Serie A: Roberto Gagliardini’s miss of the season for Inter Milan

Football - Serie A - Inter Milan v U.S. Sassuolo - San Siro, Milan, Italy - June 24, 2020.Sassuolo's Giangiacomo Magnani celebrates scoring their third goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). [REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo]

Third-placed Inter Milan threw away two points in the Serie A title race when they missed an open goal and conceded an 89th- minute equaliser in a 3-3 draw at home to mid-table Sassuolo on Wednesday.

The game hinged on an incredible miss by midfielder Roberto Gagliardini who had the chance to put Inter Milan 3-1 ahead midway through the second half when he was left four metres in front of an open goal but somehow hit the crossbar.

Instead, Domenico Berardi equalised with a penalty in the 81st minute and, although Borja Valero put Inter back ahead five minutes later, poor defending by the hosts allowed Giangiacomo Magnani to equalise in the 89th minute.

The result left Inter with 58 points, eight behind leaders Juventus with 11 matches to play.

“It’s a draw that hurts us because we had several chances to wrap up the game,” said Inter coach Antonio Conte. “There are situations where you have to score and today we paid dearly for our naivety.”

Inter fully lived up to their reputation for making life hard for themselves throughout the game, starting in the fourth minute when Francesco Caputo was allowed time and space to give the visitors a shock lead.

Inter turned the game around as Romelu Lukaku scored from a penalty in the 41st minute, his 19th goal of the season, and Cristiano Biraghi exchanged passes with Alexis Sanchez to put them ahead in first-half stoppage time.

Inter decided to play on the counter in the second half and it should have paid off when Lukaku’s shot was saved at point-blank range by Andrea Consigli and the ball rebounded to Gagliardini, but he missed with the goal at his mercy.

That was followed by a see-saw final 10 minutes.

Berardi levelled from the spot after Ashley Young tripped Mert Muldur, then Lukaku had an Inter goal disallowed before Valero was left unmarked at the far post to prod in Antonio Candreva’s free-kick and put the hosts back in front.

Inter’s jubilation proved premature, however, as they left Magnani unmarked at the far post to turn in Berardi’s cross with one minute left.