Inter winter champions, Verona beaten 2-1. Henry misses the penalty in the 99th minute

Milan, 6 January 2024 - We need to start from the end to understand how Inter has become winter champion. In the 95th minute, with controversy due to a contact between Bastoni and Duda in the Verona area, Fraternity takes advantage of Montipò's short rebound and scores the 2-1, previously Lautaro e Henry for the momentary 1-1, but in the 99th minute, thanks to a VAR review for a foul by Darmian on Magnani, Fabbri awarded a penalty to Verona which Henry fired badly onto the post. Inter were scared, a lot, but in the end they won and are winter champions. San Siro explodes and shakes off the tension.

Lautaro opens in the first half

Inzaghi finds Lautaro again from the first minute Martinez, Thuram at his side, Pavard returns to the defense while Augusto remains fifth on the left. He doesn't play for Verona Terracciano, promised move to Milan, space for Coppola and Magnani central. Forward Djuric first striker with Ngonge and Mboula in support.

Nerazzurri obviously with the intention of playing the game, but Scala were intense and not passive at the start, without disdaining the open field at the restart. In fact, the first opportunity belongs to the guests with the good initiative of ngonge on the wing, a soft Bastoni misses, then Suslov's left foot is blocked by Sommer. Inter gets into a rhythm after ten difficult minutes and in the 12th minute it is Lautaro, fresh back, to break the deadlock. The percussion of Mkhitaryan it's perfect, then a fake shot and an assist for the Argentine who doesn't forgive with his right foot: sixteen goals in the championship and 1-0. After twenty minutes of high pace on both sides, the match calms down at half-time, also because Inter are ahead and don't need to risk taking a counterattack, and Verona have to regroup after the goal conceded. However, the Scaligeri team had an opportunity in the 26th minute with a close range strike Djuric who doesn't find the right angle and Sommer has an easy time. Verona shows good courage despite the difficult moment and a distracting transfer market, but the lack of quality in the final meters is noticeable and the right shot is always missing. Inter, on the other hand, is not perfect and allows some space, but when he sets in motion the offensive 4x100, taking turns with the raiders and the attackers, it is almost always trouble for the visiting rearguard. The match therefore remained pleasant and not very boring and only in the last few minutes did the intensity fade away, thanks to a bit of tiredness on both sides, both teams often found themselves on the open field, with opportunities lacking on the sides of the two goalkeepers and so at half-time it was 1-0 Inter.

Everything happens in the second half

Baroni chooses an immediate change and launches Lazovic in place of Mboula, but Inter opened the second half by scoring from corners, with Acerbi taking the lead to Lautaro, however the linesman raises his flag and does not validate. VAR confirms: the defender was over the line. Hellas has the advantage of not giving up and on a cross from the left Djuric he tries to get ahead of everyone but is unable to make a move towards the door. The Scaligeri team don't disdain high pressure and at the back they risk a restart with an Inter of leg and substance, but they remain in the game with good pace and intensity. Inter opportunity in the 59th minute with a nice cross from Pavard for the head Thuram: ball to the side. Inzaghi starts with the substitutions, as always, at game time with darmian instead of a good Dumfries. At Verona, it is always the high balls that make the difference in taking advantage of Djuric's size, while Inter work well with the defensive trio to limit supplies and act on second balls. The hosts are still dangerous every time they find the pitch and in the 66th minute a good move by Mkhitaryan triggers Lautaro, good at assisting the onrushing player Calhanoglu: right foot just wide. More changes for Inzaghi, Dimarco on, also returning, and arnautovic, Baroni responds by changing the attacker with Henry for Djuric and then changing something on the wing with Cabal for Doig. There could not have been a more appropriate substitution for Hellas who equalized a minute later with Duda catching the close range deflection Henry: 1-1 in the 75th minute. Inter didn't close the gap and Verona punished. Incredible in the 79th minute, there is a deflection on a free kick from Dimarco Cabal towards the goal, Montipò puts a hand there but it is on the path arnautovic who involuntarily deflects the ball off target. There is obviously a rush for the Nerazzurri, but she is always a bad advisor and the risk is losing clarity, so Inzaghi chooses two more substitutions to try to win it back with Sanchez e Fraternity for Mkhitaryan and Pavard to pass with the back four and the Chilean finisher behind the two strikers. Verona holds and lets the time pass and with five to go Baroni loses more with Kallon for Ngonge. Inter attacks in bulk, without an idea, with long balls that often fall prey to the defenders, but in the 92nd minute on an inviting ball from Acerbi, from a regular position, arnautovic Incredibly, he doesn't find the header from two steps away. Everything happens to him in the 93rd minute. Inter attacks from a corner, a Scaliger defender remains on the ground in the area, the action continues with Sticks who unloads a torpedo that hits the crossbar, then the ball comes out for Calhanoglu's right-footed shot deflected by Montipo, but Frattesi takes the shot and makes the Meazza explode. There will be a lot of discussion about a Bastoni-Duda contact, with the Nerazzurri actually going to look for the defender's body, but for the VAR everything is normal. For protests Lazovic is expelled. But it's not over. At the last scrum in the Inter area there is contact between Magnani e darmian which Fabbri doesn't see, but the VAR does and then it's a penalty in the 99th minute. The match of surprises brings another one because the number nine hits the ball on the post Summer shocked: San Siro explodes again, then Fabbri blows the final whistle and the fear passes. Inter winter champion.  

scoreboard

Inter Milan (3-5-2): Sommer, Pavard (37' st Sanchez), Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries (15' st Darmian), Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan (37' st Frattesi), Augusto (17' st Dimarco); Lautaro, Thuram (17' st Arnautovic). Coach Inzaghi. Available: Asllani, Audero, Bisseck, de Vrij, Di Gennaro, Klaassen, Sensi.

Verona (4-2-3-1): Montipò, Tchatchoua, Magnani, Coppola, Doig (17' st Cabal); Folorunsho, Duda; Ngonge (41' st Kallon), Suslov (46' st Charlys), Mboula (1' st Lazovic); Djuric (17' st Henry). All. Baroni. Available: Amione, Berardi, Bonazzoli, Cruz, Faraoni, Hongla, Perilli, Serdar. Scorers: 12' Lautaro, 73' Henry, Frattesi 95' Ammonites: Coppola, Suslov Expelled: Lazovic