Inter drop first points in Serie A in 3-1 loss at Lazio

MILAN: Inter Milan dropped their first points of the fledgling Serie A when they lost at Lazio 3-1 on Friday.

Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri’s substitutions made the difference as Pedro and Luis Alberto came off the bench to score two goals in the final 15 minutes after Inter forward Lautaro Martínez canceled out Felipe Anderson’s opener.

“The intensity of Inter’s midfield appeared to be dropping so I could risk putting on two less physical but very technical players,” Sarri said.

The result moved Lazio a point above Inter after two wins and a draw for the capital side in its opening three matches.

“Our problem has always been consistency, so we have to manage this result well and try to follow up on it, take the positive energy it can give us without thinking that it will be easier against another team,” Sarri added.

Inter was one of only three teams in Serie A with maximum points from its first two matches, along with Roma and Napoli, but knew it faced its sternest test yet at coach Simone Inzaghi’s former club.

It was end to end in Rome and played at a high tempo. Lazio broke the deadlock five minutes before halftime when Sergej Milinković-Savić lifted a ball over the top and Felipe Anderson got in front of Inter defenders Federico Dimarco and Alessandro Bastoni to head into the bottom left corner.

Inter leveled six minutes after the break, however. Lazio failed to clear a free kick and Denzel Dumfries nodded it back to Martínez, who just got in front of teammate Romelu Lukaku to fire in from close range.

Dumfries almost gave Inter the lead moments later but his header at point-blank range was fantastically palmed away by Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel.

Sarri made his changes shortly after, sending on Pedro and