Inter extended their
unbeaten start to the Serie
A season but could only
manage a 1-1 draw away
to Cagliari on Sunday.
The Nerazzurri came into
the match on the back of
four wins and a draw from
their opening five games
and the fourth-placed side
had only lost to Cagliari
twice since 1995.
Half-time substitute Mauro
Icardi scored the game’s first goal with 15 minutes
remaining, but Radja Nainggolan struck even later to earn
the home side a point at the Stadio Nereo Rocco.
The hosts made only two changes from Wednesday’s 1-1
draw at Livorno as Albin Ekdal and Nene missed out in
favour of Matias Cabrera and Mauricio Pinilla.
Inter picked up a commendable win over Fiorentina in their
last fixture, but coach Walter Mazzarri still opted to rotate
his players. Jonathan, Hugo Campagnaro, Saphir Taider
and Rodrigo Palacio all took places on the bench, while
Rolando, Alvaro Pereira, Mateo Kovacic and Ishak Belfodil
started.
The share of possession in the opening exchanges was
even, but Inter looked considerably more dangerous going
forward.
Belfodil did well down the right just before the 10th minute
as he cut a pass back to Fredy Guarin, but Agazzi tipped
his deflected effort over the bar.
Agazzi was Cagliari’s saviour again 23 minutes in as he got
down to keep Belfodil’s header out after the Algerian
connected with Yuto Nagatomo’s cross.
There was little Agazzi could do moments after the half-
hour mark as Ricky Alvarez cut in from the right and fired a
dipping shot towards the far corner, but the Argentinian’s
effort flew just over the crossbar.
The second period took a while to get into a steady flow,
but Inter were convinced they had taken the lead in the 61st
minute.
Half-time substitute Icardi headed Pereira’s cross back
across goal, with the Uruguayan turning home after David
Astori had cleared the initial effort, but the referee ruled it
out for a foul by Kovacic.
Pereira soon had another chance, however. Belfodil
crossed excellently to the back post and the former Porto
man met it with his head, but he could only put it wide.
Agim Ibraimi missed a glorious chance to break the
deadlock with a volleyed effort from close range, and he
was punished soon after as Inter took the lead.
Nagatomo cleverly got behind the Cagliari defence and
played the ball across the face of the goal for Icardi to head
home, giving the home side less than 15 minutes to find an
equaliser.
Inter looked destined to leave Sardinia with three points for
the first time since 2010 but, with less than 10 minutes to
play, Nainggolan cut in from the left and saw his powerful
strike deflect past the helpless Samir Handanovic, rescuing
a point for Cagliari.
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