PRAGUE (CZECH REPUBLIC) (ITALPRESS) – A narrow victory for Inter Milan, which beat Sparta Prague 1-0 and is almost certain of a place in the top eight of the overall Champions League standings, which would guarantee the Nerazzurri avoid the playoffs in mid-February. A goal by Lautaro Martinez, who finds a cup goal again after his last one scored in October against Red Star, was decisive. In fact, it took only twelve minutes for Inter to find the Argentine’s goal, despite a compact and tidy Sparta Prague defense: it was Bastoni who crossed with his left hander and drew right Lautaro, quick in the volEe of first that slammed on the crossbar and slotted in where Vindahl could do nothing. One-nil and a match that didn’t seem to change score, with Inter continuing its turn of the ball while Sparta always found itself positioned in its own three-quarter waiting passively for Nerazzurri initiatives. On 26′ the good ball has Asllani, who is served on the edge of the area on a high ball recovery by Mkhitaryan but, due to a bad bounce, kicks over the crossbar. About ten minutes later, however, it is the home team that shows itself, on Birmancevic’s shot from inside the area on which Sommer is responsive in two times. So it goes to halftime, with Inzaghi’s eleven in control but ahead only by a goal, returning to the pitch and suffering, however, a new initiative from Sparta Prague, again with Birmancevic, good at turning quickly in the area and finishing, with Sommer still in the clear. Signals from the Czechs that put Inter on alert, who in 60′ would find the double with Dumfries but all vitiated by an earlier offside position by Dimarco. Cancel everything by the Var and match that restarted again on 1-0, with Sparta remaining in the match although it was Inter that insistently sought the goal of the double advantage, with a couple of poorly angled shots by Lautaro and a more dangerous conclusion, in the final quarter of an hour, by the substitute Frattesi, on which Vindahl had to stretch out in a dive. Hence a fairly skillful management phase by Inter, with Sparta Prague raising its pressure a few times, thus leaving the possibility for Lautaro and his teammates to freeze the result until the end of the match. – photo Ipa Agency -(ITALPRESS).
