UCL: Sleepy and sloppy Inter just good enough to top Salzburg

Champions League runners-up Inter Milan triumphed for the second time in a row in Europe's elite competition on Tuesday night as they managed to beat RB Salzburg 2-1 at Guiseppe Meazza stadium.

Simone Inzaghi's boys were nothing more than decent, yet it proved to be just enough to beat a disciplined but pale Austrians.

The Italians made the most of theirs in a game of only a few chances and sealed the victory thanks to veterans like Alexis Sanchez, Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu.

Inter were struggling in the opening 15 minutes as Salzburg kept pushing for the opener, mostly through counter-attacks. However, the visitors showcased some sloppy finishing, which was not the case on the other end. The first promising chance for the Nerazzurri, and it was 1-0. Alexis Sanchez was left alone in the area, and the veteran striker made the most of it with a superb strike into the far corner to break the deadlock.

Instead of turning the heat on, that goal triggered a genuine lullaby song the match succumbed into before Lautaro Martinez finally showed up around the 40-minute mark with a powerful shot that went inches wide of the right post.

That first-half slow tempo continued even after the break but abruptly ended as soon as the Austrians crossed the halfway line for the first time. It was a lovely three-piece action that tore Inter's defence apart, with Oscar Gloukh recreating that previous Sanchez effort immaculately.

That equalizer woke up the home team instantly, as the Champions League runners-up concluded it was about time they proved their class against the underdogs.

Seven minutes after conceding that one, Simone Inzaghi's side were rewarded with a deserved penalty, and Calhanoglu converted it from the spot for 2-1.

Albeit we saw another 30 minutes of action, the battle in midfield didn't provide any goalscoring opportunities for the visitors, while Lautaro netted on the other end, but his goal was rightfully disallowed for the offside.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Group stage - matchday 3

Tuesday

Inter - Salzburg 2-1 (1-1)

/Sanchez 20, Calhanoglu 64 pen - Gloukh 57/

Galatasaray - Bayern 1-3 (1-1)

/Icardi 30 pen - Coman 8, Kane 73, Musiala 79/

22.00: (1.40) Man.Utd. (5.00) Copenhagen (9.00)

22.00: (4.00) Union Berlin (3.60) Napoli (2.00)

22.00: (4.70) Sevilla (3.70) Arsenal (1.85)

22.00: (2.20) Benfica (3.45) Sociedad (3.60)

22.00: (2.45) Lens (3.50) PSV (3.00)

22.00: (6.50) Braga (4.50) Real Madrid (1.53)

Wednesday

19.45: (1.90) Feyenoord (3.70) Lazio (4.40)

19.45: (1.18) Barcelona (8.50) Shakhtar (16.0)

22.00: (1.80) PSG (3.70) Milan (5.00)

22.00: (1.80) Newcastle (3.70) Dortmund (5.00)

22.00: (3.90) Celtic (3.60) Atl.Madrid (2.05)

22.00: (15.0) Young Boys (7.25) Man.City (1.22)

22.00: (1.28) RB Leipzig (6.75) Crvena Zvezda (10.5)

22.00: (3.80) Antwerp (3.50) Porto (2.10)

***odds are subject to change