Internazionale stretched their lead at the top of Serie A to 15 points with a 2-1 home win over Genoa on Monday, but controversy lingered over the decision to award the hosts a decisive penalty.
Simone Inzaghi had cause for celebration as he marked his 300th match as a manager in Serie A. His team, Inter, has achieved a perfect record of nine wins in all of their league games this year and has matched their total points from last season.
Inzaghi spoke to Sky Sport following the game, emphasizing the importance of taking control of our own fate. He acknowledged the team’s impressive feat of gaining a 15-point lead over Juventus and Milan in just 33 days, but cautioned against becoming complacent and encouraged looking towards the future.
Genoa fought aggressively from the beginning and nearly scored in the middle of the first half when Mateo Retegui’s header was saved by Inter’s goalkeeper, Yann Sommer. Although Albert Gudmundsson was the first to get to the rebound, he missed the goal.
At the 30-minute mark, Kristjan Asllani scored the first goal after receiving a pass from Alexis Sánchez and shooting into the net from inside the penalty box.
After eight minutes, Inter received a penalty as Morten Frendrup was seen to have brought down Nicolò Barella in the penalty area. The referee, Giovanni Ayroldi, was asked to review the VAR monitor on the field, but ultimately upheld his initial ruling even though the replays did not definitively show a foul.
Sánchez successfully scored the penalty, giving Inter a 2-0 lead. However, another angle captured by a camera that was not displayed on the monitor to referee Ayroldi revealed that Frendrup had redirected Barella’s shot into the side netting.
Genoa equalized nine minutes into the second half when Johan Vásquez scored with a volley after receiving a clearance from Inter defender Stefan de Vrij. The away team believed they had tied the game when substitute Vitinha scored, but it was disallowed due to an offside in the buildup.
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After the game, Alberto Gilardino, the manager of Genoa, was generous in his response to the decision. He stated to Sky that the incident did not appear to be a penalty when viewed on the field and now, after seeing the footage, they can be certain of that fact.
It is uncertain, but I would rather discuss the impressive display of bravery and skill from my team. Officials are fallible, as we all are, but upon reviewing the footage, efforts should be made to minimize errors.
Genoa is now in the 12th position with a total of 33 points after their defeat. Inter continues to lead in the title race with a total of 72 points, as second-placed Juventus lost 2-1 against Napoli on Sunday.
Source: theguardian.com
