It’s not easy to go to the Marassi and bring home all three points. Second-place Juventus could already attest to this as their visit from two weeks ago resulted in the same 1-1 result. And with Lautaro Martinez and Federico Dimarco still out with injuries, this was never going to be an easy task especially as 30,000 supporters provided as intense and smokey an atmosphere to unsettle the visiting side.
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi avoided making excuses about fatigue and injuries that have been limiting his squad in his post-match press conference. “We are not happy with the draw,” he said. “We wanted to win, but we knew what opponent we would find – who are physically and mentally well and put a lot of intensity on the pitch. After having found the advantage, we had to be better when they scored. Honor to Genoa who played an excellent game and deserved it on the pitch.”
Despite Genoa aggressively pressing the visitors throughout the first half, the Nerazzurri had created chances to open an early lead. The first chance came as early as one minute into the game as Marko Arnautović slid a surgical pass to Henrikh Mkhitaryan whose shot missed the goal wide left. In the 9th minute, Marcus Thuram connected with an Arnatauvic cross, but he could only head a shot directly at goalkeeper Josep Martínez.
While creating their home-pitch advantage, the Grifone ultras continued to light up flares and set off smoke bombs well after the kick-off whistle. By the 15th minute, such actions led to the pitch getting filled with so much smoke that referee Daniele Doveri stopped the game for about nine minutes.
The match restarted in the 24th minute and as the half continued, Inter increased their pressure on the Genoa defense. At the 42nd minute, Yann Bisseck headed a Matteo Darmian throw in which found its way to Nicolo Barella who volleyed a deflected shot that ricocheted off of the far post. Once it bounced off the woodwork, Arnatauvic was there to finish the job and tap in the goal. The Nerazzurri were now ahead 0-1.
The problem was the half was still far from over with the 9 minutes of added time Doveri had to tack on to the 45 that the players were already on the pitch for. The two sides continued to press each other during the extended time, but it was Stefano Sabelli who won a corner kick for the Grifone at the +7th minute. Albert Guðmundsson placed his corner kick right in front of goal and it was center back Radu Drăgușin who beat out Francesco Acerbi and Carlos Augusto and headed a shot past goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
The 1-1 score would remain throughout the second half until the final whistle. Despite the overall advantage of the numbers including possession which they had near 60% of in the second half, the Nerazzurri could not convert any of the chances they were able to create. Their best chance occurred at the 68th minute from a Hakan Çalhanoğlu free kick that connected with Acerbi who tried to rocket a header into goal, but was stopped by Martínez with an acrobatic save.
“We played a very intense and physical team,” Inzaghi said. “We knew that here at the Marassi they only lost to Fiorentina and Milan in a daring way, then they bothered everyone. Once we had found the advantage, we had to be better. In the second half, we had an opportunity but the goalkeeper was good on Acerbi’s shot.”
With no Christmas break this season, league play will continue next week as Inter will try to clinch the unofficial title of winter champions on Saturday afternoon at home against Hellas Verona.
