Inter Milan vs. Sampdoria: Final score 1-1, Samp snatch deserved draw

Pier Marco Tacca

A last-gasp goal from Renan Garcia saw relegation-threatened Sampdoria nick a point against Inter Milan at the San Siro.

A dramatic 89th minute equaliser from Sampdoria's Renan Garcia saw the blucerchiati pick up a deserved point away against Inter Milan. The hosts had taken the lead through Fredy Guarín in the first half, though dropped deeper and deeper after the restart, and eventually conceded in the dying moments of the match.

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It was Sampdoria who made the better start, with Siniša Mihajlović's pre-match team talk having seemingly worked a treat. The blucerchiati looked fired up, with Roberto Soriano and Manolo Gabbiadini both going close from distance inside the opening ten minutes. However, they failed to capitalise on their early pressure, and were unfortunately made to pay just as Inter began to venture out of their own half.

A great exchange between Rodrigo Palacio and Ricky Álvarez down Inter's left culminated in the latter dancing into the box and drilling the ball towards the back post, where Fredy Guarín was left with a tap-in to open the scoring inside the opening 20 minutes. Samp, who had looked so confident up until conceding, were suddenly on the back foot.

They did manage to create a couple of good chances before the halftime whistle, though Samir Handanović proved unbeatable between the sticks. The Slovenian keeper denied Nicola Pozzi from the edge of the area after 25 minutes, before making an even better stop on Shkodran Mustafi's header five minutes before the break. The nerazzurri were far from dominating the match, though had a narrow lead.

It was almost a comfortable lead just a few minutes after the restart, though from a tight angle Angelo da Costa's goalpost prevented Guarín netting his second goal of the match. Just a few minutes later Samp had the ball in Handanović's goal after a great passing move, though it was ruled out for offside. The game was very finely poised indeed.

Inter continued to sit back, and were given another fright just inside the final 20 minutes when a vicious low free-kick from Éder squirmed under the wall only to be kept out by a diving Handanović. The nerazzurri looked ever more defensive in their outlook, with Samp throwing players forward in search of an equaliser. Eventually, the pressure told.

Attacking midfielder Renan Garcia had been on the field for less than five minutes when he worked some space on the edge of the Inter penalty area, before drilling the ball beyond Handanović and into the bottom corner of the net. It was a deserved equaliser for the blucerchiati, with Inter having been way too conservative in their approach throughout the second half.

The draw does little for either side, with Inter still fourth, and Sampdoria dropping to second-bottom with Chievo Verona's victory over Livorno. However, they're now unbeaten in their last couple, and the importance of confidence in a relegation battle shouldn't be underestimated.

Inter Milan: Handanović; Juan Jesus, Rolando, Campagnaro; Zanetti, Álvarez (Belfodil 86'), Cambiasso, Taïder (Kovačić 62'), Jonathan; Guarín (Mudingayi 81'); Palacio.

Goals: Guarín (17').

Sampdoria: da Costa; Costa, Gastaldello (Regini 43'), Mustafi, Silvestri; Obiang (Renan 86'), Palombo; Éder, Soriano, Gabbiadini; Pozzi (Sansone 73').

Goals: Renan (89').

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