Southampton recovered from a goal down to pick up a famous 2-1 victory over three-time European champions Inter Milan at St Mary's Stadium this evening.

The Saints fell behind against the run of play, much like in the reverse meeting, but unlike on that occasion in the Italian capital two weeks ago they battled back and earned three more valuable Europa League points this time around.

Victory for the English outfit, now making it just the one home loss in 16 home European outings, was made all the sweeter as they had squandered a chance to level from the spot deep into first-half stoppage time.

That Dusan Tadic miss mattered little in the end, however, as a Virgil van Dijk strike and a Yuto Nagatomo own goal helped to cancel out Mauro Icardi's opener, leaving the hosts in a strong position to progress from Group K and into the knockout phase.

Arguably Southampton's best chance from open play in a tight first half fell the way of Jay Rodriguez, who could only nod the ball wide of the target when picked out by 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 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 Handanovic from the final act of the eventful first half.

With Claude Puel targeting a victory from this match, the Saints came out for the second period fired up and came close through a couple of James Ward-Prowse strikes - Handanovic again equal to both to keep his side's advantage just about intact.

Despite referee Gil being told to keep a close eye on Inter's defending from corners, Andrea Ranocchia continued to live dangerously by hauling Van Dijk to the ground but the latest contentious decision did not go the Saints' way.

As the hour mark approached Southampton stepped things up another gear, and they were to be rewarded when Van Dijk inevitably made the visitors pay from a corner kick.

The former Celtic man was initially denied by Handanovic, yet from the next set-piece delivery Nathan Redmond teed up Oriol Romeu for a shot that looped off the crossbar, with Van Dijk the quickest to react from just a few yards out.

One soon became two for the Premier League outfit thanks to a rather comical own goal, as Miranda got the slightest of touches on Tadic's left-sided cross which in turn helped the ball on to Nagatomo and past a stranded Handanovic.

With the fallen Italian giants on the ropes the Saints looked to add a quick-fire third, though the Nerazzurri themselves came close to adding the game's fourth goal as Icardi's powerful drive was kept out by a largely untested Forster.

There was to be no late response from managerless Inter, who sacked boss Frank de Boer just a few days before this tie, as they slipped to the latest defeat in what is proving to be another difficult campaign for the club.

For the Saints, meanwhile, who were plying their trade in the third tier of English football five years ago, they are well on course to keep their European campaign alive post-Christmas after this memorable triumph on home soil.