Rome, Oct 4 (DPA) A last-gasp tight-angle shot from Wesley Sneijder late Saturday gave Inter Milan a 2-1 win over Udinese to put the title holders at the top of the Italian Serie A.
League top striker Antonio Di Natale had levelled an opening goal from Inter’s Dejan Stankovic in a pulsating game at the Giuseppe Meazza.
After seven games, Inter have 16 points, but Sampdoria, on 15, can regain the top as they play at home to promoted Parma on Sunday, when 14-point Juventus are away in a late game at Sicily side Palermo.
Serbia’s Stankovic put Inter ahead in the 22nd minute unleashing his shooting power off a deep feed from Samuel Eto’o to beat Samir Handanovic despite a deflection from the Slovenian goalkeeper.
Three minutes later, Inter lost Argentine striker Diego Milito to a muscular injury and brought on the young Mario Balotelli to man the attack next to Nigerian star Eto’o, who played a rather indifferent game.
After two more minutes, the first serious attack from Udinese proved deadly and set up Di Natale past a defence line that botched the offside trap allowing the diminutive striker to stun Julio Cesar for his ninth goal this season.
As Inter took control of the game, Balotelli in the 39th minutes had a low shot saved, but Udinese threatened again before the break as Chilean Alex Sanchez fired high from inside the area as the hosts’ defence package again failed to protect Brazil’s Julio Cesar.
Stankovic again displayed his good form in the 67th minutes firing by the far post to force a great save from Handanovic, who was helpless when Sulley Muntari squandered a close-range tap-in.
With 17 minutes left, Jose Mourinho increased Inter’s offensive power bringing on the fast Honduran David Suazo for Muntari, but his side failed to create telling chances and ran some risks on the guests’ fast counter attacks.
On one of such efforts, Cesar was crucial in the final minutes as he stopped a break from Di Natale to prevent what could have been Inter’s second straight defeat after the one suffered last week at Samp.
The Dutch newcomer Sneijder clinched the win with a low accurate drive that crossed the goal area and filled the net past the diving Handanovic.
Earlier Saturday, promoted Bari drew 0-0 at home to lowly Catania to move to the safety of mid-table.
Bari now have eight points from seven games in their first season the top flight after an eight-year absence.
Although they only won a single game, Bari sit in ninth and boast two draws from their visits to champions Inter Milan and struggling giants AC Milan.
rounak