UEFA Champions League 2018-19: 5 talking points from MatchDay 1 (Groups A-D)

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Valencia v Juventus - UEFA Champions League Group H
Valencia v Juventus - UEFA Champions League Group H

2. Icardi and Vecino's late goals hand Inter victory against Tottenham:

The first Matchday saw the fourth-placed team in England last season compete against the fourth-placed team of Italy at the San Siro.

There was considerable hype for this match as Champions League football was returning to the historic San Siro. Both Inter and Tottenham started with a familiar 4-2-3-1 with Icardi supported by Perisic, Nainggolan, and Politano in midfield for Inter. For Tottenham, in the absence of Dele Alli, Harry Kane was supported by Eriksen, Son, and Lamela.

The first half was a drawn-out affair for both the sides as both of them looked sharp enough to have taken the lead. Both the sides had to be clinical in the second half which is what Spalleti and Pochettino would have expected. A 53rd-minute strike from Cristian Eriksen saw the ball deflected from Miranda which Handanovic could not stop, handing Tottenham the lead away from home.

FC Internazionale v Tottenham Hotspur - UEFA Champions League Group B
FC Internazionale v Tottenham Hotspur - Icardi equalized from a brilliant volley

Inter made two changes in the second half bringing in Candreva for Perisic and also Keita for Politano. Inter had several half chances which they failed to convert into the equaliser until the 85th minute. Tottenham was looking to kill off the remaining time, but a cross from Asamoah, the former Juve man, saw Icardi score a brilliant volley. This goal had given Inter the hope to go all the way and win the match. Minutes later, with the game stretching into extra time Inter received a corner, Vecino scored from a close range DeVrij assist handing Inter a surprise victory. The match ended with Tottenham boss visibly disappointed and even lashed out at the media for speaking against the players.

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.
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