Inter Milan are still undefeated this season in the Champions League, after their laborious victory (2-1) at home against RB Salzburg on Tuesday during the 3rd day.
For seven minutes, Simone Inzaghi undoubtedly regretted having chosen to rotate her squad and notably leave Marcus Thuram on the bench.
And this, even if Alexis Sanchez, preferred to the French international, was not unworthy and even opened the scoring in the 19th minute, for his first goal since his return to Inter after his season at OM.
But the Italian coach, who had chosen to do without two other regular starters, Nicolo Barella and Federico Dimarco, saw his team get pushed around for most of the match by RB Salzburg, unashamedly like the twirling Roko Simic, son of former Croatian international Dario Simic, who played for Inter (1999-2002).
In the 57th minute, it was logical that the Austrians equalized thanks to the Israeli Oscar Gloukh, already very close to surprising Yann Sommer in the 4th minute, at the end of a superb movement which wrong-footed a borrowed Milan defense. .
Stung, the leaders of the Italian Championship only took seven minutes to regain the advantage through Hakan Calhanoglu on a penalty following a foul on Davide Frattesi.
The entry into play immediately of Thuram and his agreement with Lautaro Martinez allowed the Milanese to extinguish the last Austrian hopes, even if the Argentinian’s goal was refused for an offside by Frattesi, who had been judiciously alerted by the Frenchman (81st).
With seven points, Inter are on time to reach the round of 16, but they will need to significantly raise their level if they want to repeat their 2022-23 European campaign where they reached, and lost, the C1 final against Manchester City.