As expected with two teams trending in opposite directions on the form charts, Inter were in total control of the proceedings from the first whistle. However, Simone Inzaghi’s men were lacking incision in the final third, leaving the door open for Sampdoria to claw their way back into the match. While the two teams headed down the tunnel with the scoresheet untouched, Inter looked to be the likelier side to snatch the lead in the second half.
The same tempo largely persisted after HT, with Federico Dimarco coming close twice just before the hour mark, shooting over the crossbar and hitting the side netting. But Sampdoria were also seeing more action in Inter’s half of the field, and with frustrations clearly growing, Simone Inzaghi went for broke with a triple change, including the replacement of Marcelo Brozović with Nicolò Barella to add freshness in the weakening holding midfield area.
Meanwhile, any positive effects from Romelu Lukaku’s departure in Edin Džeko’s favour were difficult to distinguish, as Sampdoria held off Inter with near-nonchalance. All the while, the Sampdoria rearguard remained stubborn in the face of the Nerazzurri pressure, but there was almost a late twist, as Hakan Çalhanoğlu saw a curling effort from close range go straight into the waiting arms of the Sampdoria goalkeeper Emil Audero.
Despite moving off rock-bottom in recent weeks, Sampdoria remain eight points from safety after 22 games played. While they have been a staple in the top-flight in the modern era, a turnaround is looking less likely with each passing game for the Genoa club, especially with two challenging trips to Rome either side of a visit to Juventus just around the corner.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter Milan)
