Champions League | Inter 3-1 Sheriff: Nerazzurri off the mark
Inter celebrated their first Champions League goals and victory of the season, ending Sheriff Tiraspol’s perfect record with Edin Dzeko, Arturo Vidal and Stefan de Vrij.
The Nerazzurri had one point from their first two Champions League games and were yet to score a goal, but Moldovan debutants Sheriff Tiraspol remarkably beat both Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Madrid. Hakan Calhanoglu and Stefano Sensi were out of action, so Arturo Vidal stepped in, with Denzel Dumfries supporting Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko. Sheriff were forced to make two changes from the starting XI, losing goalkeeper Giorgos Athanasiadis and striker Jasurbek Yakhsiboev.
Denzel Dumfries was sent clear on goal by Edin Dzeko’s slide-rule pass on the counter, but his touch was heavy, allowing the goalkeeper to smother at his feet.
Moments later, Dzeko wasted a similar opportunity on the Lautaro Martinez assist, then Federico Dimarco fired over the bar.
Dumfries only hit the side-netting, but after a sensational save on Dimarco, Inter finally got their first goal of this Champions League campaign. Vidal flicked on the corner for Dzeko’s sensational volley off the inside of the left boot into the far top corner from 10 yards.
Ivan Perisic’s deflected first-time strike skimmed the far post, but Samir Handanovic also needed a save on Cristiano Silva’s counter-attack at the near post.
Sheriff equalised after the restart with a splendid long-range free kick from Sebastian Thill, curled over the wall and dipping beyond Handanovic at the near post.
Dumfries missed another big chance and Ivan Perisic was unlucky to thump the base of the near post from a tricky angle on a Dzeko assist.
However, moments later Dzeko provided a similar pass for Vidal, who kept his cool to beat the goalkeeper at the near stick to restore Inter’s lead. This was only the Chilean’s second Champions League goal in over four years.
They added a third too, Dumfries flicking on a corner for Stefan de Vrij to meet it at the near post with a low volley.
Perisic rattled the frame of the goal for a second time, his scorcher smacking against the crossbar, while in stoppages Lautaro Martinez’s volley was acrobatically palmed over the bar.
Inter 3-1 Sheriff
Dzeko 34 (I), S Thill 52 (S), Vidal 58 (I), De Vrij 67 (I)