The whole of football Italy was in shock, when the Inter Milan players were sent to the shower to thaw after the game at Aspmyra with a 3-1 loss in the first CL playoff match. We suspect Inter’s rivals rejoiced, but the assembled Italian press was in a state of shock. The Serie A leader and reigning Champions League finalist is suffering an ignominious loss against a club from Norvegia – which is not even in season. The smoke did not settle until a few days later, but the focus was extra big on Inter Milan’s Serie A match this weekend, a few days before the second leg against Bodø/Glimt.
The opponent was Lecce. A club down in the bottom battle, almost forty points behind opponent Inter in the table. The Milan club came with a reassuring winning streak in Serie A, but then there was the loss against Bodø/Glimt. Captain and top scorer Lautaro Martinez is out injured after the meeting with the Glimt players, the cold and Aspmyra, but this was a game the Serie A leader should cruise through to victory.
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It was a victory, but anything but a cruise. In the first half, Leece defended the players well, one of the league’s weakest defenses prevented the Inter players from getting their usual game flowing. It was clear Inter struggled with efficiency in front of their opponents’ goal, in the absence of leader and top scorer Lautaro.
The 0-0 result actually stood until the end of the game. Then coach Chivu realized he had to do something, brought in Henrik Mkhitaryan and Manuel Akanji, who each scored in the 75th and 82nd minutes.
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It was a 0-2 win for Inter Milan and still the table leader, but there was little doubt the Inter players were still shaken after the peel in the north. The team also showed a big weakness without Lautaro Martinez, who will instead play against Bodø/Glimt on Tuesday.
