Inter Milan continued their 100% record under Antonio Conte to grab a 2-1 win against a spirited Cagliari side. Inter showed the league that they have the ability to grab three points when not playing at their free-flowing best. This is a quality their rivals Juventus have in abundance and something Conte's men must repeat throughout the season.

Story of the match

Inter Milan could not reproduce the free-flowing football they played against Lecce on Monday. Cagliari placed Inter Milan firmly into a war zone, harrying and making life difficult for the potential title challengers. Rog and Naingolan hustled and bustled, ensuring the likes of Sensi and Brozovic could not dictate proceedings in the first half, just as they did earlier in the week.

However, on the 28th minute, Inter got a stroke of luck. The second phase of a corner resulted in Sensi whipping the ball into an offside looking Lautaro Martinez. After several minutes of VAR taking centre stage, the goal was given as the Argentine was deemed to have been onside when he nodded the ball into the bottom corner.

Cagliari did manage to produce one chance of note in the first half, as Cerri found a yard of space in the area but could only guide the ball wide of the post. Other than that chance, Cagliari failed to test Inter Milan as their attacks often lacked any real spark or zest to trouble Handanovic and co.

In what was 45 minutes of little quality and chances, Antonio Conte would have been delighted to have taken his side into the dressing room a goal to the good.

At half time, new signing Giovanni Simeone entered the field and gave the hosts a new lease of life. With his bull-like approach to the game, the striker ran in behind Inter's backline and gave the crowd a much-needed lift.

This resurgence of energy to Cagliari resulted in Nandez picking the ball up out wide and digging out a cross into the middle of the box. Joao Pedro rose higher than anyone else and guided the ball back where it came from into the bottom corner, leaving Handonovic looking helpless in the middle of his goal.

Inter slowly rallied after the equaliser and on the 60th minute, Sensi indicated what was about to come as he was hacked down on the edge of the box. The midfielder picked himself up to crash his free-kick against the bar. 

Sensi's influence on Inter Milan's attacking play was once again showcased as he broke into the box, producing a turn that a ballet dancer would be proud of, only to be hacked down by Fabio Pisacane, resulting in a penalty for the visitors. Romelu Lukaku, despite looking out of sorts throughout the match, stood up and did what Inter will want from him throughout the season, scoring decisive goals. The Belgian sent Olsen the wrong way and gave a look of disgust at the Cagliari fans, who sounded like they were, once again, hurling disgusting abuse at a visiting player.

Lukaku should have scored his second as Politano, who entered the field for Martinez, put it on a plate for the former United forward, but he could not direct the ball on target with his weaker right foot.

Cagliari rallied once again in stoppage time, having a big chance falling for Lucas Ceppitelli, who headed over from 8 yards out. Ultimately though, even when Cagliari huffed and puffed in the latter stages of the match, it looked more likely that Inter would grab a third through the pace of Politano on the counter-attack.

Takeaways

Cagliari showed much more fight tonight than they did in their loss to Brescia last week. They battled in the midfield and Nainggolan looked more like the player who was rated so highly for Roma tonight. He showed desire and fight, attempting to drive through a strong Inter midfield time and time again. The introduction of Simeone at half time gave the whole stadium a boost and it looks ominous that the ex-Fiorentina striker will be a success at Cagliari, dragging them to safety this season.

Lukaku did not look fit tonight, his touch was not what it should be and his movement was predictable. Yet, he still scored the winner in a tough away fixture. Lukaku scores goals no matter where he plays, no matter how he plays. It is clear that his goals will be pivotal for Inter Milan if they want to break the dominance of Juventus.

Sensi has started the season in superb form. A solo goal against Lecce was impressive, but he was playing against a team who offered Inter a lot of space to play their football. Cagliari was a different prospect. Naingolan, Rog and Ionita ratted all game, ensuring that he and Brozovic could not control the play. However, in the second half, Sensi was superb. On top of his assist in the first half, he drove forward, hitting the bar off a free-kick and winning the crucial penalty. Conte will be hoping Sensi can continue his form for a while longer, making it almost impossible for the likes of Barella to earn a spot in the starting 11.

Man of the match

Stefano Sensi. The summer signing has started his career at Inter in superb form. His class stood out in a game where Inter's forward players were not firing on all cylinders. Not only did he grab two assists, but he hit the bar off a free-kick he won himself and played through Politano in the dying minutes of the match.

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