INTER UNBEATEN RUN ENDED AT SAMPDORIA

Title contenders Inter Milan didn’t live up to their status as massive favourites ahead of their Italian Serie A clash with hosts Sampdoriaas they fell to a surprising defeat to Claudio Ranieri’s men.

Inter Milan went into the game on the back of an eight-game winning run in the league and had not lost in 11 league games. At the end of the matchday16 clash, Sampdoria ran out 2-1 winners to inflict only the second defeat of the season on the Nerazurri in the Italian Serie A. The previous league defeat for Inter Milan came on matchday four. Inter Milan were beaten 2-1 at home by league leaders AC Milan in the Milan Derby.

Inter Milan were unable to secure a ninth successive win in the league at Sampdoriaas Nerazzuri manager Antonio Conte paid the price for resting topscorerRomeluLukaku. Conte named Alexis Sanchez in the Inter Milan starting XI for the Sampdoria game in the place of RomeluLukaku but the Chilean forward struggled to havethe influence of the man he replaced in the starting XI.

He missed an early penalty and was punished for it when Inter Milan loanee Antonio Candreva scored the penalty awarded to Sampdoriato give the hosts the lead on 23 minutes against his parent club.

Inter Milan wing back Ashley Young hit the crossbar before Sampdoria took the lead. Senegalese attacker Keita Balde then scored the second Sampdoria goal seven minutes before the interval to leave Inter Milan with a huge mountain to climb at the end of first half.Keita Balde is a former Inter Milan player. TopscorerLukaku came on for the Nerazzuri in the second half and Dutch centre back Stefan De Vrij went on to pull a goal back for Inter Milan on 65 minutes. The goal gave Inter Milan a lifeline but they could not build on it till the end of the game.