Hakan Calhanoglu's clinical strike proved decisive as Inter edged out Cagliari with a narrow 1-0 victory in their Serie A encounter in Sardinia on Sunday.
The Nerazzurri entered the fixture looking to build on their opening 4-1 win over Monza, introducing new faces like Benjamin Pavard and Petar Sucic into the lineup.
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SubscribeIt took just nine minutes for the visitors to break the deadlock when Nicolò Barella set up Calhanoglu, who drilled a precise first-time shot into the bottom corner.
Despite dominating large stretches of the match and creating numerous scoring opportunities, Inter struggled with their finishing and nearly paid the price late in the game.
Cagliari Fights Back as Inter Waste Chances
Inter continued to press after taking the lead, with Elia Caprile forced into several crucial saves to keep Cagliari within striking distance.
Lautaro Martinez and Federico Dimarco both came close for the visitors, but wasteful finishing prevented Inter from extending their slender advantage.
Cagliari gradually grew into the contest after the restart, threatening through Alieu Fadera and Michel Adopo as they searched for an equalizer.
A desperate late block by Yann Bisseck ultimately preserved Inter's clean sheet and secured all three points on the road.