Story highlights
Two late goals from Marco Rigoni sink Inter to heap pressure on coach Gasperini
Newly-promoted Novara move up to fifth place, while Inter languish in 17th
Inter have managed just one point from first three Serie A games this term
Sevilla maintain unbeaten start to La Liga season; Real Sociedad beat Granada 1-0
Inter Milan’s dismal start to the new Serie A season continued on Tuesday as under-pressure coach Gian Piero Gasperini’s team were soundly beaten 3-1 away to newly-promoted Novara.
The home side opened the scoring in the 38th minute when Riccardo Meggiorini drilled a low shot past Julio Cesar, to take a deserved halftime lead at the Stadio Silvio Piola.
Gasperini brought on Joel Obi and Giampaolo Pazzini after the break, replacing teenage Dutch striker Luc Castaignos and newly-signed Uruguay star Diego Forlan, but it did little to alter Inter’s fortunes as they pushed in vain for a second-half equalizer.
When Andrea Rannochia was sent off for a challenge on striker Takayuki Morimoto in the penalty area, the 2010 European champions’ latest humiliation was almost complete.
Midfielder Marco Rigoni stepped up to convert the penalty kick in the 86th minute to all but seal the win for Novara, pushing the north-west club into fifth place.
Argentina midfielder Esteban Cambiasso pulled one back three minutes later giving hope to Inter’s traveling fans that their team might salvage a draw, but Rigoni capped a famous night for Novara with his second goal in injury-time to heap further pressure on the embattled Gasperini.
“We played really badly. But I believe in what I am doing, which has given me a lot of happiness before this. It is a difficult period we are going through, but I must come out of this stronger and more resolute,” Gasperini said after the match, AFP reported.
“We have to be a bit more humble, when we tried to go on the offensive we found ourselves in trouble. We have succeeded in playing like that in other matches, but this evening it is clear it did not work, and that goes beyond just tactics.”
Inter have managed just one point from their first three Serie A games this term and the defeat left the 18-time Italian champions 17th in the table, just above the bottom three.
Inter could be pushed into the relegation zone following Wednesday’s matches, the highlight of which sees champions AC Milan host Udinese.
In Spain, Sevilla missed out on the chance to go top after a 0-0 draw at Osasuna, but remained unbeaten in La Liga this season.
Real Sociedad moved up to fifth, a point behind third -placed Sevilla, after beating Granada 1-0 courtesy of a Daniel Estrada strike in the 63rd minute.