Bonazzoli goes close to pulling a goal back for SPAL! The substitute gets himself into a good position just outside of the Inter box and quickly shoots, but his low effort flies just wide of the near post. Samir Handanovic seemed to have it covered, mind.
90' +4
Sloppy defending by SPAL almost allows Icardi to go through on goal, but Salamon is just about able to shield the ball from the striker to make sure it deflects behind for for a goal-kick.
90' +2
Huge chance for Eder! Another dangerous cross is fired into the SPAL box and manages to pick out Eder in front of goal, but he can't quite make enough contact with the ball and sends his glancing header just wide of the far post.
90'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be five minutes of added time.
89'
Brozovic breaks into space before setting up Perisic over on the left wing. The latter then fizzes a beautiful pass across the face of goal, where it looks set to find Eder but flies just past the on-rushing striker.
88'
Éder enters the game and replaces A. Candreva.
Eder has come on to replace Antonio Candreva for the final few minutes of the game.
87'
I. Perišić has scored a goal for Inter Milan! Assist by D. D'Ambrosio.
D'Ambrosio did well to keep the danger alive before teeing up Perisic, but, my word, that was a phenomenal volley from the Croatian, who left Gomis with no chance whatsoever.
GOAL! What a strike by Perisic! Icardi breaks into the penalty area and looks set to shoot, but he's dispossessed by Salamon just as he's about to shoot. D'Ambrosio picks up the ball and chips a deft cross over to Perisic, who immediately unleashes a rocket of a shot that almost breaks the net as it flies into the top left-hand corner of the net.
85'
F. Bonazzoli enters the game and replaces F. Viviani.
SPAL have made their third and final change, with Viviani making way for Federico Bonazzoli.
83'
Inter patiently pass the ball around on the edge of the SPAL box as they desperately try to find a second goal that would surely wrap up the win. Dalbert eventually gets a shot away, but it's poorly hit and sails high over the crossbar.
81'
D'Ambrosio manges to pick out Icardi with a beautiful ball into the heart of the penalty area, but the Inter captain can't beat Gomis with his header and SPAL are just about able to hold on once again.
Minute
Description
79'
Decent chance for Schiattarella! SPAL do well to win themselves a fifth corner of the game, and it's sent short before being worked over to Schiattarella. The midfielder shoots from the edge of the box, but his thumping effort is slightly too powerful and fails to hit the target.
78'
A. Grassi enters the game and replaces L. Mora.
M. Vecino enters the game and replaces Borja Valero.
SPAL have made a second alteration, with Alberto Grassi coming on to replace captain Mora.
Meanwhile, Inter have taken off Valero and replaced him with Matias Vecino.
76'
Candreva is bundled over by Salamon, and Inter are awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position out wide. The cross in is a good one and picks out Perisic, but the Croatian can only head the ball down into the hands of Gomis before being flagged offside.
74'
Skriniar hits the crossbar! The defender is left in a pocket of space and unleashes an absolute rocket of a shot from 30 yards out, but it smashes the woodwork after leaving Gomis rooted to the spot in the middle of the goal. What a goal that would have been!
72'
Big miss by Brozovic! A wonderful lofted pass from Valero flies down the left flank and picks out Perisic in a pocket of space. The Croatian charges into the box and then cuts the ball back to Brozovic, who quickly shoots but sends his strike high over the crossbar after being put off by Viviani.
71'
A low cross in from the left wing isn't fully dealt with by the Inter defence, allowing the ball to bounce out to Mora. The SPAL captain quickly unleashes a venomous strike, but Valero is there to throw his body in the way of the effort.
69'
SPAL pile plenty of bodies forward as they try to find a way back into the game, but Mora can't find a way through a sea of black and blue shirts and eventually loses out before he can set up a team-mate inside the penalty area.
67'
Brozovic is immediately involved in the thick of the action as he bursts into the box and fizzes a pass across the face of goal, but the ball is poked behind for another Inter corner before it can pick out a team-mate.
66'
M. Brozović enters the game and replaces João Mário.
Meanwhile, Marcelo Brozovic has come on to replace Joao Mario for Inter.
65'
M. Antenucci enters the game and replaces A. Paloschi.
SPAL have made their first substitution of the game, with Paloschi making way for Mirco Antenucci.
64'
Inches wide by Salamon! Lazzari, who has done well over on the right flank for SPAL, cuts inside and takes on Valero, who clips the wing-back and concedes a free-kick in a dangerous position. The set-piece is swung into the middle of the box and finds Salamon, who dives towards the ball and sends a glancing header agonisingly wide of the far post.
62'
Candreva breaks into the right-hand side of the SPAL penalty area and takes on Gomis, but once again the goalkeeper is able to get a hand on the ball and denies a second goal of the game for Inter.
60'
Perisic cuts inside from the left wing and tries to pick out Joao Mario with a pass towards the edge of the SPAL penalty area, but it's poorly hit by the Croatian and gifts possession back to the visitors.
58'
R. Gagliardini gets yellow.
SPAL break through the middle of the pitch on a quick counter-attack through Schiattarella, who is clumsily fouled by Gagliardini and picks up a free-kick for his side that fails to result in a chance on goal.
57'
Viviani's cross into the heart of the penalty area is an excellent one and almost finds a white and blue shirt in front of goal, but it somehow manages to miss everyone inside the box and flies out to the left wing.
56'
Skriniar received a boot in the stomach from D'Ambrosio as the two tried to deal with the SPAL corner. It looks as if he's going to be able to continue, but he's forced off to receive medical treatment whilst the visitors launch another corner into the hosts' box.
55'
SPAL go close! Lazzari initially does well to skip past Dalbert, but the Brazilian is able to get back to his feet and poke the ball behind for a corner. It's fired in by Schiattarella and bounces around dangerously before falling to Borriello, but the striker can't quite find Paloschi with his downward header and Inter are just about able to hold on.
53'
Valero does well once again to win the ball back for Inter and kick-start a quick counter-attack. He then sets up Perisic to break into the left-hand side of the box, where the Croatian swiftly crosses but can't pick out a team-mate.
52'
Borja Valero picks up the ball midway inside the SPAL half of the pitch and immediately charges forward. He manages to reach the edge of the penalty area and then shoots, but his low effort lacks the power needed to fully test Gomis.
50'
Vaisanen clears the corner, and SPAL then break away on a quick counter-attack down the left wing. Costa does well to get himself into a good position out wide, but he's clumsily fouled and has to settle for a free-kick just inside the Inter half of the pitch.
49'
Chance for Perisic! Candreva and Joao Mario link up really well on the edge of the visitors' box, with the latter looking as if he's going to have a shot. He instead lets the ball run over to Perisic, who quickly strikes and sends a deflected effort behind for a corner.
47'
It looks as if Mora has been given one final warning by the referee after cynically tripping Joao Mario to the ground. The SPAL captain has already been booked and looks close to receive another one if he's not careful.
46'
We're underway once again!
45' +3
L. Mora gets yellow.
Another big call by the referee! Inter cause themselves all sorts of problems as they, and fail, to play out from the back. Dalbert is put under pressure by Schiattarella and seems to barge the midfielder to the ground inside the box, but the referee doesn't award SPAL a penalty and instead shows Mora a yellow card for dissent.
45' +1
Huge chance for Paloschi! The striker makes an excellent run into the Inter penalty area as he latches onto a beautiful ball forward from Schiattarella, but his first-time shot isn't hit cleanly and fails to hit the target.
45'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be two minutes of added time.
44'
Inter break away down the left flank and manage to win themselves a corner. It's swung in by Joao Mario and finds Perisic at the near post, but his headed effort sails a few yards over the top of the crossbar.
42'
SPAL are enjoying a decent spell of possession at the moment as they try to find a way back into the game before the half-time break. Inter seem content to sit back and soak up the pressure, and so far they're doing a good job to deny the visitors any clear-cut chances on goal.
40'
Borriello holds up the ball inside the Inter penalty area and does well to bring Lazzari into play. The wing-back cuts onto his left foot and swings a looping cross right onto the head of Pasquale Schiattarella, who manages to meet the ball but can't keep his headed effort down.
38'
Joao Mario is caught by Vaisanen as he bursts forward, resulting in a free-kick for Inter 25 yards away from goal. Perisic steps up and shoots, but he can't beat the wall with his thumping strike.
36'
And now Gomis goes close! The resulting corner is sent short and worked over to Joao Mario, who then curls a cross over to the far post. D'Ambrosio finds high and meets it well, but his bullet header is brilliantly saved by Gomis once again.
35'
What a strike by Candreva! The winger is left in a pocket of space and immediately unleashes a rocket of a shot from 25 yards out, but Gomis is just about able to get his fingertips on the effort to push it behind for a corner.
34'
Lazzarri is dispossessed by Gagliardini, allowing Inter to kick-start a swift counter-attack. The midfielder bombs down the left wing and tries to get himself into a position to cross, but Bartosz Salamon is there to dispossess him with a well-timed sliding tackle.
32'
Joao Mario mistimes a tackle as SPAL pile bodies forward, resulting in a free-kick for the visitors in a promising position. Marco Borriello steps up and shoots, but his curling effort smashes the wall in front of him before being easily cleared.
30'
D. D'Ambrosio gets yellow.
Danilo D'Ambrosio catches Costa on the top of the foot midway down the right flank and sends the wing-back crashing to the ground, resulting in the Inter man receiving the second yellow card of the game.
29'
Icardi almost doubles Inter's lead! The striker flies into the right-hand side of the box on a great run before unleashing another thumping strike, but this time Gomis is equal to it and pulls off a smart save at the near post.
27'
Penalty goal scored by M. Icardi for Inter Milan!
GOAL! Icardi steps up and coolly converts the penalty, sending Gomis the wrong way as he side-foots a strike into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
26'
PENALTY! After a three-minute delay, the referee finally views the incident on the touchline screen and points to the spot, much to the delight of the Inter fans. We got their in the end!
24'
VAR! The referee initially awarded a free-kick, but the Inter players immediately pleaded with the referee to point to the spot instead. It definitely looked as if Joao Mario was brought down inside the box, and the referee is now going to check with the VAR.
22'
F. Vicari gets yellow.
Big call by the referee! More lovely play by Inter sets up Joao Mario to break into the box and shoot, but he's brought down by Francesco Vicari before he's able to do so. The referee immediately awards a free-kick to the hosts, but it certainly looked as if contact was made just inside the penalty area.
21'
Perisic dances his way into the left-hand side of the SPAL penalty area and manages to get the better of two defenders, but he can't beat Alfred Gomis and instead fires a low shot straight into the goalkeeper's hands.
20'
Joao Mario and Gagliardini link up nicely midway inside the SPAL half of the pitch as Inter bomb forward once again. The latter then tries to pull off a quick one-two with Mauro Icardi on the edge of the box, but the striker's flicked pass is slightly overhit and easily dealt with by Sauli Vaisanen.
18'
An Inter corner is sent short and worked over to Joao Mario. The Portuguese quickly whips a dangerous cross over to Milan Skriniar at the far post, but the centre-back is crowded out by defenders and can't quite reach the ball.
16'
Manuel Lazzari gets himself into a good position as the visitors push forward on a patient attacking move. He looks set to whip in a cross from the right wing, but Dalbert Henrique sticks close to him and manages to dispossess the wing-back with a well-timed tackle.
14'
Gagliardini looks to be hungry for a goal, as once again he goes close to opening the scoring. This time his shot from distance comes from 25 yards out and almost sneaks in at the near post, but it sails just wide of the near post.
12'
Oh dear! SPAL work the ball around nicely as they put pressure on the Inter back line. Federico Viviani is eventually set up to shoot from 25 yards out, but his thumping effort is terribly hit and almost manages to fly out of the stadium.
10'
SPAL almost shoot themselves in the foot as they try to play out from the back. They get themselves into a terrible position and give the ball away to Candreva, who tries to shoot from from inside the penalty area but is closed down by white and blue shirts before he's able to.
8'
What a chance for SPAL! The throw-in is launched into the middle of the Inter box and causes all sorts of problems for the home side. It isn't dealt with well enough and allows the ball to fall to Alberto Paloschi, who quickly unleashes a half-volleyed strike that deflects just inches wide of the goal.
7'
Marco Borriello charges forward as SPAl embark on their first attacking move of the game. He links up well with Filippo Costa, who then tees up Luca Mora to fire in a bouncing cross that's thumped out for a throw-in.
5'
Roberto Gagliardini goes close! SPAL clumsily lose possession just outside of their own penalty area, allowing the hosts to push forward quickly. Gagliardini does so and then unleashes a rocket of a strike from 20 yards out, and it's one that sails just wide of the near post.
3'
After an even start to the game from both sides, Milan push forward on their first attack of the day. Antonio Candreva gets himself into a good position deep down the right wing and quickly chips a cross over to the far post, where Ivan Perisic rises high but can't quite reach the ball.
1'
We're off! SPAL get us underway, attacking from right to left.
Good morning and welcome to our live text commentary of today’s Serie A game between Inter and SPAL at San Siro.
So far, so good for Inter, who have enjoyed an excellent start to the new season and head into today’s clash with their 100% record still intact. They weren’t handed a kind fixture list either, as they had to face Fiorentina before taking on a strong Roma side away from home. Luciano Spalletti’s men comfortably came out on top though, first swatting aside the Tuscans with a 3-0 victory before winning 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico.
With rivals AC Milan spending heavily in the summer in an attempt to catch the likes of Juventus, Napoli and Roma, the battle for a top four finish looks set to involve the two Milanese clubs. Serie A will regain a fourth Champions League place in time for next season, meaning this campaign’s fight for qualification is set to be an intense one. Inter only have Serie A and the Coppa Italia to concentrate on, so they’ll be aiming to take advantage of that fact by impressing on the domestic stage.
After 49 years in the lower tiers, SPAL are back in Serie A and loving every minute of it. The Biancazzurri were handed a tough tie away to Lazio in their opening game of the campaign, but they did well to hold their opponents to an impressive and well-earned draw. They then went one better in their next home outing by beating Udinese 3-2 at home thanks to a 94th-minute Luca Rizzo winner, filling them with confidence ahead of today's big game.
It’s still early days, but SPAL arguably look the strongest of the newly promoted sides. Today’s clash is going to be a stern test of their capabilities though, as they must face an Inter side that look full of energy and belief after winning their opening two games of the season. The game also starts a tough run for the visitors, who will have to take on Milan and Napoli before the end of the month.
Inter XI (4-2-3-1): Handanovic; D’Ambrosio, Skriniar, Joao Miranda, Dalbert; Gagliardini, Valero; Candreva, Joao Mario, Perisic; Icardi.
There’s just under 15 minutes left to go until kick-off, so let’s have a look at how the two teams will be lining up today…
SPAL XI (3-5-2): Gomis; Salamon, Vicari, Vaisanen; Lazzari, Schiattarella, Viviani, Mora, Costa; Borriello, Paloschi.
Luciano Spalletti has decided to make two changes to the Inter side that started the victory against Roma just before the international break, with new signing Dalbert Henrique and Joao Mario coming into the starting line-up to replace Yuto Nagatomo and Matias Vecino, respectively.
Meanwhile, SPAL boss Luciano Semplici has also made two alterations to the team that featured in their last outing, with Federico Mattiello and Sergio Floccari making way for Filippo Costa and Alberto Paloschi.
The two sides are making their way out onto the pitch, with just a few minutes to go until kick-off.
HALF-TIME: INTER 1-0 SPAL
It hasn't been the easiest of games so far for Inter, but the hosts have nonetheless done well to head down the tunnel with a one-goal lead. They were eventually awarded a penalty after a three-minute wait for the VAR to show that Joao Mario was indeed brought down inside the box, and since then they've defended well against a determined SPAL side whilst also going close to doubling their lead.
The two teams are making their way back out on to the pitch ahead of the start of the second half. Neither side have made any substitutions during the half-time break.
FULL-TIME: INTER 2-0 SPAL
They were made to work hard by a determined SPAL side, but Inter have deservedly managed to come away with a well-earned win thanks to another impressive display. They defended resolutely when required and caused plenty of problems on the front foot, with Perisic, who always looked bright out on the left wing, scoring what would prove to be the winning goal with one of the best strikes of the season so far.
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