Marco Del Vecchio scored a second-half equalizer Saturday to help Sampdoria draw 1-1.
Marco Del Vecchio scored a second-half equalizer Saturday to help Sampdoria draw 1-1. With Inter Milan and spoil Jose Mourinho’s Serie A coaching debut.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic had given Inter the lead in the 33rd minute on a shot from a tight angle that bounced off the post. But Del Vecchio knocked in a rebound just a few feet from the goal line in the 68th to salvage a point against the three-time defending champion.
Mourinho, who won two Premier League titles with Chelsea, signed with Inter in June after the team fired Roberto Mancini despite leading the club to its third straight Serie A championship. In his first official match last week, Inter defeated AS Roma in the Italian Super Cup.
“I expected a tough match,” Mourinho said. “We lost control of the game in the second half. The Serie A season is a marathon so it’s all right that we drew this match. I’m unhappy not because of the draw, but because we didn’t play well.”
Inter pressured Sampdoria on every ball from the opening whistle, but the hosts also created several scoring chances before Del Vecchio finally broke through in the second half. Sampdoria playmaker Antonio Cassano could have scored a winner but failed to control a long pass that would have left him one-on-one with Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
“This is not a false start,” midfielder Amantino Mancini said. “This was a hard game to come here with the stadium full and Sampdoria pumped up.”
Midfielder Esteban Cambiasso played in defense because of the team’s injury problems. Marco Materazzi returned after a long period out, while several defenders are still recovering from injuries.
Also Saturday, Antonio Di Natale scored twice to help Udinese defeat Palermo 3-1.
Di Natale put Udinese ahead in the ninth by dribbling around a defender in the box before beating Palermo keeper Marco Amelia. The Italy forward made it 2-0 in the 34th after taking down a long pass and lobbing the ball over the head of Amelia.
Palermo midfielder Mark Bresciano pulled one back in the 69th, but Gokhan Inler headed in a corner a minute later to seal the win.
On Sunday it is: Atalanta vs. Siena; Cagliari vs. Lazio; Catania vs. Genoa; Chievo vs. Reggina; AC Milan vs. Bologna; Roma vs. Napoli; Torino vs. Lecce; and Fiorentina vs. Juventus.
