It was all set up for Inter Milan to retake the lead in the race for the Serie A title. Just beat 13th-place Bologna and the blue half of Milan would overtake the red half for first place with four games to go.
Instead, backup goalkeeper Ionuț Radu committed one of the worst howlers in the history of European football.
Bologna knocked off Inter Milan 2-1 thanks to a calamitous mistake from Radu, who whiffed on the ball from inside his own six-yard box, allowing Nicola Sansone to swoop in and poke home the match winner in the 81st minute.
Inter Howler vs. Bologna
A HOWLER FROM ANDREI RADU.
A LOSS FOR INTER THAT COULD COST THEM THE SCUDETTO.THE TITLE IS NOW IN MILAN'S HANDS. ⚫ pic.twitter.com/c48UCXVs4n
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 27, 2022
It would’ve been an Ivan Perišić or Radu own goal if not for Sansone taking the credit right on the goal line. That doesn’t make it any worse for Radu, a 24-year-old Romanian chosen to start over veteran club captain Samir Handanović. It was almost reminiscent of Catarina Macario’s bizarre goal against PSG in the Women’s Champions League on Sunday, but at least then Barbora Votíková was worrying about picking up a back pass.
The goal consigned Inter Milan to a damning defeat in the race for the Scudetto. With four games left, archrival AC Milan tops the table with 74 points, two ahead of Inter, which would’ve gone top with a win over Bologna.
While the title hasn’t been decided yet and Inter arguably has the easier finish to the season, AC Milan now has the inside track to dethrone its rival.
Perišić had given the Nerazzurri the lead in the third minute with a moment of individual brilliance.
Ivan Perisic HIT that. pic.twitter.com/xTK4soMAcg
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 27, 2022
Former West Ham forward Marko Arnautović equalized to set up the dramatic ending and the Inter howler.
Marko Arnautović with four goals in his last three matches.
Inter are 45 minutes away from losing control of their Scudetto fate. pic.twitter.com/VUxLyg4rB4— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 27, 2022
Inter Milan finishes the season against Udinese, Empoli, Cagliari and Sampdoria, plus the Coppa Italia final against Juventus on May 11. AC Milan still has to play Fiorentina, Verona, Atalanta and Sassuolo.
At the very least, we’re in for an entertaining final month to the Serie A season thanks to that Inter howler.
