Carpi 1 Inter 2: Jovetic double settles lacklustre encounter

Stevan Jovetic was Inter’s match winner for a second successive Serie A game as he grabbed both goals in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Carpi.

The 25-year-old took his tally to three goals in two games at Stadio Alberto Braglia to give Inter a 100 per cent start to the 2015-16 campaign, while leaving Carpi awaiting their first point.

Roberto Mancini handed Jovetic his first league start on Sunday and the Manchester City loanee repaid that faith with a close-range finish after 31 minutes.

Carpi had rarely threatened the Inter goal for much of the match but looked set to snatch a point when Antonio Di Gaudio levelled with nine minutes to play.

Jovetic ensured that did not happen, though, as he calmly slotted home an 89th-minute penalty after Fredy Guardin had been felled by Gabriel Silva.

It was just reward for Inter, who had dominated proceedings, while Carpi will take heart from their defensive resilience for much of the encounter.

Carpi – who made four changes from their opening-day loss to Sampdoria – had the better chances in a lively start, but Lorenzo Lollo and Ryder Matos both failed to stretch Samir Handanovic with weak efforts.

Having withstood the initial burst from their hosts, Inter began to dominate possession but Mancini’s men found it difficult to break through the well-organised Carpi defence.

That all changed just after the half-hour as Jovetic timed his run perfectly to meet a deep cross from Guarin at the back post and rolled the ball into an unguarded net after his initial effort had just squeezed under Zeljko Brkic.

The hosts almost went in level at the break. Kamil Wilczek found room on the left-hand side of the Inter penalty area, but his shot was straight at Handanovic, who saved easily.

Inter resumed their control of proceedings after the restart but there were few chances on the Carpi goal, despite their neat passing – a weak effort from Rodrigo Palacio the best they could muster.

Carpi were happy to allow Inter to have the ball and relied on swift counter-attacks to provide their rare chances, and it reaped dividends when the visitors failed to clear Kevin Lasagna’s low delivery and Di Gaudio swept the ball home.

They were denied that first top-flight point, though, as Guarin was brought down in the closing minutes and Jovetic made no mistake from 12 yards to continue the fine start to his Inter career.