VERONA – Uncharacteristically shoddy set-piece defending cost Inter all three points against Hellas Verona in the early kick-off today.
Despite having taken the lead early on through Jeison Murillo, Hellas Verona scored twice from set pieces to go into half-time with a 2-1 lead. Mauro Icardi and Ivan Perisic netted after the break to haul the Nerazzurri back from a two-goal deficit, with the hosts having been 3-1 up at one point.
Inter lined up in a similar formation to Wednesday night, with Juan Jesus in at centre-back in place of the suspended Miranda and Felipe Melo playing instead of Gary Medel. Jeison Murillo, Yuto Nagatomo and Alex Telles completed the back four, with Marcelo Brozovic and Geoffrey Kondogbia also starting in midfield. Eder Citadin Martins, Mauro Icardi and Rodrigo Palacio formed a Nerazzurri trident in attack.
Roberto Mancini's men began on the front foot and Palacio came close to scoring after just seven minutes. The two Argentines up front linked up well and worked space for Palacio to shoot from close-range, forcing Pierluigi Gollini into the first in a string of impressive saves. It proved merely to be a prelude to Inter's opener, as Murillo timed his run perfectly from a corner and nodded home for 1-0 in the eighth minute. Unfortunately, Inter's engine seemed to break down moments after taking the lead.
In the space of ten minutes, the host had stormed into the lead with two goals from set pieces. The first came from a corner converted by Filip Helander and the second was a deep free-kick headed home by Eros Pisano. Inter tried to respond immediately and came close to equalising through a stunning sideways scissor-kick by Brozovic that silenced Hellas Verona's noisy support.
Roberto Mancini changed things up at half-time, bringing on Perisic for Felipe Melo and switching to 4-4-2 with Palacio high on the right and Eder playing as the second striker. It looked as if that had done the trick, as Palacio and Kondogbia came close to scoring in the early exchanges of the second half. However, when everything seemed to be going in Inter's favour, the hosts struck again with Artur Ionita heading in Hellas Verona's third goal of the game.
The stadium was still bouncing when Icardi struck five minutes later to bring the Nerazzurri back into contention. The No.9's tenth goal of the season came after Perisic slipped the ball through and Inter's skipper beat the offside trap to chip over an onrushing Gollini for 3-2.
The young Hellas keeper was called into action soon after as Inter began to pile on the pressure. The ball fell loose to Palacio in the six-yard box and Gollini somehow managed to block the Argentine's effort from close range.
The equaliser eventually came in the 80th minute when Palacio capped off a wonderful performance on the right by whipping in a teasing cross that went across the face of goal and was slotted home by Perisic arriving at the far post.
Mancini threw on Jonathan Biabiany in the hope of landing all three points but Hellas Verona, belying their position at the bottom of the league, managed to keep the Nerazzurri out.
Inter need more points to keep the European dream alive and next Sunday against Fiorentina will have a huge say in the fight for the last remaining Champions League spot.
HELLAS VERONA 3-3 INTER (HT: 2-1)
Scorers: Murillo 8, Helander 13, Pisano 16, Ionita 57, Icardi 62, Perisic 78.
HELLAS VERONA: 95 Gollini; 3 Pisano, 18 Moras, 5 Helander, 6 Albertazzi; 13 Wszolek 2 Romulo, 81), 8 Marrone, 23 Ionita, 93 Fares (12 Gilberto, 61); 9 Toni (21 Gomez, 68), 11 Pazzini.
Subs not used: 37 Coppola, 88 Marcone, 4 Samir, 7 Jankovic, 12 Gilberto, 14 Furman, 19 Greco, 22 Bianchetti, 28 Emanuelson.
Coach: Luigi Delneri.
INTER: 1 Handanovic; 55 Nagatomo, 24 Murillo, 5 Jesus, 12 Telles (11 Biabiany, 83); 77 Brozovic, 83 Melo (44 Perisic, 45), 7 Kondogbia; 23 Eder (22 Ljajic, 90), 9 Icardi, 8 Palacio.
Subs not used: 30 Carrizo, 46 Berni, 17 Medel, 21 Santon, 27 Gnoukouri, 33 D'Ambrosio, 56 Popa, 97 Manaj, 99 Correia.
Coach: Roberto Mancini.
Yellow cards: Melo 31, Wszolek 36, Fares 60, Telles 77, Marrone 83.
Additional time: 0+3 minutes.
Referee: Piero Giacomelli.
Assistants: Andrea Crispo and Giacomo Paganessi.
Fourth official: Andrea Marzaloni.
Additional assistants: Marco Guida and Andrea Gervasoni.
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