Inter 3-1 Sheriff: Dzeko breathes life into Champions League campaign

With
just
one
point
from
their
opening
two
matches
of
2021-22
and
only
one
victory
from
their
past
nine
games
in
the
competition,
the
pressure
was
on
the
Nerazzuri
to
deliver
at
San
Siro.

Edin
Dzeko
broke
the
deadlock
34
minutes
in,
but
Sebastien
Thill,
who
scored
a
stunning
winner
against
Real
Madrid
on
matchday
two,
drew
Sheriff
level
early
in
the
second
half.

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2244616

Inter
responded
well,
though,
Dzeko
setting
up
Arturo
Vidal
to
restore
their
lead
and
Stefan
de
Vrij
adding
a
third
to
make
certain
of
three
points.

Dzeko
had
failed
to
beat
Dumitru
Celeadnic
from
a
simpler
position
in
the
middle
of
the
box
earlier
in
the
first
half,
making
his
breakthrough
goal
all
the
more
impressive.

RESULTS
|

FIXTURES

After
Vidal
flicked
on
Federico
Dimarco’s
corner,
Dzeko
arrowed
a
controlled
left-footed
volley
into
the
top-right
corner
through
a
crowded
penalty
area.

Sheriff
had
offered
a
threat
despite
leaving
Samir
Handanovic
relatively
untested,
and
few
neutrals
would
have
begrudged
them
their
equaliser,
Thill
curling
home
a
superb
free-kick
from
more
than
25
yards
out.

Inter’s
response
was
exemplary,
though.
Only
six
minutes
later,
Vidal
controlled
Dzeko’s
pass
and
slotted
beneath
Celeadnic
at
his
right-hand
post,
and
Denzel
Dumfries
spurned
a
chance
for
a
third
soon
afterwards.

Compatriot
De
Vrij
showed
more
precision,
though,
firing
home
a
low
finish
on
the
turn
from
Dumfries’ header
back
across
goal.

It
could
have
been
a
more
one-sided
scoreline
by
the
end,
Ivan
Perisic
crashing
a
shot
off
the
crossbar
and
Lautaro
Martinez
seeing
a
volley
tipped
over
by
Celeadnic.

What
does
it
mean?
Inter
reignite
Champions
League
campaign

Inter’s
win
put
them
on
four
points
from
three
games
in
Group
D,
two
behind
Real
Madrid
–
who
were
4-0
winners
at
Shakhtar
Donetsk
–
and
Sheriff.

Should
Simone
Inzaghi’s
men
win
the
reverse
fixture
against
the
Moldovan
champions,
they
will
be
in
a
strong
position
to
progress
to
the
last
16.

Viva
Vidal

This
was
the
first
time
Vidal
had
scored
and
assisted
a
goal
in
a
Champions
League
game
since
he
did
so
for
Juventus
against
Chelsea
in
2012.

While
not
quite
the
same
colossus
he
was
nine
years
ago,
the
Chile
midfielder
remains
a
supremely
useful
and
experienced
asset.

Shoot
to
Thill

Thill
is
fast
making
a
name
for
himself
with
spectacular
Champions
League
goals.
His
stunning
winner
at
the
Santiago
Bernabeu
was
followed
up
here
by
a
magnificent,
measured
free-kick
that
was
too
much
for
Handanovic
to
keep
out.

Unfortunately
for
Sheriff,
he
could
not
stop
Inter
breaking
through
the
lines
with
increasing
ease
as
the
game
wore
on.

What’s
next?

On
matchday
four,
Sheriff
host
Inter
on
November
3.
More
immediately,
the
Nerazzurri
must
prepare
for
Juventus
in
Serie
A
this
Sunday.

Meanwhile
in
Group
D,
Luis
Diaz’s
second-half
finish
propelled
Porto
to
their
first
win
as
they
beat
AC
Milan
1-0
to
leave
the
Italians
staring
at
an
early
exit.

Sergio
Conceicao’s
side
were
demolished
5-1
by
Liverpool
in
their
previous
European
outing,
while
Stefano
Pioli’s
men
suffered
last-minute
heartbreak
against
Atletico
Madrid
to
leave
both
sides
winless
from
their
first
two
Group
B
games.

Pioli’s
team
never
looked
like
finding
a
late
equaliser
as
Porto
recorded
their
seventh
clean
sheet
in
their
last
eight
group-stage
matches
in
the
competition.

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Match 7 – October 20 2021, 03:30 PM

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