55′ Goal! 2-0 Inter! Biraghi collects the ball on the edge of the box, cuts in on his right, and slots into the bottom corner. That’s a really tidy finish.
C. Biraghi
Yellow Card
54′ Biraghi picks up a yellow. The card count is starting to rise.
53′ Can SPAL find a way into this game? They launch consecutive balls forward but the Inter defence is not troubled.
52′ Big chance for Inter! Martinez collects the ball and swivels to thread a ball through for Sanchez whose shot is straight at Letica. He should have done better with that.
A. Murgia
Yellow Card
51′ Murgia comes flying in as Inter look to break and is punished with a yellow card.
49′ SPAL look very well organised when defending set pieces as they comfortably clear Inter’s free-kick.
47′ Sanchez continues to be a menace as he draws in defenders on the right hand-side. He is then able to release Martinez who is fouled right on the edge of the box. Dangerous position.
M. Valdifiori
Yellow Card
46′ Valdifiori picks up a yellow for a cynical foul in the middle of the pitch.
46′ Sanchez is fouled again as he easily beats his man. He has had a lot of that in this game.
46′ And we’re back underway!
Inter will now be hoping to quickly add more to the scoreline as they seek to close the gap at the top of the table. Another Inter goal would surely be too much for SPAL to come back from…
Inter lead at the halfway stage by a goal thanks to Candreva’s well taken finish. Conte’s side always looked the more likely to score and nearly took an early lead after a Brozovic piledriver struck the post inside the first 10 minutes. SPAL have been organised and defended well but, ultimately, they have lacked any great precision going forward.
45′ + 2′ HALF TIME: SPAL 0-1 INTER
45′ + 1′ Oh dear. Petagna blazes the free-kick high up into the stands.
45′ SPAL have won a free kick about 35 yards out. A few players look interested in shooting.
42′ Inter have enjoyed 7 shots so far this game as they continue to press.
39′ The SPAL players are calling for a penalty as Strefezza is brought down by Handanovic inside the box. The referee has a check on VAR but it is not given.
A. Candreva
Goal
37′ GOAL! 1-0 Inter! A beautiful move from Inter as they work it from left to right before Candreva buries the ball back across the keeper from just inside the box.
A. Sánchez
Assist
37′ Sanchez does well to get his head up as he gathers the ball under pressure and calmly slides it to Candreva.
33′ Inter are still searching for a clinical edge in the final third. Martinez drives well down the right but his cross is far too close to Letica who gathers easily.
A. Bastoni
Yellow Card
32′ Bastoni picks up a routine yellow card as he clatters the quick-footed Strefezza.
30′ Eriksen delivers a peach of a cross as Inter go short from a corner which just grazes the head of Martinez. Very close!
29′ SPAL’s directness is causing Inter some trouble. They are getting the ball high up the pitch as quickly as possible.
28′ Petagna does really well to fire a cross across Handanovic’s goal but Cerri can’t quite get across to it.
26′ Letica completely miscues a clearance leaving his goal open as it falls to Sanchez about 30 yards out. He gets his shot off quickly but is just wide of the post.
24′ Despite being bottom of the league SPAL play some nice stuff at times as they quickly move the ball in a congested area.
23′ Inter work the ball well to Sanchez who fires a shot wide from 25 yards. He has been their brightest player so far.
22′ Wonderful trickery from Sanchez who skips past two SPAL defenders before overcooking a long ball forward.
21′ Despite having barely played this season Ranocchia is looking composed at the back for Inter as they patiently knock the ball around.
20′ Unsurprisingly, Inter have controlled this opening 20 minutes with 65% of possession. Can they capitalise with an early goal?
19′ That Petagna chance seems to have fired up the SPAL players a little as they push into the Inter box once more.
17′ Big chance! The ball falls to Petagna inside the box who squeezes a shot on the turn and it takes a deflection onto the bar! That was inches away from a SPAL goal.
15′ Valdifiori fouls Sanchez strongly from behind who looks hurt. He is on his feet and furious the referee has not taken further action.
14′ Gorgeous football from Inter as Sanchez finds Eriksen in the box. He clips it to the back post but Letica is able to gather.
13′ Eriken whips a beautiful free-kick into the box but somehow it gets through everybody and goes out.
12′ Martinez is bundled down high up the pitch on the right-hand side. Eriksen stands over the free-kick in a dangerous position.
11′ Inter go raiding into the SPAL box and Brozovic does really well to keep play alive as he beautifully traps a cleared ball.
10′ In fact, both Inter and SPAL have now made 3 fouls already. It doesn’t feel like it will be long until the referee pulls out a card.
9′ There’s been quite a few fouls in this opening 10 minutes. Both sides seem to be well up for it.
8′ Eriksen gives away a cheap foul in the middle of the pitch but SPAL are then too wasteful in possession and lose it quickly.
6′ Inter have another corner but it’s a poor one. Easily cleared by the first man.
5′ Inter have started positively with lots of willing runners as Eriksen can’t quite get to an incisive ball in behind.
4′ Wow! Candreva drives into the SPAL box before laying the ball off to Brozovic just outside the box. He sets himself and then drives a low shot into the post. That was very close!
3′ The next corner from Inter is well defended again by SPAL as Inter are forced to reset in posession.
2′ Inter have a corner from the right that is well cleared by Dabo. He took a knock in the process but is quickly up on his feet.
2′ Sanchez quickly gets on the ball inside his own half and beats one man before being brought down for a foul.
1′ And we’re underway!
The players are emerging from the tunnel and kick off is just seconds away!
When these two teams met back in December Inter won 2-1 with Martinez bagging a brace. He will be hoping for more of the same as he looks to build on his current tally of 13 league goals so far this season.
Both managers make 4 changes today as they look to offset this busy period of fixtures. For SPAL, Cerri replaces Floccari up top whilst Missiroli and Tunjov rotate out of midfield for Valdifiori and Murgia. Meanwhile, Cionek makes way for Sala in defence.Despite the fine form of elder statesman Valero, Antonio Conte has decided to swap him out for Eriksen as Inter’s principal playmaker. Biraghi and Candreva are also brought in to replace D’Ambrosio and Young on the respective flanks whilst Ranocchia is given just his fifth league start of the season as he comes in for the injured Godin.
INTER SUBS: Stefan de Vrij, Victor Moses, Ashley Young, Kwadwo Asamoah, Borja Valero, Daniele Padelli, Sebastiano Esposito, Lorenzo Pirola, Lucien Agoume, Danilo D’Ambrosio, Tommaso Berni.
INTER (3-4-1-2): Samir Handanovic; Milan Skriniar, Andrea Ranocchia, Alessandro Bastoni; Cristiano Biraghi, Marcelo Brozovic, Roberto Gagliardini, Antonio Candreva; Christian Eriksen; Alexis Sanchez, Lautaro Martinez.
SPAL SUBS: Thiago Cionek, Simone Missiroli, Sergio Floccari, Lucas Castro, Demba Thiam, Felipe, Federico Di Franceso, Nenad Tomovic, Marco Meneghetti, Bartosz Salamon, Marco D’Alessandro, Georgi Tunjov.
SPAL (4-4-2): Karlo Letica; Arkadiusz Reca, Franceso Vitari, Kevin Bonifazi, Jacopo Sala; Gabriel Strefezza, Bryan Dabo, Mirko Valdifiori, Alessandro Murgia; Alberto Cerri, Andrea Petagna.
It has been a difficult season for SPAL who have managed to secure just 5 victories so far, and they have also lost 23 of their games. This leaves them rooted to the bottom of the table with the prospect of relegation looming. Meanwhile Inter sit in 4th place and a win today would move them up into second, within 6 points of leaders Juventus. Is a late title charge possible for Antonio Conte’s men?
Hello everyone and welcome to live text coverage of the Serie A, as SPAL and Inter go head to head.
C. Biraghi
Goal