No title talk for Handanovic

Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic refused to talk up Inter’s title credentials in the wake of Sunday’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Torino.

Geoffrey Kondogbia scored the winner for the visitors at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino to send Inter top, although Fiorentina can leapfrog back over them depending on how they fare against Sampdoria later in the day. 

Handanovic, however, was quick to put the win into perspective.

He said: “As for any talk about the Scudetto, we’ve only completed a third of the season and we need to keep our heads down and keep on training well.

“We’ve picked up three fundamental points. It was important to hold onto top spot before going into the international break. 

“We’re training well and the team spirit in the squad is key. That’s a real strength of this side.”

Inter head coach Roberto Mancini, meanwhile, felt his side could and should have won by a more emphatic margin.

“We needed to beat Torino,” he said. “In the first half we did very well and in the second, we sat back early and took a risk by doing that. We did have chances to make it 2-0 and we should have taken them. 

“If you don’t take your chances, then you run the risk of conceding from a set-piece at the end, like we did last year.”

Mancini was also quizzed about Mauro Icardi, who was recalled at the expense of Stevan Jovetic following a week of speculation linking him with a host of other clubs including Real Madrid and Liverpool.

The Argentinean was replaced by Ivan Perisic after 67 minutes, but Mancini claimed that there was nothing sinister about the striker’s early exit.

“I don’t see why there is a need to always find some controversy,” he said. “I didn’t send any signal, Mauro was tired and I needed someone fresher.”