Novara made history once more as they managed a double win over Inter this season, seeing them triumph 1-0 at the San Siro thanks to a goal by Andrea Caracciolo, marking their first away win this season.
Soon after the starting whistle Inter went on the attack as the Nerazzurri forced Samir Ujkani into making an immediate save, as Wesley Sneijder unleashed a 20-yard rocket.
There was an early substitution in the game as Paolo Hernan Dellafiore picked up a muscular injury and was replaced by Michel Morganella. On the other end, Andrea Caracciolo just failed to get on the end of a Giuseppe Gemiti assist, while Marco Rigoni forced Inter into conceding a corner.
Sneijder’s angled drive flashed across the face of goal to skim the far post with Diego Milito at full stretch was unable to get the tap-in. Novara had penalty appeals waved away as Caracciolo was brought down by Lucio, but the officials saw nothing in it.
Julio Cesar pounced off his line to make a vital intervention as Carraciolo was clear on goal, while the home side’s goal chance went begging when Andrea Poli gathered a ball from Riccardo Alvarez to unleash a shot which Garcia did well to slide in to. Penalty appeals were once again waved away as the referee deemed Garcia’s challenge to be clean.
In the dying minutes Ujkani smothered another Sneijder effort, which was followed by a scuffle in between the two teams as Dejan Stankovic wa son the receiving end of a two-footed tackle.
After the restart Claudio Ranieri threw on Giampaolo Pazzini to replace Alvarez in which the formation changed to a 4-3-1-2, but that wasn’t to prove helpul as Novara took a surprise lead at the San Siro. Caracciolo did well to pick his spot to perfection as he unleashed a curler into the bottom left-corner.
In anger the Nerazzurri bounced as Stankovic saw his effort go wide, while Diego Forlan was thrown into the fix in hope of adding extra fire power.
Sneijder was next to fire wide, while on the other end Rigoni saw his half-volley palmed away by Julio Cesar. Forlan then saw his long-range effort to go high and wide. Novara went closer, as Julio Cesar was at full stretch to palm away a Michele Morganella snapshot that bounced right in front of him.
Ivan Radovanovic received a second yellow card for kicking the ball away, which was swiftly followed by a smothering save Ujkani.
Inter’s closest chance came when Sneijder thought he has equalized as his 88th minute bullet nearly cracked the frame of the goal as it hit the crossbar and bounced down onto the ground, but the ball was nowhere near the line.
In the dying minutes Ukjani did well to keep his composure as he waved away efforts from Estabian Cambiasso and Pazzini.