Serie A: Inter 3-2 Sampdoria

Inter have beaten Sampdoria 3-2 at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in the driving rain, and move up to 24 points in the table.

The hosts created several chances in the first period, yet it was the visitors who took the lead on 20 minutes. Walter Samuel and Andrea Ranocchia got in a tangle from Francesco Tissone’s free-kick and Sulley Muntari was there to pounce. The Nerazzurri equalised after the interval though, as Diego Milito scored from the spot on 53 minutes. Costa brought the Argentine down from behind, and the referee rightly awarded Inter a penalty and gave the Sampdoria defender his marching orders.

‘El Principe’ then dispatched the spot-kick and punished the visitors who were now a man light.

Inter then made use of their powerful front line, first through Milito who hit the post, before Rodrigo Palacio scored the Nerazzurri’s second after 68 minutes, after Antonio Cassano had broken well. Fan’antonio then struck the crossbar from a free-kick. Inter’s third goal arrived ten minutes from time: Nagatomo broke forward, waited for Cassano to arrive and then fed his team-mate. The man from Bari then rolled the ball to his right where Guarin skipped past Estigarribia before lashing a shot past Romero.

Eder grabbed an injury time consolation for the visitors but it was Inter who emerged with all three points.