Inzaghi quick to support Arnautovic after Young Boys penalty save

Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi was full of support for forward Marko Arnautovic after he saw a penalty saved in their 1-0 victory away to Young Boys in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The Italian champions controlled the game and generated 3.27 expected goals (xG) compared to their hosts’ 0.92, but struggled to find a way through for much of the match.

Substitute Marcus Thuram eventually scored in the 93rd minute to win it for Inter after Young Boys goalkeeper David von Ballmoos had pulled off an extraordinary double save to keep Arnautovic’s penalty and the follow-up out on 48 minutes.

Arnautovic failed to score the first-ever penalty that he took in the Champions League. It was Inter’s first missed penalty in the competition since Lautaro Martínez vs Borussia Dortmund in October 2019.

“It was not an easy match, but we knew it. A complicated team on a pitch where it is difficult to play, but the boys were good,” Inzaghi told a press conference.

“We created many situations before [the goal]. I think of [Yann] Bisseck, [Mehdi] Taremi, [Piotr] Zielinski, the penalty. We believed and we won.

“As for the penalty takers, we have [Hakan] Calhanoglu, and then Taremi and Arnautovic. They are both good at it, with Red Star, Taremi took it because Arnautovic had gone out.

“Unfortunately, [this time] he missed it and was very disappointed. But penalties are only missed by those who take them, and he is important for us.”

1 – For the first time in their history, Inter have kept three clean sheets in the first three games of a Champions League edition. Wall.#YoungBoysInter #UCL pic.twitter.com/b4ILkORk2u

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) October 23, 2024

Despite Inter fashioning the best opportunities overall, they did not have it their own way in the first half. Young Boys managed 10 attempts on goal before the visitors could attempt one.

In fact, Young Boys had 20 shots in this match, their most in a single Champions League game without scoring. The Swiss side also had 14 shots in the first half, their most in a single half in a game in the competition.

“Young Boys are a physical team that we knew would create some problems for us and they did. With the new coach they have found a new spirit,” Inzaghi said.

“Tonight I was impressed by the goalkeeper. This morning when we were talking about the individuals, we had underlined how on Saturday in the championship against Lucerne he had been very good.”

Young Boys came into the match under interim coach Joel Magnin, following the sacking of Patrick Rahmen earlier this month. They are currently 10th in the Swiss Super League, having won just two of their opening 10 matches in their title defence.

The Swiss side are second-bottom of the Champions League table, having failed to pick up a single point, while Inter are seventh with seven points.