With the talent, that of Mosconi who after four minutes picked up Spinaccé’s assist and signed the lead. With the’intelligence, the one that the entire Nerazzurri team demonstrated after Rubino’s equalizer. With the fame, the one with which Pocho Lavelli signed the most important seal of his life in the first overtime. With the Heart, what allowed Castegnaro to deflect Conti’s shot for a corner, just a few minutes after having served Lavelli with an amazing assist. With the‘cunning, also this one from Lavelli who with practically expired time scored his personal double after a personal action. And with the testabecause to Inter to beat Fiorentina (3-1) it took a lot. The same will be needed against Roma Friday, who in the meantime beat Milan with a clear 2-0, but there will be time to think about the final. In the meantime, it remains a victory: suffered, sought, sweaty but damn deserved. Ironically, it came exactly one year after the defeat in Ascoli against Bologna, when Polenghi was forced to say goodbye to his dream of the Scudetto after having found himself leading by two goals up to fifteen minutes from the end. Coincidences?
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NURSERY RHYME
By Peter 14, Spinach 12, Mosconi 12. Addends which, if added together, lead, in order: to an incontrovertible thesis, namely that Inter have three of the best strikers in Italy – 38 total seals for Polenghi’s trident – as also testified by 100 total goals in the season scored before the match in Ancona; to a clear and unequivocal message directed at Fiorentina, called up to join Roma in the final; to a logical consequence, especially if there are players of this type on the pitch, that is the opening goal. The first lunge is already the decisive one: Zanchetta verticalizes for Spinaccèwho takes his direct opponent for a walk and offers a chocolate to Mosconi. In front of Vannucchi is a sentence: left-footed at the far post and Inter ahead. The perfect approach of the perfect team, especially in the last few weeks also considering the net 4-0 in the second leg against Parma. The interpreters of Polenghi’s 4-3-1-2 can now be repeated like a nursery rhyme: Garonetti and Chiesa in the centre, Re Cecconi and Cocchi on the lanes, Zanchetta in the middle with Venturini on one side and Tigani on the other, De Pieri behind the Mosconi-Spinaccè duo. Galloppa also relies on his loyalists, with the exception of Braschi: in his place space for Caprini, who therefore returns to the starting lineup after the return match against Juventus. Otherwise classic 3-4-2-1 aimed at enhancing the characteristics of the two attacking midfieldersPuzzoli and Rubino, the latter best scorer ever with 29 seals.
AGAIN
Not even time to celebrate the advantage that Inter are forced to watch their backs. The reason is always them, Puzzoli and Rubino, who with Caprini form a trident of aces capable, within a minute (9′ and 10′) and just after Mosconi’s seal, of scare the Nerazzurri quite a bit. The actions are splendid, above all because they see the entire offensive department as protagonists, the results a little less: there are two shots left, one wide by Puzzoli and one high by Rubino, which don’t require saves from Tommasi. Upon returning from the locker room, Fiorentina is once again making themselves dangerous, this time by exploiting the Deli-Ruby axis: the first picks up the ball from Fortini, good at cutting the field towards the inside, and serves it to the second who doesn’t think twice and at the height of sixteen meters he kicks on goal. Compared to the attempt in the first half, the aim is decidedly better, so much so that Tommasi can do nothing to avoid the Tuscan striker’s thirtieth goal of the season (3′). Be it the start of another game it is perceived right away, so much so that the only jolts – one on each side and both rather weak – are an imprecise header from Rubino (11′) and a weak left-footed shot from Spinaccè (15′).
LET’S START ONCE AGAIN
The rhythms of the first half are a memory, so much so that the additional spectrum it not only approaches, but also becomes reality. After inserting Castegnaro and Mancuso, Polenghi also completely redesigned the attack: inside Pinotti and Sinks for Spinaccè and Mosconi. It is the decisive move and why he bears a precise name and surname, even if a nickname is enough: Matthew Sinks, for friends the Pocho. At the first playable ball he signs the goal of the new advantage: Mancuso serves Castegnaro, who in turn puts in a low cross that Lavelli turns into gold with a fabulous left foot (8′). The second extra time is a mix of emotions: splendid for Inter because Lavelli takes advantage of the goal left unguarded by Vannucchi and signs the definitive 3-1 after a splendid personal action, for Fiorentina a little less given that a couple of minutes earlier Conti was retaliated by Castegnaro – in the miraculous circumstance – a shot with a sure shot, in hindsight the last opportunity to try to straighten the match.
THE TABLE
INTER-FIORENTINA 3-1
RARE (1-0, 1-1, 3-1): 4′ Mosconi (I), 3′ st Rubino (F), 9′ pts Lavelli (I), 14′ sts Lavelli (I).
INTER (4-3-1-2): Tommasi 6.5, Re Cecconi 6.5, Cocchi 7 (22′ st Castegnaro 7.5), Zanchetta 7 (22′ st Mancuso 7), Garonetti 6.5, Chiesa 7, Venturini 7, Tigani 6.5, Mosconi 8 (1′ pts Pinotti 7), De Pieri 6.5, Spinaccè 7 (1′ pts Lavelli 9). Available Castelnuovo, Della Mora, Maye, Ortelli, Fois. All. Polenghi 7.5.
FIORENTINA (3-4-2-1): Vannucchi 6.5, Cuomo 6.5, Trapani 6.5 (26′ st D’Amato 6.5), Conti 7, Sadotti 6.5, Kouadio 6.5 (13′ st Giusti 6.5), Fortini 7 (9′ pts Bertolini sv), Deli 7, Caprini 6.5 , Puzzoli 7.5 (26′ st Braschi 6.5), Rubino 8. Available. Leonardelli, Ciraudo, Martini, Vascotto, Pellicanò. Gallop Herds 6.5.
REFEREE: Caruso of Viterbo 7.5.
ASSISTANTS: Syracuse from Sulmona and D’Ettore from Lanciano.
FOURTH MAN: Ghinelli of Rome.
ADMONITES: Rubino (F), Kouadio (F), Chiesa (I), Zanchetta (I).