December 22, (THEWILL) – Inter Milan closed the year with a 1-0 win over Torino at home, with Denzel Dumfries scoring his second goal in two games for the league leaders.
After Gleison Bremer’s header sailed straight at the keeper and Marko Pjaca’s looping attempt from the edge of the box drifted millimetres wide, the Scudetto holders rode their luck and were fortunate not to go down early on.
Simone Inzaghi’s team gradually settled down and broke the deadlock when Marcelo Brozovic’s exquisite flick found Dumfries, who stroked the ball into the bottom corner for his second goal in as many games.
Following the score, the visitors, who will be without injured striker Andrea Belotti until February, created little until Marcus Warming was introduced.
However, Inter clung on to win and complete the season on top of the table as Sasa Lukic forced Samir Handanovic into a brilliant save from a free-kick and Dumfries made a crucial late block.
After a sequence of 3-0, 4-0, and 5-0 triumphs in Serie A, the law of averages implies Inter would have to battle out a hard-fought victory at some time.
This was one of the defining characteristics of a championship contender.
Although some of the stars left the San Siro in the summer, the grit and unity that defined last season’s Scudetto team remain, as does the experience of Vidal and Handanovic.
Manager Inzaghi will be happy with how Torino was limited to few chances defensively.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
