Inter keep pushing forward as the clock winds down, but they're unable to find a way through the sea of white shirts camped in front of them and Sampdoria manage to hold on once again. Quagliarella then charges down the left wing and holds up the ball with Alvarez, all but confirming the win for the visitors.
90' +1
Sampdoria go close to wrapping up the win! Schick bursts into the left-hand side of the Inter box before teeing up Regini to his right. The substitute has a great opportunity to set up Quagliarella, but he instead decides to go for goal himself and loses his footing at the worst possible moment.
90'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be three minutes of added time.
89'
What a chance for Joao Mario! Space opens up for Eder, who immediately flies down the left flank before setting up Joao Mario. The Portuguese midfielder is in a great position on the edge of the box, but he's unable to make decent contact with the ball and can't get a shot away.
88'
Miranda gets yellow.
Joao Miranda catches Schick in the side of the face as the two battle for the ball over on the right flank, and he receives a yellow card for his dangerous play.
87'
It's now or never for Inter, who immediately push forward from the restart as they desperately try to find a way back into the game. Sampdoria have defended incredibly well this evening, however, and they've limited the hosts' chances on goal since the break.
85'
Penalty goal scored by F. Quagliarella for Sampdoria!
GOAL! What a strike by Quagliarella! The big striker steps up and fires a rocket of a shot that cannons straight into the roof of the net after Handanovic dives the wrong way.
84'
M. Brozović gets yellow.
PENALTY! Alvarez steps up and unleashes a thumping strike that flies straight into the outstretched arm of Brozovic, leaving the referee with no choice but to point to the spot. What an end to the game!
83'
Torreira weaves his way towards the Inter penalty area on a wonderful run before being clumsily tripped over by Medel, resulting in a free-kick just outside of the box. This is in an excellent position, but can Sampdoria make it count?
82'
A half-hearted Inter attacking move comes to an end and allows Sampdoria to counter-attack down the right wing. The ball is worked into the feet of Quagliarella, who is in a good position on the edge of the box, but his thumping strike is well blocked by Joao Miranda.
Minute
Description
80'
A lofted pass forward is flicked into the Sampdoria penalty area and towards Joao Mario, but, not for the first time this evening, Bereszynski is there to clear the danger. He's done really well since coming on for Sala.
78'
João Mário enters the game and replaces I. Perišić.
Perisic has made way for Joao Mario in Inter's third and final change. Can the Portuguese help find a winner for his side?
76'
With little under 15 minutes left to play, both sides are still pushing hard for a winner. Sampdoria don't seem content with just one point and can seemingly smell blood, with Inter leaving plenty of space available at the back when they plough forward.
74'
Chance for Perisic! The ball pinballs around the Sampdoria penalty area before deflecting out to Perisic on the edge of the penalty area, but, once again, his effort on goal fails to hit the target and sails high and wide.
72'
What a miss by Icardi! Candreva ploughs into the right-hand side of the Sampdoria penalty area on a great run before setting up Icardi with a close-range tap-in, but the ball bounces slightly before finding the captain and his first-time shot sails over the top of the crossbar.
71'
Vital interception by D'Ambrosio! The Inter defender is caught in possession deep inside the Inter half of the pitch and allows Linetty to be set up in front of goal, but just as the midfielder is about to shoot, the full-back atones for his error with a great tackle.
70'
V. Regini enters the game and replaces Dodô.
Sampdoria have made their final change of the night, with Dodo making way for Vasco Regini.
69'
Another great save by Viviano! A block by Dodo over on the right wing results in yet another corner for Inter. It's sent deep and finds Eder, who unleashes a rocket of a strike that the Sampdoria goalkeeper parries away with a strong diving stop.
68'
Candreva picks up the ball over on the right-hand side of the Sampdoria box and cuts on to his left foot before crossing, but, off balance, he's unable to pick out Eder and sends the ball several yards over the head of the forward.
66'
Éder enters the game and replaces É. Banega.
Inter have made a switch as they try to find a way back in front, with Eder coming on to replace Banega.
65'
Dodo weaves his way through a sea of black and blue shirts just outside of the Inter box before poking a deft through-ball into the path of Schick. It looks set to meet the striker in front of goal, but just as it's about to, Ansaldi is there to deal with the danger with a vital interception.
64'
And then Quagliarella goes close! The game has opened up as both sides desperately push forward. Quagliarella darts through the middle of the pitch and into the left-hand side of the Inter box before shooting, but his low strike is well saved by the feet of Handanovic at the near post.
63'
Great save by Viviano! Perisic rises high above his marker at the far post and reaches a wonderful cross with his head, but his bullet effort is pushed away by Viviano and fails to put Inter back into the lead.
62'
Great defending by Skriniar! Perisic makes a lovely run down the left channel before almost setting up Icardi with an even better low cross into the penalty area, but Skriniar sticks out a foot to stop the striker from reaching the ball in front of goal.
61'
R. Álvarez enters the game and replaces Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes has made way for Ricky Alvarez in Sampdoria's second alteration of the game.
60'
A scuffed attempted clearance from Silvestre loops out of play for Inter's 14th corner of the game. It's poor once again, however, and the misplaced cross is greeted with boos and jeers from the clearly frustrated home fans.
58'
Candreva twists and turns as he makes his way down the right wing once again, but this time he pokes a deft pass into the box and towards Banega. The Argentine meets it well before fizzing the ball across the face of goal, but, again, Viviano is there to cut out the danger.
56'
Candreva is left all alone deep down the right flank and is able to swing yet another cross into the Sampdoria box and towards Icardi, but this one is sent too near to Viviano and is easily collected in the middle of the penalty area.
54'
A corner is curled in from the right wing and is cleared only as far as Perisic, but, once again, the Croatian is unable to test Viviano and sends his low strike straight into the hands of the Sampdoria goalkeeper.
52'
Sampdoria quickly win the ball back from the restart and burst forward on another promising attacking move. Schick charges into the left-hand side of the Inter penalty area before trying to tee up Quagliarella, but Joao Miranda is just about able to cut out the danger in front of goal.
50'
P. Schick has scored a goal for Sampdoria! Assist by M. Silvestre.
There's a bit of controversy as it looked as if Schick managed to get a toe on the ball in an offside position, but, either way, Fernandes' cross into the box was an excellent one and perfectly picked out Silvestre, who easily beat his marker in the air.
GOAL! Sampdoria have equalised! Fernandes cuts in from the right wing and lifts a cross right on to the head of Silvestre. The centre-back rises high and sends a magnificent looping header over to the far post, where Schick is able to get a sole stud on the ball to poke into the back of the net.
49'
Sampdoria push forward on their first attack of the second half and win themselves a free-kick in a dangerous position midway inside the Inter half of the pitch. It's fired in by Torreira and finds Schick, but the striker is unable to make decent contact with his head on the edge of the six-yard box.
48'
A swinging cross is fired into the Sampdoria penalty area and fails to find a black and blue shirt before being deflected out to Kondogbia. The midfielder immediately unleashes a thumping strike from 25 yards out, but it's woefully hit and fails to trouble Viviano.
46'
G. Kondogbia enters the game and replaces R. Gagliardini.
Inter have made one change during the break, with Gagliardini, who picked up a slight knock in the first half, making way for Geoffrey Kondogbia.
We're underway once again!
45' +2
Sampdoria are presented with a chance to swing the ball into the Inter penalty area with a free-kick midway inside the hosts' half of the pitch. They're unable to make it count though, as the cross towards Quagliarella is poorly hit and easily dealt with by Gagliardini.
45' +1
Two fantastic chances for Sampdoria! Bruno Fernandes leaves Handanovic rooted to the spot with an excellent strike from the left-hand side of the Inter box, but it crashes off the far post instead of finding the back of the net. The ball then bounces out to Schick, but the striker is unable to react quickly enough and sends his half-volleyed effort wide of the near post.
45'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be two minutes of added time.
43'
Icardi drifts out to the left-hand side of the Sampdoria penalty area and picks up the ball in a good position. He then spins and picks out Banega, who struggles to get the ball out of his feet before poking a rushed shot well wide of the goal.
41'
Nervy moments inside the Inter penalty area! Sampdoria are presented with a rare chance on goal after a curling corner isn't dealt with well enough by Handanovic, but the referee immediately awards a free-kick to the home side for a push on the goalkeeper as Quagliarella tries to bundle the ball into the back of the net.
39'
D'Ambrosio almost doubles Inter's lead! Another lovely cross causes plenty of problems for the Sampdoria back line as it flies over to the far post, but, despite his best efforts, the ball sails just inches past D'Ambrosio's outstretched foot.
37'
Another chance for Icardi! Once again, the striker flies through on goal after receiving another clever through-ball, but the linesman's flag is raised for the second time just as Viviano saves a chipped shot from just inside the box.
35'
D. D'Ambrosio has scored a goal for Inter Milan! Assist by É. Banega.
Assist Éver Maximiliano David Banega
GOAL! Inter have finally taken the lead! A curling, half-volleyed cross from Banega flies into the Sampdoria penalty area and over Torreira. Danilo D'Ambrosio is behind the Uruguayan and does well to take advantage of the midfielder's mistake with a deflected shot that finds the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
33'
Icardi charges through the middle of the Sampdoria back line and latches on to a lovely pass forward from Brozovic, but just as he's about to shoot, the linesman's flag is rightly raised for offside.
31'
Opportunity for Patrik Schick! The youngster has had few chances to impress so far this evening but does well to get on the end of a swinging cross from Bereszynski. He can't direct it towards goal, however, and instead sends his headed effort over the top of the crossbar.
29'
Almost a costly mistake by Viviano! Candreva sends another dangerous cross into the Sampdoria penalty area and into a promising position, but Viviano is there to meet it. He immediately spills the ball into the path of Perisic, however, but just as the Croatian is about to take advantage of the error, Bereszynski is there to poke the ball out for a corner.
27'
And now Icardi goes close! An excellent cross from Candreva swings into the middle of the Sampdoria box and finds the Inter captain, but his glancing header flies just wide of the far post after leaving Viviano rooted to the spot.
25'
Quagliarella hits the post! The striker, who has seen little of the ball so far, receives possession and spins quickly before shooting. His strike is an excellent one and flies straight past the outstretched limbs of Samir Handanovic, but the woodwork is there to stop him from opening the scoring.
24'
Inter keep pushing forward as they desperately try to find an opener. Once again, they attempt to open the scoring from a long way out, and this time it's Candreva whose 35-yard strike bounces comfortably wide of the far post.
22'
Gagliardini impresses in the middle of the pitch before doing well to set up Cristian Ansaldi deep down the left wing. The full-back quickly tries to move the ball on to Perisic, but his pass towards the Croatian is poor and rolls harmlessly out of play.
20'
Marcelo Brozovic is left in an acre of space in the middle of the pitch after flying forward on a quick run, but he brings a promising attacking move to a disappointing end with a poorly hit shot that sails high and wide of the Sampdoria goal.
19'
An attempted Sampdoria attack comes to an end and allows Inter to counter quickly, but Perisic is unable to reach a lofted pass down the left wing and Bereszynski does well to shepherd the ball out for a throw-in.
17'
Karol Linetty charges through the middle of the pitch on a purposeful run before teeing up Bereszynski to his right. The substitute's first involvement in the game sees him curl a cross into the Inter box, but it's poorly hit and sails harmlessly out for a goal-kick.
16'
B. Bereszyński enters the game and replaces J. Sala.
Sampdoria have already been forced into making a substitution after Jacopo Sala was caught from behind by Gagliardini, and he's been replaced by Bartosz Bereszynski.
15'
Perisic twists and turns over on the left-hand side of the Sampdoria penalty area before trying to set up Icardi, but, once again, Skriniar is there to beat the striker to the ball at the vital moment.
14'
Quagliarella is trying his hardest to make a nuisance of himself deep inside the Inter half of the pitch, but it's been a tough start for Sampdoria. They've struggled to cause too many problems for the home side, who have been on the front foot throughout.
12'
Candreva is clumsy fouled when cutting in from the right wing and wins Inter a free-kick in a dangerous position. Banega steps up and curls a lovely cross right into the heart of the Sampdoria penalty area, but no one can reach the ball inside the six-yard box.
11'
Inter quickly come back once again and win themselves a free-kick over on the right flank. Once again, the cross from the set-piece is a dangerous one, but this time Torreira is able to clear the danger with a strong header.
9'
Two excellent chances for Inter! Perisic fires another great cross into the box, where it meets Ever Banega in front of goal. The Argentine immediately unleashes a first-time shot that's well saved by Emiliano Viviano, and Antonio Candreva then fires his follow-up effort several yards wide of the far post.
8'
Perisic is left in a pocket of space over on the left flank and quickly whips in a dangerous cross. It flies past two Sampdoria defenders and heads towards Icardi, but it's sent slightly too far ahead of the Inter captain and is unable to reach him.
6'
Sampdoria move the ball around nicely inside the Inter half of the pitch before Lucas Torreira tries to tee up Fabio Quagliarella on the edge of the Inter penalty area, but the striker is unable to meet the ball ahead of Joao Miranda, who pulls off a solid tackle.
4'
Roberto Gagliardini gets himself into a good position deep down the right wing and swings in a dangerous cross that Milan Skriniar does well to head behind for a corner. The set-piece is fired into a good position and finds the head of Ivan Perisic, but the Croatian is unable to guide his effort towards goal and sends it well wide.
2'
Inter immediately break forward on an early attack down the left wing before a dangerous low cross is fired into the penalty area and towards Mauro Icardi, but Matias Silvestre is just about able to get a foot on the ball to stop it from finding the striker in front of goal.
1'
We're off! Inter get us underway, attacking from right to left.
Good evening and welcome to our live text commentary of today’s Serie A game between Inter and Sampdoria at San Siro.
An impressive run of form under the watchful eye of Stefano Pioli has seen Inter slowly but surely climb up the table and towards a European qualification spot, and a win here this evening would see them move back above Atalanta and into fifth place. They thrashed the Bergamo outfit 7-1 three weeks ago to gain the upper hand in the battle for Europe, but a slight hiccup against Torino before the international break means their chances of reaching third-place Napoli remain slim.
Despite the disappointment at being held to a draw by Torino, things still remain positive for Inter, and they’ll certainly feel confident about their chances of returning to winning ways tonight. Only Juventus and Roma have beaten them over the past 14 Serie A games, with 11 of those ending in victories for the in-form Nerazzurri.
Sampdoria won the last meeting between the two sides back in October, but that came whilst Inter were struggling under Frank de Boer. Last season’s corresponding fixture was a far more straightforward affair for the Nerazzurri, who comfortably won 3-1, and it’s now over 20 years since Sampdoria last got the better of today’s hosts in Milan.
Sampdoria are sure to be tricky customers, however, despite them having little to play for as we head into the final quarter of the season. Comfortably sitting in ninth place - 14 points behind their opponents this evening - they can afford to take some chances as they search for a third win in four games. They’ll have to do so without Luis Muriel, however, as the in-form Colombian striker was injured whilst on international duty.
There’s just over 15 minutes left to go until kick-off, so let’s have a look at how the two teams will be lining up this evening…
Inter XI (4-2-3-1): Handanovic; D’Ambrosio, Medel, Joao Miranda, Ansaldi; Gagliardini, Brozovic; Candreva, Banega, Perisic; Icardi.
Meanwhile, Sampdoria boss Marco Giampaolo has made two alterations to the team that featured in their last outing, with Christian Puggioni and Luis Muriel making way for Emiliano Viviano and Patrik Schick, respectively.
Stefano Pioli has decided to make just one change to the Inter side that started the draw against Torino just before the international break, with Marcelo Brozovic coming into the starting line-up to replace Geoffrey Kondogbia.
The two sides are making their way out onto the pitch, with just a few minutes to go until kick-off.
HALF-TIME: INTER 1-0 SAMPDORIA
So far, so good for Inter, who have dominated possession and deservedly head into the half-time break with a one-goal lead thanks to an impressive performance. They've looked dangerous in front of goal thanks to good play from Perisic and Icardi, but it was D'Ambrosio who fired them into the lead after the Sampdoria defence failed to pick him up. At the other end, the visitors haven't been presented with two many chances but hit the post twice, with both Quagliarella and Fernandes being denied by the woodwork.
The two teams are making their way back out on to the pitch ahead of the start of the second half.
FULL-TIME: INTER 1-2 SAMPDORIA
The referee blows his whistle for the final time and boos ring around the stadium. Inter really should have left with at least a point but struggled to get the better of a determined Sampdoria side during what was a frustrating second half. Brozovic then gave them a mountain to climb with a clumsy handball, setting up Quagliarella to fire in what would prove to be the winning goal with a bullet of a strike that left Handanovic with no choice.
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