Matías Moreno turned Marcus Thuram’s cross into his own net in the 80th minute, before Redouane Halhal deflected Carlos Augusto’s effort past his goalkeeper two minutes later. The result took Inter to 25 points from nine Serie A matches, but the visitors had endured an uncomfortable evening at the Stadio Penzo.
Inter Milan head coach Cristian Chivu did not attempt to disguise his frustration with the performance, despite his side securing another victory.
“It is fair to criticise us. I am not coming here to talk about the points we have; I am here to analyse a match in which we had little energy and few ideas about how to do things. These are the games that happen once or twice a year, when you risk not taking any points home.
“In the second half, we added a little more individual technique and personality through some of the players, and we managed to break the deadlock,” Chivu said.
The Inter coach also defended goalkeeper Aleksandar Stanković, who was replaced at half-time, while acknowledging that his team had been fortunate to escape with the win.
“If I could have changed 10 players at half-time, I would have done so, apart from the goalkeeper. Like everyone else, Aleksandar did what the others did. It would not be right to single him out; his performance was in line with what Inter lacked in the first half.
“There is little to analyse today. We played badly. That is all. It is not a question of reacting. Our goalkeeper made several saves and kept us in the game. We accepted the need to maintain our balance so we would not lose, and we were lucky.”
Venezia FC coach Davide Nicola felt his side had shown progress since his arrival, even though the result left them with nothing to show for a competitive display against the defending champions.
“We have to continue doing what we are doing. I have been here for 14 days, and I believe the progress has been steady. We are reaching the objectives we set ourselves. Against Napoli, perhaps we even collected more than we deserved.
“Today we were competitive against a great team, managing the game well and counter-attacking from a low block. If we want to improve further, we have to understand that hurting the opposition when we create the right opportunity can change a match,” Nicola told DAZN.
Chivu praised Venezia’s organisation and accepted that his own side had struggled to find the intensity required.
“When you have energy, you find the right plays to put the opposition under pressure. Today there was no energy. I will not even talk about absences; we have to do better with the players available. It is not the fault of those who left, but of what we produced on the pitch.”
Nicola insisted his players must keep their focus despite the disappointment.
“We have to fight for an objective that unfortunately brings many bitter moments along the way. The important thing is to build. I saw a team with desire, love for what it does and passion. I want to keep working.”