Inter Milan cede advantage to AC Milan title race after shock defeat to Bologna
For many months, the Serie A title race was contested by Napoli, AC Milan and Inter Milan, but in recent weeks it has become a two-horse race.
The two Milan rivals have stolen a march on the competition and both look set to take the title race all the way down the wire.
However, while AC Milan won their league game against Lazio on Sunday (April 24), Inter failed their test against mid-table Bologna on April 27.
The Nerazzurri had a very good opportunity to usurp their city rivals and move to the top of the league table. However, they failed to make it count, ultimately losing 2-1 to Bologna.
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It's all over at the Dall'Ara
#BolognaInter 2️⃣ - 1️⃣
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Nerazzurri caught slacking against Bologna
Simone Inzaghi’s side made a great start to the game. They looked set to make light work of their opponents after taking a third-minute lead through Ivan Perisic.
However, they were unable to build on their early lead and saw their performance level drop as the minutes ticked.
Inter were eventually made to pay for their sluggishness when Marko Anautovic combined beautifully with Musa Barrow to level the score just before half-an-hour.
The equalizer stunned the Nerazzurri and rather than spark them back into life, it seemed to put them in a panic, leading to several errors. Bologna took advantage to seal a late win. Nicola Sansone pounced on a howler by goalkeeper Ionut Radu in the 81st minute to stun the visitors.
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After the results of postponed matches, @acmilan remains at the top of the table! 🔥
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Inter cede advantage to Milan
Inter slacked against Bologna and by failing to win, they have now ceded advantage to rivals Milan in the Serie A title race.
The Rossoneri currently sit at the top of the league table and lead Inter by two points. With just four matches remaining, Milan are in a very good position to win the title and their city rivals can only blame themselves.
Inzaghi said after the game, as quoted by Sempre Inter:
“Disappointment, as is only normal given how we lost. Radu made a mistake like I could or a teammate could. ”
“We have to react. We know it’s a burning defeat, but in three days we already have another match to come, and we must face the run-in one match at a time. We know that our fate is no longer in our own hands.”
“We let nerves get to us and finally the blow that decided the game. We still created a chance for D’Ambrosio. Now we go forward with our heads held high, knowing that there are two points to chase.”
I Nerazzurri had their chance and they fluffed it. They failed to take their destiny into their own hands and now all they can do is hope that Milan will drop points in the final four games.