Southampton moved a step closer to progressing in the Europa League courtesy of a memorable 2-1 win over Inter Milan at St Mary's Stadium.
The Saints had to do it the hard way, recovering from a Mauro Icardi strike against the run of play thanks to a Virgil van Dijk tap-in and Yuto Nagatomo own goal.
Dusan Tadic had earlier missed a penalty for the hosts, while Antonio Candreva - the difference maker in the reverse fixture - also avoided seeing red when elbowing Sam McQueen late in the first half.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Europa League group-stage meeting between Southampton and Inter Milan at St Mary's Stadium. The visitors head into this fixture on the back of a turbulent few days, and indeed few months since the start of the season, having parted company with manager Frank de Boer just 85 days into his San Siro reign.
Youth team coach Stefano Vecchi will step in for this evening's tie, two weeks on from Inter's maiden victory in this year's competition when they two sides last faced off. Opposite number Claude Puel knows that nothing will be decided tonight, win lose or draw, but there is a real chance for the Saints to all but eliminate their opponents out of the race for a top-two spot and a place in the knockout stage.
TEAM NEWS!
SOUTHAMPTON XI: Forster; Martina, Yoshida, Van Dijk, McQueen; Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Hojbjerg; Tadic; Redmond, RodrÃguez
INTER MILAN XI: Handanovic; D'Ambrosio, Miranda, Ranocchia, Nagatomo; Candreva, Medel, Gnoukouri, Perisic; Banega; Icardi
Plenty to get through between now and kickoff in around an hour's time, so let us get straight into things by checking out some confirmed team news from st Mary's Stadium. Puel has made five changes to the side that fell to a 2-0 reverse at the hands of Chelsea here four days ago, including the return of Jay Rodriguez up front as he is given a chance to stake his claim for a regular starting spot.
Maya Yoshida, James Ward-Prowse, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Sam McQueen are the other four players brought in from the disappointing loss last time out, with the latter taking the place of Ryan Bertrand who is not quite ready to play two games in a week following his return to action. Jose Fonte, Steven Davis, Jordy Clasie and Charlie Austin are the other players to make way, with Puel opting to use his squad depth at this busy period in the season.
Puel has had plenty of injury issues to contend with in recent weeks - Shane Long, Cedric Soares, Jeremy Pied, Matt Targett, Alex McCarthy, Jake Hesketh and Harrison Reed all current nursing injuries of varying seriousness. This is still a strong starting lineup, but leaving Charlie Austin - who has eight goals overall this term and two already in the Europa League - is a big call by the Frenchman for this pivotal encounter.
In terms of the visiting side, stand-in boss Vecchi has also made multiple changes from last weekend's defeat to Sampdoria. That is largely down to the fact that the Italian side omitted a number of key players from their Europa League squad list - Geoffrey Kondogbia, Joao Mario, Stevan Jovetic and Gabriel Barbosa each being given a week's rest as they did not even travel with the squad on Wednesday.
Andrea Ranocchia is back from the suspension which kept him out of the reverse fixture, and goes straight into the side to partner Miranda in the heart of defence in what is likely to be a 4-4-1-1 formation. If that is the case, then Ever Banega will provide support for Mauro Icardi in the number 10 role - the latter not exactly in Inter supporters' good books right now following recent claims he made in his autobiography. On the pitch, Icardi has not fared too badly this term thanks to eight goals in 11 outings.
Marcelo Brozovic is one player who the Nerazzurri will have to make do without this evening, as he picked up a red card against the Saints a fortnight ago and therefore has to sit this one out. Sticking with this theme of disciplinary issues, Gary Medel missed the defeat to Sampdoria last Sunday following a ban of his own, but he was back in contention for this one and is selected by Vecchi in his favoured deep defensive-midfield role. El Pitbull, as he is known, will be incredibly tough to get the better of.
BENCH WATCH!
SOUTHAMPTON SUBS: Lewis, Clasie, Fonte, Davis, Austin, Boufal, Bertrand
INTER MILAN SUBS: Carrizo, Melo, Biabiany, Ansaldi, Santon, Eder, Murillo
Plenty of options for Puel to call upon from the bench should they be needed, then, with Bertrand and Austin among the five players to drop out from the defeat to Chelsea. Sofiane Boufal has been eased slowly into life as a Southampton player following an injury layoff, but the record signing is overlooked for a starting berth tonight as Rodriguez is instead given the nod. Inter have Eder - the Italian one, not the Euro 2016-winning striker - among their subs, meanwhile.
Southampton manager Claude Puel has made a total of five changes to his starting lineup for tonight's Europa League clash, including a place up top for Jay Rodriguez who comes in for the benched Charlie Austin. Stand-in Inter Milan boss Stefano Vecchi goes one further by making six changes, meanwhile, largely down to the fact that a string of players are not eligible to play in the competition.
A big evening ahead for Southampton, then, as they look to take a giant step closer to progressing out of a fairly congested Group K. As things stand before a ball is kicked this evening, Sparta Prague - beaten heavily here on the opening matchday - lead the way, while Southampton are two points worse off and level with Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Then, with three points from nine, come Inter - the giants of the European game facing an embarrassing early exit from the maligned competition.
Southampton are well on course to progress through, but things do not look quite as straightforward as they did a couple of weeks back prior to that Inter clash at the San Siro. Heading into that match, backed by a large away following for this rare European voyage, the Saints had a more-than-respectable four points from six - victory over Sparta being followed up by a battling goalless draw away at Be'er Sheva in Israel.
Despite falling to a cruel defeat in the Italian capital, the Saints still occupy a top-two berth thanks to their slightly superior goal difference over Hapoel. Puel will now be looking to pull off a major scalp against one of the former giants of the game, with victory essentially eliminating the Nerazzurri from the mix with two games left to play after tonight. It will be a huge accomplishment for the South Coast side, who have continued to prove many of their critics wrong in recent years.
Puel has very much gone the same way as Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman in making Southampton a tough-to-beat side. The Frenchman's reign started off slowly, in truth, as his new side went five games before picking up that first Premier League win of the season. There were even murmurs of a potential relegation battle this term with European football to contend with; something Saints supporters did not give a second thought to as they were confident matters on the field would soon turn around - and right they were, too!
That disappointing early-season run, which included home draws over Watford and Sunderland, was soon forgotten about when a five-match unbeaten run followed. That streak came to an end at the weekend when falling to defeat at the hands of Chelsea here - a match that saw the Saints struggle to really get to grips with their opponents, who are looking a real threat in Antonio Conte's new five-at-the-back system. Now there is a chance to pick up a massive scalp of a different kind.
The Saints head to an out-of-form Hull on Sunday in their next outing looking to make up the five-point deficit on Everton in sixth place, as they aim to repeat last season's impressive finish which paved the way for their European campaign. Southampton are not just here to enjoy the ride, either, having won one, drawn one and lost one of their three fixtures to date, with Sparta Prague (a) and Hapoel Be'er Sheva (h) still to come after this mouthwatering showdown.
DID YOU KNOW? Southampton have lost one only of their 15 home games in European competition, with that defeat coming against Sporting Lisbon in the 1981-82 UEFA Cup. The Saints are also yet to lose successive Euro ties, which they are of course at risk of doing this evening following that 1-0 reverse at the San Siro a fortnight ago. Puel's men do boast a good defensive record, though, conceding just once across their three group-stage matches thus far.
Only Shakhtar Donetsk (1) and St Etienne (5) have faced fewer shots on target than Southampton's six so far in this year's competition proper. Inter, meanwhile, have mustered just seven shots of their own - including one in the reverse tie 14 days ago - which is fewer than any of their Group K rivals. More of that profligacy in front of goal this evening and the Saints may just have a chance of producing one of the most famous results in their history - even if the Nerazzurri are massively on the slide.
Claude Puel has made an impressive start to life as Southampton manager, recovering from a four-game winless run to lift the Saints back into the top half of the table and five points off a repeat of last season's incredible sixth-placed finish. With talk of a potential £20m takeover in the air, too, it is fair to say that these are exciting times for Saints supporters who are very much in dreamland.
Not quite so much for Inter fans to get excited about these days, though, as their side continue to flounder in the Italian top flight. New hope did appear to be on the horizon a couple of years back but, to make matters worse, it is great rivals AC Milan who appear to have been the quickest to settle into their new regime. The 2010 Champions League winners parted company with De Boer earlier this week, just 85 days after he first took charge and ushered in what appeared to be a bright future.
Inter find themselves 12th in Serie A, well off their target of challenging for a place in the Champions League, having lost four of their last five games - the latest being a 1-0 reverse at Sampdoria on Sunday. That defeat came after a temporary reprieve of sorts when beating Torino, thanks in large to some poor Joe Hart goalkeeping - remember him?! - but there was to be no forward momentum and De Boer would lose his job a week later.
The Nerazzurri have also made a bad start to this European campaign which, like many of the fallen big boys, comes more as a hindrance these days. Inter did pick up their first points when beating Southampton two weeks ago, however, putting behind them painful memories of defeats to Hapoel Be'er Sheva and Sparta Prague in their first two Group K outings. Vecchi is now the man to watch over things - for tonight, at least - with former Swansea boss Francesco Guidolin and ex-Bologna boss Stefano Piolo also understood to be in the running to take over on a permanent basis.
Inter have lost four of their last five European away games in England, but that one solitary victory was a huge one - prevailing at Stamford Bridge six years ago under Jose Mourinho en route to lifting the Champions League trophy. Just where did it all go wrong, eh?! The Italian outfit are also winless in their last five away games overall on the continent, conceding exactly three times in each of their last three - including in the surprise defeat to Sparta.
Victory tonight, though, and all of a sudden things do not look quite so bleak for Inter. In fact, they could end the night in second place should results go their way - not bad for a club in crisis. Defeat surely would spell the end for their hopes of progression, however, with games against Be'er Sheva (a) and Sparta (h) to come over the next month or so. Plenty to play for, then, as we continue to count down to kickoff on the South Coast.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! The reverse fixture two weeks ago was the first time that these two sides had ever faced off in a competitive match. It was also the Saints' first match against an Italian side; a game which they really should have won when looking at their numerous chances across the 90 minutes. The Nerazzurri somehow held on and stole all three points through a well-taken Antonio Candreva strike - their only shot on target all evening.
With kickoff at St Mary's Stadium now just 10 minutes away, let us turn attention to some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Claude Puel: "Of course it's difficult for us to prepare for this game because we don't know what to expect in terms of the profile, the spirit, the system of play. We have to be careful of this team, but the most important thing for us is to keep concentration on our game, play our football and make chances. Of course it's an important game tomorrow against Inter. They're perhaps under pressure because they lost the first two games, but on our part we conceded late in the loss at San Siro and it's important to win this game. For qualification you usually need around 10 points and we have six points from three games, we have two games at home and one away. It's very important to win at home."
Stefano Vecchi: "I am sorry for Frank, for solidarity with a colleague. The relationship between the first team and the youth team was good. Unfortunately these things happen in football. I've worked with some of these players before, but clearly to prepare for a Europa League game puts the pressure on. I do not know what will happen next. I am the coach of Inter and thank the sporting director Piero Ausilio for the opportunity. What happens next is not important. What is important is the game tomorrow night, without looking too far ahead. We often talk about the future but we have to live today and tomorrow you can decide what is next."
Puel targeting three points from this match, then, perhaps acknowledging that Inter - a much-changed Inter at that - are not the beast of old. The Frenchman is right when saying that he does not know what to expect from the visitors tonight, but how often have we seen a managerless side put in their best performance of the season days after losing the man in charge. Do not be shocked to see the 11 players starting give their all for Vecchi, who has had to temporarily step up from youth team duties.
Vecchi is not willing to get drawn into a debate over who should take this once-great club forward, but he will surely see this as a chance to stake his claim for the position - who wouldn't?! The youth team coach says that he is "sorry" to see De Boer depart - an almost-inevitable development this week following a run of four defeats in their last five games. A nice break from Serie A action tonight, though, with this trip to the English South Coast.
PREDICTION! The two sets of players will shortly be making their way down the tunnel area, so a good time to offer a prediction for this match. Both teams want the win, though it is Inter who have a point to prove following a rather dismal campaign thus far. The Saints were the better team in the reverse fixture only to fall to a slender defeat, but I'm going to back them to get the job done tonight with a 2-1 win.
Right, here we go - Southampton and Inter Milan are greeted by 30,000 fans, each of whom are waving little red and white flags. A massive night for them - one that supporters could only dream of not so long ago when languishing in the third tier of English football. Can they pull off a massive victory in front of their vociferous supporters? We are about to find out...
KICKOFF! We are up and running at St Mary's Stadium, where Southampton will be looking to pull off a huge scalp against Inter Milan to take a giant step closer to progressing out of Group K in the Europa League.
CHANCE! A decent opening for Rodriguez inside the opening few minutes of the match. Tadic is already causing problems from his starting position towards the right, sending in a nice cross which the Southampton striker nodded wide of the target.
Inter's first attack of the match causes real panic at the back. Icardi slotted through Banega, who failed to really control the ball and called in vain for a penalty after the slightest of contact inside the box. No chance!
An absolute shocker of a clearance from Miranda ends with the ball looping out for a corner, which Handanovic collected at the second attempt. A 4-4-1-1 layout from the visitors, as expected, and what appears to be a 4-3-3 for the hosts.
Saints dictating the tempo of the game in these opening 10 minutes, not really allowing their opponents a chance to settle into their rhythm. Just that one half chance for Rodriguez so far, which the Englishman perhaps should have done better with.
SHOT! Rodriguez, who squandered the game's only chance so far early on, goes for a long-range curler which clips the roof of the net on its way over. Not a bad attempt from the Southampton striker, who was given the nod ahead of Austin tonight.
SAVE! Some really good interplay from Southampton, between Redmond and Tadic, ends with the English attacker being shoved to the ground. The referee did well to let play go on, and the loose ball was latched on to by Rodriguez who could only send the ball right at Handanovic.
Inter now settling into the game following those quick-fire Rodriguez attempts. A slack pass is pounced on by the Saints, though, with Tadic feeding Redmond who cut inside and curled a shot wide of the target. The visitors not dealing with Tadic very well at all.
The Nerazzurri still not really able to get out of first gear with nearly a quarter of the match now played. One half chance for Banega after being played through by Icardi, but that aside we have seen little in an attacking sense.
Some rare smart play Inter on the break sees Icardi bring down a cross near the back post, but Van Dijk was across to clear the ball before the striker could blast a shot on goal. Inter well positioned to pounce on the counter, it seems.
Southampton playing quite a deep defensive line, interestingly, which is not what they tend to do in the Premier League. Rodriguez urges his teammates to step up but only half of them do, giving a disjointed feel to this side.
A classic case of both teams cancelling each other out at the moment; both going with near-identical systems and each looking to perhaps focus on counter-attacking moves. It is still the Saints who are more in control of things.
GROUP K UPDATE! A Ben Bitton own goal has just edged Sparta ahead in their meeting with Be'er Sheva elsewhere in Group K. The Czechs will move four points clear of the Saints as things stand, essentially booking their place in the next round.
Rodriguez goes down following an aerial collision with Ranocchia, which he believes should have resulted in a free kick on penalty. The referee disagrees - replays only going to show that he made the correct call, with both players having their eyes on the ball.
Inter step things up a level and so nearly work the ball to Banega to blast away, but the Saints manage to clear their lines. From that the Saints themselves break up the other end, yet it is more disappointment following good defending.
Ranocchia, suspended for the tie two weeks ago, has his arms all over Rodriguez in the box when defending a corner. That results in a penalty in the Premier League these days, but that type of decision is rarely given elsewhere on the continent.
GOAL! SOUTHAMPTON 0-1 INTER MILAN (MAURO ICARDI)
Inter lead in this group-stage fixture through their first shot on target. Candreva, the match winner two weeks ago, created it by getting the better of McQueen and charging to the touchline. Perisic could not turn it home at the back stick but Icardi put his foot through it to give the visitors an undeserved lead on the balance of things.
Poor defending from Southampton there, it must be said. Perisic was free at the back post after Candreva waltzed his way into the box, with Icardi able to find time and space in the ensuing panic. Fonte perhaps would have been a better pick at centre-back tonight.
Well that goal did at least come at a good time in the game, as neither side could really do much to create openings. The two teams really were cancelling each other out all over the field, but the Saints will now have to attack.
Certainly not time for Puel to panic, as his side look to grab a foothold in the match as we approach the midway point. Inter defending really well now that they have something tangible to protect in that Icardi breakthrough goal.
Redmond makes something happen for his side by sending in a dangerous cross, which Handanovic elects to punch clear. It only goes as far as Romeu, whose volleyed attempt was heading towards the target only for a deflection to take it off course.
I tell you what, some of this defending from Inter at corners is shockingly bad. As many as three players, including Ranocchia who was at it a little earlier, with their arms over Southampton men. Puel will surely be having a word with the referee as they head down the tunnel.
PENALTY TO SOUTHAMPTON! Drama at St Mary's right on the brink of half time! A loose ball pops up and hit Perisic on the underside of his arm - an incredibly harsh decision, but the Saints have been denied a few pens tonight.
PENALTY SAVED! It's all happening now! Candreva elbowed McQueen in the face but escaped with just a booking. Tadic, who had to wait a few minutes before stepping up, sends his attempt right down the middle and penalty king Candreva kept it out with his legs!
HALF TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 0-1 INTER MILAN
Well for large parts of the first half it was far from a classic, but the final few minutes more than made up for that! Southampton squander their big chance to level up, meaning that Inter Milan lead 1-0 at half time in this Europa League Group K tie.
Arguably Southampton's best chance of a tight first half fell the way of Jay Rodriguez, who could only nod the ball wide of the target when picked out by Dusan Tadic just two minutes in. Rodriguez, given the nod over the benched Charlie Austin this evening in one of five changes from last time out, was the Saints' most involved player as he sent another shot over the bar before being denied by Samir Handanovic with a tame attempt.
It was a classic case of the two teams cancelling each other out for large parts of the opening 45 minutes, set out in near-identical formations and both holding fairly deep defensive lines. The match well and truly burst into life 33 minutes in, though, when Antonio Candreva - the matchwinner in the reverse tie - burst to the byline and picked out Ivan Perisic at the back post. The Croatian could not squeeze the ball home but Mauro Icardi could from the rebound, blasting through Fraser Forster for his ninth goal in 12 outings this season.
Southampton were given a potential route back into the game right on the brink of half time when, after having numerous penalty shouts turned down for pulling inside the box, referee Pawel Gil pointed to the spot when the ball bounced up and hit Perisic on the underside of his arm. A melee ensued, with Candreva elbowing full-back Sam McQueen but somehow avoiding a red card, and there was to be further misery for the Saints as Tadic was denied by the trailing leg of spot-kick king Handanovic from the final act of the eventful first half.
Southampton needing to put that penalty miss behind them and regroup at the interval, then, while Inter Milan will look to hold on for back-to-back wins in the competition. Let us remind ourselves on both sides' benches.
SOUTHAMPTON SUBS: Lewis, Clasie, Fonte, Davis, Austin, Boufal, Bertrand
INTER MILAN SUBS: Carrizo, Melo, Biabiany, Ansaldi, Santon, Eder, Murillo
RESTART! We are back under way at St Mary's Stadium. The interval came at the perfect time for Inter, who were just beginning to lose their cool despite being in the lead; a lead that Handanovic kept intact with his latest penalty save.
SAVE! Just a minute into the half, Ward-Prowse caught a volley from 25 yards out sweetly but sent it straight down the throat of Handanovic. The Saints starting this second half on top, desperate for a goal to build on.
Another Redmond cross into the box causes danger, before being worked to Hojbjerg 20 yards out. The midfielder blasted high and wide, though, with Martina screaming for the ball down the right-hand flank. Can't really blame him for taking it on.
SAVE! Really good goalkeeping from Handanovic, who is keeping his side's lead just about intact. The Slovenian first kept out a powerful Ward-Prowse drive, before getting to his feet and clearing the loose ball ahead of Rodriguez.
YELLOW CARD! He may be a great tackler, but not really sure what Medel was doing here as he clattered into his opponent during an aerial challenge. Second yellow of the match, with the other going to Candreva for his elbow on McQueen.
Inter with a rare attack, culminating in Perisic finding some space but seeing his driven pass cut out. A clash of heads inside the box from the resultant corner means a quick break in play, with Inter still one goal to the good.
Ranocchia living a dangerous game still, despite the referee keeping a close eye on him now at every corner. Van Dijk is hauled down to the ground, but Gil again ignores it. Incredible decision, that - a clear penalty for the Saints.
SOUTHAMPTON SUB! We have reached the hour mark and Puel has rolled the dice for the first time, bringing on Charlie Austin for Jay Rodriguez. The man making way made a real bright start to the game but has since faded out of it.
GROUP K UPDATE! Sparta are two up and cruising against Hapoel now, so as things stand they will top Group K on nine points. Inter are second on six, Southampton third on four and Hapoel bottom on goal difference. Plenty of time for all that to change, of course.
GOAL! SOUTHAMPTON 1-1 INTER MILAN (VIRGIL VAN DIJK)
Handanovic is finally beaten! The Slovenian keeper produced a superb save to deny Van Dijk from a corner, but from the next set-piece delivery Romeu looped a shot off the bar an Van Dijk was the first to react to draw his side level.
Southampton really are the side on top now in this match, with a little over 20 minutes still left to play. We could be in for a real thrilling conclusion at St Mary's Stadium, with both teams seeking three points this evening.
GOAL! SOUTHAMPTON 2-1 INTER MILAN (YUTO NAGATOMO)
Southampton lead through a shocking own goal via the thigh of Nagatomo! Tadic's cross into a central position appeared simple enough to deal with, but Miranda's slight touch meant that his defensive teammate could not adjust his body in time and the ball cannoned off his leg and into the net.
And just like that the complexion of the game has changed completely. Inter were too focused on protecting their lead, meaning that they are now struggling to put together any sort of attacking move. The Saints sitting comfortably.
INTER MILAN SUB! Vecchi takes off a midfielder for a striker; Medel being replaced by Eder for the final 15 minutes or so of the match. Tadic has just glanced a header wide of target when in some space - Inter can breath again.
SOUTHAMPTON SUB! Tadic is the latest Southampton player to make way, being replaced by the more defensive minded Steven Davis. A smart switch from Puel, which also eats up some valuable seconds with less than 15 minutes on the clock.
Southampton have just got to remain professional now for the final stages of this match - not risks need to be taken. That said, the Saints will be wise to carry on attacking as that is in turn restricting Inter's hopes of getting out of their own half.
SAVE! A 4-1-4-1 formation for the Saints now - Romeu just sitting in front of the back four to add some further defensive muscle. Stand-in Inter boss Vecchi still has two more changes available to make should he wish, as Icardi's powerful drive forces Forster into action for the first time.
The fresh legs of Eder causes some danger, but there was no other Inter player in the box willing to gamble. The Saints having to defend more and more over these past few minutes, but they do not have too long to hold on now.
SHOT! What is that famous maxim about the best form of defence? Southampton look to attack through Redmond, who runs 40 yards before cutting inside a curling his shot narrowly wide of the target. Unlucky!
Plenty of probing from Inter but they are getting nowhere fast. The Saints looking comfortable enough at the moment, though that was the case in the first half when Icardi pounced to blast his side into what was arguably an undeserved lead.
INTER MILAN SUB! Almost exactly an hour after escaping a red card, Candreva now leaves the pitch after being replaced by Biabiany. We are now into the final two minutes of normal time at St Mary's Stadium.
YELLOW CARD! Ward-Prowse and Miranda have both just been shown yellow cards; the Saints man being punished for stopping an Inter attack, as we tick into injury time on the South Coast. Just a few more minutes for Southampton to hold on!
We are halfway through the four minutes of additional time at the end of this Europa League tie - just two more minutes for the Saints to hold on for what will be a famous victory in the club's proud history. Can Inter respond late on?
FULL TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 2-1 INTER MILAN
The full-time whistle sounds at St Mary's Stadium, meaning a memorable victory for Southampton over three-time European kings Inter Milan. The Saints recovered from a goal down in the second half, having also squandered the chance to level from the spot, to remain in Group K's top two and now three points ahead of Hapoel Be'er Sheva in third.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events at St Mary's Stadium. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while reaction will also follow over the next hour or so. Thanks for joining!
