Internacional beat Coritiba 1-0 at the Beira-Rio on Saturday night, with Alerrandro converting a penalty in added time to lift a side fighting to escape the relegation zone. The result was far from pretty, but it was enough to deliver three precious points.
A tense first half
Coritiba, freshly reinvigorated by a change of coach and by their recent win over Vitória, were the better side before the break. They defended compactly, gave the home team little room and counter-attacked with pace, exploiting the anxious atmosphere inside the stadium. They even opened the scoring, but Breno Lopes was ruled offside by the VAR, the goal was chalked off and the score stayed level.
Inter throw everything forward
Internacional came out after the interval looking like a different team, though the game remained chaotic. With the relegation fight breathing down their necks, Eduardo Baptista’s side pushed Coritiba deep into their own half and piled bodies into the area in search of a breakthrough. Goalkeeper Pedro Morisco was in fine form, and the hosts often struggled to find a clean finish, but the pressure never let up. Almost forty thousand supporters roared them on throughout.
The decisive penalty
The breakthrough came deep into stoppage time. Defender Rodrigo Moledo, 39, who had come on for Jacy, lost his composure and brought down Juninho inside the box, handing Inter a penalty. Alerrandro, a striker who has been widely criticised for his lack of goals, took responsibility and sent the ball into the corner. The stands erupted, chanting his name.
Hanging on at the end
The remaining minutes were a frantic affair. Having chased the game, Inter now had to defend their lead, while Coritiba were forced to push forward in search of an equaliser. The referee eventually blew the final whistle, and Inter’s players and fans could finally celebrate a victory that owed as much to spirit as to quality. It was a hard-earned win for a side that will need plenty more of that resilience if they are to stay clear of the drop.
Source: ge.globo.com
