A five-goal thriller was played out between the two sides at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris as Genoa all but consigned Inter Milan to a 2015/16 campaign with no European football.
Due to being unable to secure a license to participate in the Europa League next season, Genoa had nothing to play for in comparison to the Nerazzurri, who were looking to keep their hopes of qualifying for the very same competition alive.
The visitors started off well as they went ahead through star striker Mauro Icardi inside 20 minutes, though Gian Piero Gasperini’s men quickly equalised five minutes later through on-loan striker Leonardo Pavoletti. On the half-hour mark, Rodrigo Palacio put Inter ahead once more, as he calmly slotted past Matia Perin in the Genoa goal from an incisive counter-attack.
Only minutes before the end of the half though, Belgian winger Maxime Lestienne took advantage of a mix up at the edge of the box between Andrea Ranocchia and Samir Handanovic, passing the ball into an empty net.
With the game in the balance going into the final minutes of the game, Slovakian midfielder Juraj Kucka headed the ball into the bottom right-hand corner from a set-piece, sending the Rossoblu to fifth on the day.
Handanovic heroics not enough to put Inter in Europa League position
The Slovenian goalkeeper was in his usual fine form up against Genoa as he attempted to make amends for his rare blunder in the previous week’s game against Juventus.
The 30-year-old made no less than four fantastic saves on the night as he denied Lestienne twice inside the opening 10 minutes (one from the edge of the box and the other from a close-range header), Kucka from 25 yards out immediately after Inter went 1-0 ahead, and Andrea Bertolacci also from long-range after the hour-mark.
Handanovic, who has arguably been the club’s best player in 2014/15, has performed similar feats throughout the season, earning his side points from his own gloves. It may well, however, not be enough for Inter Milan to secure Europa League football next season and it is possible he could leave the club, with Tottenham and many more rumoured to be interested in acquiring his services.
https://youtu.be/eT_N_3S_zV4
Despite the loss, Inter are in good hands leading into the future
With many fans of the Nerazzurri understandably downbeat by this result, those who are looking at the bigger picture may not be so concerned for the club going into 2015/16 and beyond.
What has been on show from the team in recent weeks is fluid and flowing attacking football, utilising a narrow midfield structure in order to break down opposition defences.
Full-backs, Danilo D’Ambrosio and Yuto Nagatomo in the side for this game, continuously overlapped and made themselves useful attacking outlets. As well as this, a front three that contains Argentinians Icardi and Palacio and Brazilian attacking-midfielder Hernanes have built up a tremendous rapport on the field and are looking dangerous in recent weeks. All that is needed is some consistency at the back.
Also, leading into the future the Nerazzurri have a squad that includes young talent such as Icardi and Mateo Kovacic, as well as many prospects in the Primaveria side.
One such prospect is Romanian striker George Puscas. The 19-year-old has scored 16 goals in 11 appearances for Inter’s Primavera team. Today he made his seventh senior appearance for the club this season, coming off the bench late in the game. With Palacio now 33, Puscas may see more game time in the near future.
Whilst it is likely that Internazionale will not be competing in Europe at all next season, the team is in good hands with a proven winner in Roberto Mancini at the helm and Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir pumping money into the club’s youth structure and transfer kitty.
[interaction id=”5562137c28430a5757c61086″]
Simple errors costing Inter Milan points
Last week’s goalkeeping gaffe from the usually reliable Handanovic, as well as some sloppy defending from Nemanja Vidic, cost Inter dearly in that 2-1 loss as the team’s momentum was halted and its run of seven games undefeated was put to an end.
The game against Genoa saw another critical error occur, this time involving club captain Ranocchia as well as Handanovic. The pair failed to communicate effectively at the edge of their own box and in doing so, clobbered into each other, allowing Genoa’s Lestienne to score less than five minutes before the break.
Two losses in a row for the Nerazzurri mean they sit three points behind Sampdoria in the race for the final Europa League spot leading into the final game of the season.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
