Cagliari 0-2 Inter Milan: Goals from Denzel Dumfries and Lautaro Martinez see Inter keep up fine start to Serie A season
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Updated 28/08/2023 at 21:03 GMT
Players have come and gone at Inter Milan this summer, but they appear to still be the slick side of the past campaign as they coasted past Claudio Ranieri’s Cagliari in Serie A. Denzel Dumfries marauded forward to slide home the opener, and when Lautaro Martinez expertly finished off a good move on half an hour, the game was as good as done as the hosts mustered little by way of attacking threat.
Denzel Dumfries of FC Internazionale celebrates with team-mates after scoring the goal during the Serie A TIM match between Cagliari Calcio and FC Internazionale at Sardegna Arena on August 28, 2023 in Cagliari, Italy.
Image credit: Getty Images
Inter Milan dominated a toothless Cagliari to record their second 2-0 win of the season and remain behind city rivals AC Milan on goal difference only at the top of Serie A.
Inter enjoyed the bulk of possession during the encounter and shut the game down for much of the second half, having struck with two decisive goals in the first half hour, showing their class over the newly-promoted hosts.
Marcus Thuram was much improved up front for Inter, harrying the Cagliari defence when out of possession and setting up Denzel Dumfries’ opening goal, playing the Dutchman in with a cute through ball into the penalty area.
Dumfries produced a cool finish across the face of Boris Radunovic’s goal, and the home keeper could do nothing with the second strike either, as Lautaro Martinez took his time in the Cagliari box before firing home from eight yards out.
Simone Inzaghi will be pleased with how his team controlled the game but Claudio Ranieri’s side showed little in their first home game since promotion and are still chasing their first win of the season.
Forget making your guests welcome, Cagliari did everything they could to get Inter comfortable in Sardinia and only had one real scoring chance.
The closest they came was when a lucky bounce reached Paulo Azzi at point-blank range, but he spooned a weak shot straight into the grasp of Yann Sommer to the ire of a committed home support.
There was precious little invention aside from substitute Zito Luvumbo and full-back Tommaso Augello, while Leonardo Pavoletti had to leave the pitch after just 35 minutes, dumping yet another problem onto Ranieri’s plate.
Inter weren’t perfect either, they were so laid back in the second half they were almost horizontal and had Azzi taken that chance it would’ve been a nervier final few minutes than Inzaghi had expected.
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Dumfries fires Inter ahead against Cagliari with low strike
But they controlled the game well and fashioned plenty of chances in an intimidating atmosphere on Sardinia.
Federico Dimarco was dangerous down the left flank all first half, his one-two with Thuram left Gabriele Zappa and Adam Obert for dead before he fed Martinez for the goal, and Dumfries had already set up his captain to hit the post early on.
Things were mostly controlled at the back while Nicolo Barella dictated the game’s tempo from midfield, with no home players able to get near him.
Talking point: New-look Inter begin to find feet
Inter experienced plenty of upheaval over the summer with Andre Onana, Samir Handanovic, Marcelo Brozovic, Edin Dzeko and Romelu Lukaku all departing without many reinforcements coming in.
New keeper Sommer is yet to face a serious challenge from the opening two games, but acquiring Thuram for free from Borussia Monchengladbach was a major coup.
He struggled to break into the game against Monza but was excellent here, combining superbly with Dumfries for the first goal.
The effort he showed to rob Ibrahim Sulemana in central midfield was replicated throughout the game on the rare occasions Inter did find themselves out of possession and he played Dimarco through to set up his side’s second goal too.
Thuram’s still waiting for his first goal in black and blue but on the evidence of this evening then he’ll get off the mark sooner or later.
Hakan Calhanoglu has been re-invented as Inter’s latest holding midfielder after Brozovic’s departure and looked much more confident there than against Monza, getting back well to deny Nahitan Nandez in the first half when the winger was through on goal.
Marko Arnautovic again proved his worth from the bench too, helping create a chance that Calhanoglu sent crashing into the woodwork, it just remains to be seen whether Inzaghi sees the Austrian as anything more than a super sub.
The only negative is the continued absence of newly acquired centre-back Francesco Acerbi with a muscle injury.
Player of the match: Lautaruo Martinez
As mentioned above, it was a team effort from Inter and Thuram could’ve easily featured here. But after taking the captain’s armband ahead of the season, Martinez continues to lead from the front.
His goal made the last hour extremely comfortable for Inter, but Martinez stayed alive in the game and looked to buzz off backline when his side did break forward.
Inter were just so lethargic in the second half that even one of the best poachers in the game could barely fashion an opportunity, but Martinez had done more than enough to give his side a win by that stage.
Player ratings
Cagliari: Radunovic 5; Zappa 6, Dossena 5, Obert 6, Augello 7, Nandez 7, Sulemana 4, Makoumbou 5, Jankto 4, Pavoletti 6, Oristanio 4
Subs: Luvumbo, Azzi 5, Di Pardo 6, Shomurodov 5, Deiola 5
Inter: Sommer 7, Darmian 8, De Vrij 6, Bastoni 7, Dumfries 8, Barella 7, Calhanoglu 7, Mkhitaryan 6, Dimarco 8, Thuram 7, Martinez 8
Subs: Augusto 6, Fratesi 6, Cuadrado 7, Arnautovic 7, Sensi 5
Match highlights
14’ - Hit the post! It's been a sluggish game so far but Martinez nearly broke it over there. Ibrahim Sulemana failed to clear a long throw for Dumfries and the Inter captain hit it first time, striking it across goal and into Boris Radunovic's left post. That's a wake-up call for the hosts…
21’ GOAL!!! Cagliari 0-1 Inter Milan: Marcus Thuram struggled to get into the game aagaisnt Monza but he's done fantastically there, holding the ball up as Inter counter before sliding it to Dumfries who produces a tidy finish across Radunovic's goal!
23’ Huge home chance: Ibrahim Sulemana won a free-kick deep in his own half but Cagliari broke quickly, lifting a ball over Stefan de Vrij for Nandez to run onto, but Sommer was able to turn his shot past the post.
30’ GOAL!!! Cagliari 0-2 Inter Milan: The threat down the left has been there all match for Inter and it finally pays off, Dimarco played a 1-2 with Thuram before haring down the wing and finding Martinez in the box, he doesn't miss from there.
31’ VAR check over: After a brief check for offside the goal stands, and we're back underway. Inter have just been a class above so far and Martinez is right back on it, chasing down Adam Obert at the back.
86’ Hit the post! Arnautovic had his first involvement, switching play out to Cuadrado who cut it back to Calhanoglu but his shot just snuck onto the post.
89’ Huge chance for Azzi: He has to bury that. The cross cannons off an Inter leg to Azzi four yards out from the back post, but he can't put any power into his shot and Sommer produces a great save at full stretch.
Key stats
Just one win for Cagliari in their last 12 games against Inter Milan.
Eight unbeaten sides remain after two weekends of Serie A action, Inter stay alive alongside AC Milan, Napoli, Verona, Fiorentina, Juventus, Lecce, and Salernitana.
Dumfries fires Inter ahead against Cagliari with low strike
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