Inter Milan leaves it late to beat Crotone and stay perfect

Inter Milan stayed perfect in Serie A with a hard-fought 2-0 win at Crotone, which remained on Saturday the only team yet to score a goal in the league.

Inter won its previous three matches comfortably but found it harder than expected at Crotone until eight minutes from time when defender Milan Skriniar broke the deadlock.

Ivan Perisic sealed the result in stoppage time.

“Crotone made it difficult for us ... we’ll see how many teams manage to win here,” Inter coach Luciano Spalletti said. “We faced two situations where (Inter goalkeeper Samir) Handanovic did well but they shouldn’t have happened ... we’re not a great team yet, but we played with character which is important.”

Opportunities were few and far between at Stadio Scida and it was Crotone which had the best chances, with Handanovic pulling off two fine second-half saves to deny Aleksandar Tonev and Marcus Rohden.

However, Inter took the lead when a free kick ricocheted around the area before Skriniar bundled in the ball with his third attempt for his first Serie A goal.

Perisic was left unmarked to gather Joao Mario’s pass, cut inside, and fire into the bottom right corner.

Later, Roma welcomes newly promoted Hellas Verona.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

Federico Chiesa scored a goal his father would have been proud of to set Fiorentina on its

Serie A

Yesterday Crotone-Inter.................................0-2 Fiorentina-Bologna ........................2-1 way to beating Bologna 2-1.

“He’s a good lad who should not listen much to what is being said around him and instead center himself a lot on his work: He can still improve, together with the team,” Fiorentina coach Stefano Pioli said. “I never doubted he would stay here: He is only at the start of his journey.”

Little of note happened before Chiesa — the son of prolific former goalscorer Enrico — cut inside the left of the area, beat a

Serie B

Yesterday defender, and curled a fantastic strike into the far side of the net in the 51st minute.

However, Bologna was back level a minute later when Rodrigo Palacio finished off a rapid counterattack with a half-volley.

German Pezzella scored what was to prove the winner in the 69th with a looping header from a corner.

Palacio almost equalized but his header came off the left post.

It was Fiorentina’s second successive victory after losing its

Lega Pro A

Yesterday

Fiorentina’s Federico Chiesa celebrates after scoring during a Serie A match between Fiorentina and Bologna, at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence yesterday