Inter captain Lautaro Martinez probably picked the best possible match to miss through injury as his teammates sailed to a comfortable 2-0 win over a timid Lecce side in their Serie A Matchday 2 fixture at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
As a sell-out crowd of 70,921 fans welcomed the champions back home for the new season, Matteo Darmian was the one who gave his side an early lead that allowed the Nerazzurri to control the first half with ease.
Hakan Calhanoglu converted a penalty to double Inter‘s advantage in the second half, sealing an effortless victory. It was important for Simone Inzaghi to silence his doubters after their slip-up at Genoa in the season opener, albeit with a much sterner test to come next week against Atalanta.
Inter secure early lead in a dominant first-half
Inter‘s intensity in the opening few minutes was immediately rewarded, as they quickly forced Lecce into their own half and broke the deadlock after six minutes. Mehdi Taremi flicked Federico Dimarco‘s cross into the path of Darmian at the far post who headed in the opener.
The hosts’ intensity was reminiscent of their best days from last season, as the visitors struggled to keep possession for more than 10 or 15 seconds at a time. Whilst their defensive positioning still requires work, it proved good enough to deal with Lecce‘s timid attempts to mount a reaction, most of which came through Patrick Dorgu‘s tireless work.
As the first half drew to a close, Inter‘s only problem was failing to add to their early lead despite their obvious supremacy. This left the door open for the Giallorossi to get back into the game, which they almost did on the stroke of half-time through Hamza Rafia whose shot towards the near post was crucially deflected by Calhanloglu.
Taremi shows potential as Inter seal the win with ease
The opening 45 minutes also highlighted the brilliance of new signing Mehdi Taremi, who was involved in a chance Inter had to double their lead a few minutes into the second half.
Although the Iranian forward could’ve been sharper at times, his superb link-up play and overall importance in Simone Inzaghi‘s system was impossible to ignore. Whether he is called on to lead the first wave of pressure, come deep to receive the ball and lure his marker out of position, or run straight at the defence in front of him, he looked like much more than a reliable backup in his first start.
Luckily for the Nerazzurri, their lack of cutting edge on the night was eventually compensated for by Calhanoglu, who added a second from the penalty spot after Marcus Thuram was blatantly fouled at the far post by Kialonda Gaspar.
With six goals conceded in their two first league games of the season, albeit against good sides like Atalanta and Inter, Lecce look among the main candidates for relegation. Their attack is currently too reliant on sparks from the likes of Dorgu and Lameck Banda.
The two coaches will be feeling very different about their sides, with Inzaghi seeing a glimpse of his 2023/24 title winners and Luca Gotti seeing his side put up a minimal fight when only one goal down.
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