spalletti’s side up to seventh — equal on seven points with Sampdoria — after five games.
Both sides had early chances with Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic saving Fabio Quagliarella’s overhead kick, with Asamoah preventing top- scorer Defrel breaking through.
Matias Vecino nodded an Antonio Candreva cross just over the bar.