Inter were wasteful when they hosted Hellas Verona but still secured all three points in their first outing of 2024, confirming their status as Winter Champions following a crazy ending to the match.
Despite dropping points in their last outing of 2023, Simone Inzaghi’s side still held a two-point lead over second place Juventus heading into the new year, giving them the chance to crown themselves champions at the half-way point of the season.
Hellas Verona have struggled to find their footing this season and have been circling dangerously close to the relegation zone, pilling on the pressure ahead of their trip to San Siro on Saturday afternoon.
It didn’t take long for Inter to find their advantage in a packed San Siro, taking a 1-0 lead after 13 minutes following a clever attacking move. Henrik Mkhitaryan burst forward and played a clean pass through to Lautaro Martinez, who had no trouble from around 12 yards out as he scored the opener.
Verona tried to respond but their efforts moving forward were undercut by their inability to play the right pass in the final third, letting the Nerazzurri off the hook. Yann Sommer made a great stop to deny a Milan Duric header later in the first half, ensuring his side stayed ahead.
Inter continued to push for a second after the half-time break and thought they’d doubled their lead through captain Lautaro, but his goal was chalked off after an offside from Francesco Acerbi in the build-up.
The Nerazzurri tried to find their second as the match progressed but continued to be wasteful in the final third, giving the visitors a route back into the match.
Verona finally found their equaliser in the 74th minute, when substitute Thomas Henry guided the ball into the back of the net after a good pass from Ondrej Duda.
Inter almost put themselves ahead just minutes later following a Federico Dimarco free kick, but Marko Arnautovic accidentally made a goal line clearance for the Gialloblu, keeping things level.
In the dying moments of the match, Davide Frattesi proved the hero for Inter, poking the ball into the back of the net after a chaotic attacking move, seemingly ensuring that the league leaders snatched all three points despite a performance to forget.
In the aftermath of Inter’s winner, Darko Lazovic was shown a red card after snapping at the referee, adding further misery for the visitors.
Just when the Nerazzurri thought they’d closed out their victory, Verona were awarded a penalty in the 99th minute of the match after Matteo Darmian kicked Giangiacomo Magnani on the back of the ankle.
Henry stepped up to take the spot kick but wasn’t accurate from 12 yards out, his shot ricocheting off the post, letting Inter off the hook as they ran off with all three points, ending a crazy clash at San Siro.
Crazy it was.