Inter are back on track! Simone Inzaghi’s crew noted the first triumph in the new Serie A season, beating Lecce at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium 2-0. Matteo Darmian opened the scoring already after five minutes, indicating the final outcome. Twenty minutes before the end, Hakan Calhanoglu was impeccable from the penalty kick and put an end to Lecce’s hopes of eventually salvaging a draw like Genoa did a week ago.17 – Hakan #Çalhanoglu scored his 17th penalty out of 17 attempted in #SerieA. Since 2023-24, in the big 5 European Leagues, the Turkish midfielder has been the player to have scored the most times from 11 meters (11, to Cole Palmer nine). Impeccable.#InterLecce— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) August 24, 2024 After a disappointing first-round draw against Genoa at Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Inter needed to redeem themselves in front of their home crowd. The rival seemed perfect for that – Lecce, which was crushed by Atalanta at home 4-0 a week ago. The Nerrazzuri hadn’t been defeated by tonight’s opponent since 2004 and were firm favourites to note the first victory in the new edition of Serie A.Simone Inzaghi left Yann Bisseck on the bench and placed Benjamin Pavard in the defensive line instead. The captain, Lautaro Martinez, suffered a muscle injury, so one of the latest additions, Mehdi Taremi, took his place in the attack.Five minutes into the game, the Nerrazzuri took the lead! Taremi headed a pin-point cross to Matteo Darmian, who opened the scoring with a perfect header. Even though this beginning indicated fireworks in the remaining part of the first half, it was completely opposite.Inter kept the ball but without a concrete action towards Lecce’s goal, while the away team spent time defending and waiting for counterattack opportunities. In the 16th minute, the Salentini demanded a penalty after a handball, but neither the ref not VAR shared their opinion.The Serie A newcomers Parma upset Milan!Inter finished the first 45 minutes with three attempts on target and one goal while Lecce’s player did not force Yann Sommer to make a single save. However, the Nerrazzuri controlled the game and that was essential for them, especially after the shock they suffered last week in Genoa.Inzaghi’s crew threatened for the first time eight minutes after the break. Taremi fought for the ball in the rivals’ box and even went down at one point. However, the ball rebounded to Marcus Thuram, who shot from the left side, but Wladimiro Falcone kept the ball out with a miraculous stop.Despite Inter’s domination and control, Lecce’s players knew they were only a goal down and that only one ball in Sommer’s net could be enough to change the situation altogether. The away team’s boss Luca Gotti tried to mix things up with several subs, sending Santiago Pierotti and Tete Morente in for the African duo Hamza Rafia (Tunisia) and Lameck Banda (Zambia).However, in the 69th minute, the Nerrazzuri seemed to have resolved everything after Hakan Calhanoglu scored from the spot, making it 2-0! The referee, Davide Di Marco, had previously pointed to the penalty after Kialonda Gaspar held and brought down Thuram. Less than a minute after he replaced Thuram, Marko Arnautovic could have scored, but his header went over the bar after Calhanoglu’s free kick. Ultimately, that turned out to be the last notable moment of the match.The Nerrazzuri proved that the last week’s draw against Genoa was only a “bad day at the office.” This time, they were not complacent and kept their focus throughout the match, resulting in an easy victory. Given that they are already behind the rivals in terms of points, every game will be essential for them – next week’s derby against Atalanta in the first place. On the other hand, Lecce will seek their first points on their home turf against Cagliari.SERIE A MATCHDAY 2SaturdayUdinese – Lazio 2-1 (1-0)/Lucca 5, Thauvin 49 – Isaksen 90+5/Parma – Milan 2-1 (1-0)/Man 2, Cancellieri 77 – Pulisic 66/Monza – Genoa 0-1 (0-1)/Pinamonti 45+7/Inter – Lecce 2-0 (1-0)/Darmian 5, Calhanoglu 69 pen/Sunday19:30: (3.15) Torino (3.35) Atalanta (2.45)19:30: (1.43) Fiorentina (4.50) Venezia (7.50)21:45: (1.53) Roma (4.10) Empoli (6.50)21:45: (1.95) Napoli (3.45) Bologna (4.00)Monday19:30: (2.20) Cagliari (3.50) Como (3.50)21:45: (5.40) Verona (3.60) Juventus (1.70)***odds are subject to change***
