Inter Milan pegged back twice as battling Sampdoria earn draw

Sampdoria twice fought back from behind to hold Serie A champions Inter Milan to a 2-2 draw on Sunday, as Simone Inzaghi’s side dropped points for the first time this season. Inter began life under their new coach with two league wins and had the chance to go eight points clear of title rivals Juventus following their defeat at Napoli, but the Nerazzurri had to settle for a point from an end-to-end encounter.

Inter defender Federico Dimarco blasted a free kick into the top corner after 18 minutes, the 23-year-old’s first goal for his boyhood club, but Maya Yoshida soon levelled with a deflected volley. Lautaro Martinez ruthlessly finished a sweeping counter-attack with a volley to put the visitors back in front before halftime, but Tommaso Augello responded with a wonderful volleyed strike of his own early in the second half.

Both sides had chances to take all three points but neither found the decisive breakthrough, leaving Inter second with seven points and Sampdoria in 13th place with two points. Inter scored seven goals during back-to-back wins over Genoa and Hellas Verona before the international break, but Inzaghi was left frustrated on his 200th Serie A game as a coach as Sampdoria earned a deserved point.

The hosts, also under new management in Roberto D’Aversa, had a good early chance when Morten Thorsby headed over from six yards, but they went behind when Dimarco swept in an unstoppable free kick, which Sky Italia clocked at 106 kmph. Sampdoria equalised in the 32nd minute when a headed clearance from a corner fell to Yoshida, whose shot was deflected in.

But Inter retook the lead with a well-executed counter-attack led by Nicolo Barella, who raced into the opposition half, rode a challenge, and picked out Martinez for his cushioned volley. Italy midfielder Barella became the first Inter player to provide assists in each of his first three matches of the Serie A season since Opta started collecting data in 2004-05. But the champions again surrendered their advantage two minutes into the second half, when Augello was left unmarked to fire a volley into the top corner.

Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu and Sampdoria debutant Francesco Caputo both sent promising opportunities wide, before Danilo D’Ambrosio performed a goal-line clearance to deny Mikkel Damsgaard.