Inter Milan – RB Leipzig 1-0 (November 26, 2024) Match analysis

An own goal from RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba gave Inter Milan a 1-0 home win in the Champions League on Tuesday, moving the Italian champions provisionally to the top of the table.

Unbeaten Inter lead the table with 13 points from five games, one point ahead of second-place Barcelona, ​​which beat Brest 3-0, and third-place Liverpool, which has a game in hand and hosts defending champions Real Madrid on Wednesday .

Inter dominated the first half and took the lead in the 27th minute after Lukeba converted the ball into Leipzig’s own goal following a free kick from Federico Dimarco.

Dimarco, making his first appearance in the Champions League this season, sent a cross into the penalty area and the ball bounced off the 21-year-old’s foot.

The hosts appeared set for a comfortable win, but Simone Inzaghi’s men slowed their pace significantly after the break.

Leipzig sensed their chance and grew into the duel, and Inter keeper Yann Sommer made a brilliant save when he parried a low attempt from Antonio Nusa in the 69th minute.

The visitors, who entered the game as one of five teams having lost their first four games, were without midfielder Xavi Simons, who was sidelined with an ankle injury.

They were also without defender Lukas Klostermann, who added to an already long absence list after being substituted at half-time with a calf injury in Saturday’s 4-3 defeat at Hoffenheim.

Inter, meanwhile, had Hakan Çalhanoglu back in the squad after a thigh injury, and Lautaro Martínez started in attack alongside Mehdi Taremi after the Argentine striker fell ill upon his return from international duty.

Inter continued to tread thin ice and risked a late equalizer before Henrikh Mkhitaryan thought he had doubled the lead in stoppage time, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul by Marcus Thuram.

They managed to avoid a slip-up and maintain their perfect defensive record in the competition, being the only team yet to concede a goal at this point in their European campaign.

Inter have won four consecutive games without conceding a goal for the first time in Europe’s top competition, following three games in 1966-67 and 2009-10.

They beat Red Star Belgrade 4-0, Young Boys 1-0 and Arsenal 1-0 after opening their season with a goalless draw at Manchester City.

Three-time champions Inter, who sit third in Serie A and one point behind leaders Napoli, next visit German champions Bayer Leverkusen on December 10.

Leipzig, still searching for its first points in the league after five consecutive defeats in the competition, hosts Aston Villa on the same day.