MILAN: A stunning Mauro Icardi volley sparked a thrilling late Inter Milan comeback as the Italian side beat Tottenham 2-1 on their return to the Champions League after a seven-year absence on Tuesday.
Christian Eriksen鈥檚 deflected strike gave Spurs a 53rd-minute lead at the San Siro, and the visitors looked comfortable for much of the second half.
But Argentinian striker Icardi hammered home a magnificent volley in the 86th minute to draw Inter level, and Matias Vecino took advantage of some slack Tottenham defending at a corner to nod in a dramatic injury-time winner.
鈥淭his is exactly what the fans want to see,鈥� said Inter coach Luciano Spalletti.
鈥淚cardi scored a magnificent goal. The team had a great game and really went for it in the end.鈥�
The win leaves Inter second in the early Group B table, behind Barcelona on goal difference after the Catalan giants thrashed PSV Eindhoven 4-0 with a Lionel Messi hat-trick.
The late drama was greeted with deafening applause from the 66,000 crowd in the San Siro who minutes earlier had feared that Inter鈥檚 disastrous start to the Serie A season would carry over into Europe.
鈥淲e came into this game with quite a few problems,鈥� continued Spalletti, whose side are struggling in Serie A.
鈥淚 think that winning in the last minute after turning around the result gives you a lot of enthusiasm and self-belief.
鈥淚t means that we can believe in our potential for the future. The reaction is a sign we are on the right path.鈥�
Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino lamented his side鈥檚 failure to kill off a game.
Star striker Harry Kane missed an early opportunity to add to his Champions League tally after being served up a clever chipped cross from Eriksen on 38 minutes.
鈥淚f he had scored maybe we are talking about a different game,鈥� said Pochettino. 鈥淲e are suffering a little bit but that鈥檚 not an excuse.鈥�
Kane, the top scorer at the World Cup with six goals, arrived in Italy having scored nine goals in ten Champions League games.
But with only Samir Handanovic to beat the England striker rounded the Inter goalkeeper before losing his way as the ball rolled behind for a goal kick.
After Eriksen struck with a deflected shot that looped over Handanovic, the Londoners looked in control.
But the hosts turned things around with Icardi scoring his first Champions League goal in his first appearance in the competition, to add to his 110 goals in Serie A.
Inter Milan, who last won the trophy in 2010 under Jose Mourinho, were returning to Europe鈥檚 elite event for the first time since 2011-12, with Tottenham eliminated last season in the knockout rounds by Juventus.
Both teams are faltering in the league with Inter Milan on four points from four games and Tottenham sixth after suffering consecutive defeats.
Pochettino made five changes to the Tottenham side that lost to Liverpool at the weekend with Kieran Trippier, Danny Rose, Toby Alderweireld, Harry Winks and Lucas Moura all dropping out.
鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to talk about the players who aren鈥檛 here,鈥� snapped Pochettino of his tactical choices.
鈥淎gainst Watford and Liverpool they were on the pitch.
鈥淭hat is football. After 46 years loving this game, I understand that some tough periods can arrive.
鈥淎fter the Manchester United win (in August) I said: 鈥榖e careful, be careful the tough period can arrive鈥� and here it is.
鈥淭he important thing is to work harder and to be strong. We have the quality but for different reasons we鈥檙e a little late in our preparation.
鈥淭oday I started to see good signals that the team is coming back again.
鈥淲e showed great personality, playing in the San Siro is a very difficult place and we showed character and personality.鈥�