Inter Milan resisted a spirited fightback to secure a 4-2 win over Verona at the San Siro and leapfrog the league newcomers into fourth in Italy`s Serie A on Saturday.
|Last Updated: Oct 27, 2013, 08:42 AM IST|Source: AFP
Milan: Inter Milan resisted a spirited fightback to secure a 4-2 win over Verona at the San Siro and leapfrog the league newcomers into fourth in Italy`s Serie A on Saturday.
A day after club president Massimo Moratti set a date of November 15 for an official takeover by Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir, Inter closed the gap on leaders Roma to five points.
Roma, who have won nine games out of nine, face Udinese away Sunday when second-placed Napoli and Juventus, in third, face Torino and Genoa respectively in a bid to close their own five-point deficit on the leaders.
Inter, Italy`s last winners of the Champions League, in 2010, have made a solid start to this campaign following a disastrous ninth-place finish last season.
But despite dominating an entertaining and open encounter at the San Siro, Walter Mazzarri`s side were aided by the defensive lapses which have been one of Verona`s unwelcome characteristics so far this season.
Verona`s second goal in the 71st minute from Romulo, however, underlined Inter`s own lapses and Mazzarri told Sky Sport Italia: "We showed unnecessary naivety at times -- we can`t ever afford to let our guard down in this league.”
"We played really well up to a certain point but if we want to be a side to be reckoned with, we can`t afford to have these kind of slip-ups."
Inter were gifted a welcome early lead when Vangelis Moras deflected a volley from unmarked Brazilian defender Jonathan past compatriot Rafael in the Verona goal in the ninth minute.
More dubious defending from the visitors allowed the Nerazzurri to double their lead only three minutes later.
Rolando nodded the ball into the path of Fredy Guarin and although his shot was cleared off the line it ricocheted off the chest of Rodrigo Palacio and into the net from point-blank range.
Verona came close just before the half hour when Luca Toni headed just over the bar and, after Jonathan sent an angled shot wide, Raphael Martinho reduced arrears when he burst through to drive the ball past Juan Pablo Carrizo in the Inter goal.
However the visitors` hopes of levelling before the interval were cut short when Esteban Cambiasso tapped home after Guarin had sent Yuto Nagatomo`s curling shot into his path.
Verona emerged fired up after the restart but all hope of rescuing a share of the points faded after their defence allowed Portuguese defender Rolando to bundle the ball over the line following a corner in the 56th minute.
Inter looked to be cruising, but against the run of play Romulo reduced arrears when he drilled the ball past Carrizo after Toni`s delivery.
Verona came close twice through Juan Iturbe and then scored through Toni although his effort was waved off for a shirt-pulling infringement.
Sniffing the chance of a late fightback, Verona coach Andrea Mandorlini threw on three strikers in the dying minutes although it was Inter who came closest when Saphir Taider`s snap shot was saved by Rafael.
At the final whistle both Moras and Ishak Belfodil were involved in a scuffle and received a red card.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.