November 06, (THEWILL) — Inter Milan preserved their flawless UEFA Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win against Kairat Almaty at San Siro on Wednesday evening.
The Italian side now sits third in the standings on 12 points, level with Bayern Munich and Arsenal but behind on goal difference.
The opening 45 minutes saw Inter dominate possession without finding a breakthrough until the final moments of the half.
Federico Dimarco forced a save from Kairat goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov before Lautaro Martinez fired the rebound over the bar.
The Argentine striker later saw another effort sail narrowly wide, and Inter had a penalty awarded for a foul on Yann Bisseck before VAR overturned the decision.
Martinez finally converted just before the interval, bundling the ball home from close range after several blocked attempts.
Kairat stunned the hosts 10 minutes into the second half when Ofri Arad headed in following a scramble inside the penalty area.
The goal marked the first time Inter had conceded in European competition this season, with the Kazakh visitors threatening to claim an unlikely point.
Carlos Augusto ended those hopes in the 67th minute with a superb long-range strike that beat Anarbekov at the first attempt.
The Brazilian’s finish proved decisive despite Marcus Thuram wasting a late opportunity to extend the advantage further.
The victory keeps Inter firmly in contention at the top of their group, whilst Kairat remain without a point in 34th position after another defeat on the road.
Inter will look to maintain its momentum when they return to domestic action this weekend.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
