crucial 1-0 win over Serie A rivals Sampdoria on Wednesday
night.
The Nerazzurri looked set to be held at home for the third
successive game in all competitions - which would have heaped
further pressure on coach Walter Mazzarri - but Zdravko
Kuzmanovic was felled by Alessio Romagnoli with just seconds
of normal time remaining.
Icardi, who had been repeatedly frustrated by Sergio Romero in
the Sampdoria goal, then stepped up to beat his fellow Argentin
from 12 yards out to send the Giuseppe Meazza wild and end
the visitors' unbeaten start to the season in the process.
Mazzarri had found himself up against one of the reported
favourites to replace him at the helm, in the shape of Sampdori
coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, but he came out on top against the ex-
Nerazzurri defender.
The hosts were wasteful in the first half, with Rodrigo Palacio in
particular spurning several good chances, but they managed to
snatch all three points at the death through Icardi to move to
within a point of third-placed AC Milan.
Daniele Gastaldello was lucky to escape punishment for
elbowing former team-mate Icardi in the face early on, before a
wayward pass in midfield allowed Mateo Kovacic to play the ball
in to Palacio, who inexplicably missed the target from close
range.
Palacio was again guilty of wasting a great opportunity in the
13th minute, as the Argentine latched on to Gary Medel's
incisive through-ball and poked a shot straight at Romero from
12 yards.
Inter continued to dictate the tempo as the first half progressed,
but they found themselves up against an in-form Romero, who
produced an excellent reaction save to keep Icardi's deflected
effort out five minutes before the break.
And they were almost made to pay for their wastefulness in the
final minute of the half, as Alfred Duncan struck the crossbar
after pouncing on a loose ball inside the area.
The start of the second half followed a similar pattern to the firs
as Palacio spurned another opportunity in the 50th minute,
shooting wide from six yards.
Inter's chances were seemingly dealt a blow a few moments
later when Hernanes was forced off with an injury.
Kuzmanovic, the Brazilian's replacement, wasted a glorious
chance with 28 minutes remaining, hitting a tame effort straight
at Romero when through on goal.
But Inter continued to press and salvaged a dramatic late
winner, with Kuzmanovic again central to the action.
He was tripped by Romagnoli when racing through and Icardi
fired the resulting penalty into the right-hand side of the net to
move Inter up to seventh and end Samp's unbeaten start at
eight matches - one game shy of their club record.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.
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