On the back of a fine week in which Inter secured their safe passage to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, the Nerazzurri started with a spring in their step and it didn’t take them long to hit the front. A little over 20 minutes were on the clock when Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s wicked corner was thundered home by Stefan de Vrij, as Inter aimed to kick on in domestic action following their worst 11-game start to a Serie A season since 2016/17.
The game was essentially over as a contest by HT as Inter doubled their advantage. Alessandro Bastoni’s raking pass found his international team mate Nicolò Barella, who took one touch to steady himself before rifling an unstoppable effort beyond the dive of Emil Audero. The scoreline could certainly have been far more handsome for Inter but Federico Dimarco’s delivery fell to the head of Milan Škriniar, who perhaps wouldn’t have been Inter’s premier pick to be left unmarked 12-yards from goal as he headed wide.
Fortunately for Inter, they weren’t made to pay for their missed chances as a third goal was just around the corner. All eyes were on the freshly-introduced substitute Romelu Lukaku, but it was his fellow sub Joaquin Correa who drove into the area and fired home to put the game beyond any reasonable doubt. Victory for Inter was certainly no surprise, and Sampdoria’s almost year-long wait for back-to-back Serie A victories continues.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan)