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Lukaku celebrates. Luca Bruno

Late Lukaku, D'Ambrosio goals lift Inter in seven-goal Fiorentina show

It was a high-scoring day of Serie A drama.

LAST UPDATE | 26 Sep 2020

DANILO Dโ€™AMBROSIO AND Romelu Lukaku scored two late goals as Inter Milan grabbed a thrilling season-opening 4-3 win over a Franck Ribery-inspired Fiorentina on Saturday.

Title rivals Atalanta and Lazio also got their campaigns off to winning starts.

Antonio Conteโ€™s Inter had been trailing Fiorentina with three minutes to go in the San Siro but broke through after Ribery was substituted.

Lukaku equalised on 87 minutes with defender Dโ€™Amrosio nodding in two minutes later as Inter began their campaign to deny Juventus a 10th consecutive Serie A title this season.

But it was a far from confident display from Inter who were a goal down after three minutes to Ivorian Christian Kouame.

Lautaro Martinez levelled just before the break and Inter went ahead when Fiorentina defender Federico Ceccherini turned into his own net seven minutes after the break.

But Ribery was omnipresent for Fiorentina setting up their next two goals for Gaetano Castrovilli on 57 minutes and a Federico Chiesa lob in six minutes later.

The 37-year-old French midfielder was substituted with the game seemingly in hand after 83 minutes, but the Tuscany side were to be denied a first win over Inter in over three years.

Ciro Immobile picked up where he left off as Lazio won 2-0 at Cagliari while Atalanta earned a 4-2 comeback against Torino.

Italy forward Immobile โ€” top Serie A scorer last season with 36 goals โ€” grabbed Lazioโ€™s second goal in the last quarter of an hour in Sardinia.

Lazio return to Champions League football this season after finishing fourth in Serie A just behind Atalanta.

Both Lazio and Atalantaโ€™s scheduled season opener last week was pushed backed because of the Bergamo sideโ€™s Champions League last eight appearance in Portugal.

The two teams will go head-to-head in Rome next Wednesday.

โ€œToday we have shown that we are still that tight group that can do well,โ€ said Immobile.

โ€œPlayers have arrived who will give us a lift on the pitch and in the changing room, but the group is the same and there is no lack of motivation.โ€

Lazio had Adam Marusic to thank for their two goals. After setting up Manuel Lazzari for the opener after four minutes, the Montenegrin again broke down the left flank to serve up the pass for Immobile after 74 minutes.

In Turin, Gian Piero Gasperiniโ€™s Atalanta proved they had lost none of their attacking style from last season with the most goals scored in the Italian top flight including 7-0 against Torino last January in Turin.

โ€œWe are stronger than last year,โ€ warned Gasperini.

โ€œYou learn a lot from playing in Europe, and despite the difficulties we have suffered, we havenโ€™t given up.

โ€œThis year some valuable players have arrived and if we are lucky enough to recover (Josip) Ilicic we will be even stronger.

โ€œIt will be a season during which I will be able to rotate more players, last year I had a smaller squad available.โ€

- Gomez century -

 

Andrea Belotti had put the hosts on the scoresheet first, connecting with a Tomas Rincon pass to rifle in after 11 minutes, the first of a double for the Torino captain.

But Atalanta hit back two minutes later with Argentinian Papu Gomez rifling in from long range for his 100th career goal on his 200th Serie A appearance for Atalanta, leaving Salvatore Sirigu with no chance in the Torino goal.

Gomez then set up Luis Muriel for the second after 21 minutes, with Hans Hateboer grabbing a third after 42 minutes.

Belottiโ€™s header rekindled hopes going into the break but Atalanta dominated on returning, Muriel setting up Marten De Roon on 55 minutes to hand new Torino coach Marco Giampaolo his second defeat in as many games.

Promoted Benevento came from two goals down to beat Sampdoria 3-2. 

Visitors Benevento were trailing after 18 minutes in Genoa following goals from Fabio Quagliarella and Omar Colley.

But Luca Caldirola hit back with a brace after 33 and 72 minutes with Marco Sau sealing the victory two minutes from time.

Juventus face their first major test this season Sunday when the Serie A champions tackle Roma in the Stadio Olimpico.

 Updated at 22.57 to include details of Inter/Fiorentina

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    Mute Shane Doherty
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    Jun 9th 2017, 6:48 AM

    If Steve Jobs delivered the speech to them this year, I doubt it would make a difference.

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    Mute Eoin Clancy
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    Jun 9th 2017, 9:45 AM

    Itโ€™s not going to happen, but if lebron were to actually come back from this โ€“ automatic GOAT.

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    Mute Brian
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    Jun 9th 2017, 3:02 PM

    @Eoin Clancy: And as Stephen A Smith said, if he gets swept in a finals again he can never be considered the GOAT.

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    Mute William Motley
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    Jun 9th 2017, 6:51 AM

    Jobs was a fraud

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    Mute SYM-Metal
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    Jun 9th 2017, 12:49 PM

    It will take more than a motivational speech to turn around a 3-0 deficit against these Warriors. Cleveland will have to beat them 4 times in a row, including twice on Warriors home court.

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    Jun 9th 2017, 3:45 PM

    I wonder how the girl turned out? Haha!!!

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