Serie A, Lecce 1-2 Inter: Last-gasp Dumfries goal ensures winning start for Nerazzurri

Lukaku
required
just
82
seconds
to
head
home
the
opener
on
his
second
Inter
debut,
but
Simone
Inzaghi’s
side
looked
set
to
make
a
stuttering
start
when
Assan
Ceesay
levelled
three
minutes
after
the
break.

But
substitute
Dumfries
was
on
hand
to
convert
from
a
corner
deep
into
stoppage
time
as
Inter
made
a
winning
start
to
the
new
campaign.

Results
|

Fixtures

Having
watched
champions
Milan
beat
Udinese
in
their
own
season-opener
early
on
Saturday,
Inter
ensured
they
matched
their
rivals’ exploits
at
the
outset
of
what
is
likely
to
be
another
thrilling
title
race.

Lukaku,
who
scored
24
Serie
A
goals
as
Inter
won
the
Scudetto
in
2020-21,
wasted
little
time
in
getting
on
the
scoresheet
on
his
Nerazzurri
return
when
he
nodded
home
following
Matteo
Darmian’s
smart
knock-down.

Hakan
Calhanoglu
then
tested
Wladimiro
Falcone
with
a
dipping
strike
as
Inter
pinned
Lecce
back,
but
the
visitors
failed
to
add
a
second
goal
despite
bossing
the
first
half.

And
they
were
punished
for
their
wastefulness
when
Ceesay
converted
into
the
bottom-right
corner
after
latching
onto
Federico
Di
Francesco’s
clever
pass
three
minutes
after
the
break.

Falcone
made
a
sharp
save
from
Federico
Dimarco’s
fierce
volley
as
Inter
pushed
for
a
winner,
with
Dumfries
going
agonisingly
close
when
he
headed
against
the
inside
of
the
post
with
20
minutes
left.

Lukaku
was
then
denied
by
a
reflex
stop
from
Falcone
as
the
Nerazzurri
continued
to
pour
players
forward,
and
the
hosts’ resistance
was
finally
broken
deep
into
stoppage
time
when
Dumfries
bundled
Lautaro
Martinez’s
header
across
the
line
to
break
Lecce
hearts.

What
does
it
mean?
Another
fast
start
for
the
Nerazzurri

Inter
missed
out
to
rivals
Milan
in
the
Serie
A
title
race
last
season,
and
will
have
been
aware
of
the
importance
of
a
fast
start
after
several
of
their
biggest
rivals
strengthened
during
the
transfer
window.

Inter’s
dramatic
win
means
they
have
now
started
four
consecutive
Serie
A
seasons
with
a
victory.
They
last
had
a
longer
such
run
when
kicking
off
with
a
win
in
five
successive
campaigns
between
1993
and
1997.

Dumfries
decisive
for
Inter

Dumfries’
sixth
Serie
A
goal
was
undoubtedly
one
of
his
most
important,
as
he
raced
onto
Martinez’s
flick-on
to
divert
the
ball
home
92
minutes
and
40
seconds
after
Inter
had
opened
the
scoring.

The
strike
was
the
first
Dumfries
has
recorded
in
the
competition
as
a
substitute,
and
will
have
done
no
harm
to
his
chances
of
edging
ahead
of
Darmian
in
the
pecking
order
at
right
wing-back.

Lukaku
off
to
a
flyer

Lukaku’s
very
first
Serie
A
goal
came
60
minutes
into
his
Inter
debut
against
Lecce
in
August
2019,
a
4-0
win
for
the
Nerazzurri
in
Antonio
Conte’s
first
match
at
the
helm,
but
he
was
even
quicker
off
the
mark
against
the
same
opponents
this
time
around.

The
Belgian’s
strike
was
the
fastest
scored
on
matchday
one
in
Serie
A
since
Udinese’s
Dusan
Basta
netted
after
the
same
amount
of
time
in
2011,
also
against
Lecce.

Key
Opta
Facts

–
Inter
have
won
their
opening
game
for
the
last
four
seasons
in
a
row,
last
winning
five
on
the
bounce
from
the
start
in
1997.

–
Lecce
have
lost
each
of
their
last
six
Serie
A
opening
games,
conceding
at
least
two
goals
in
each
of
those
games.

–
Courtesy
of
Romelu
Lukaku,
Inter
scored
the
fastest
goal
(82
seconds)
in
their
opening
game
of
a
Serie
A
season
in
the
last
60
years.

–
Lecce
fielded
their
youngest
starting
eleven
in
a
Serie
A
game
(24
years,
315
days)
since
in
2006
against
Chievo
(24
years
and
59
day).

What’s
next?

Inter
face
Spezia
in
their
first
home
outing
of
the
new
campaign
on
Saturday
(August
20),
while
Lecce
go
to
Sassuolo
on
the
same
day.