Stevan Jovetic Scores Winner to Give Inter Milan Win over Lyon at 2017 ICC

Stevan Jovetic scored as Inter Milan edged out Lyon 1-0 in the International Champions Cup on Monday, when they clashed at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center, China. 

Jovetic's 74th-minute strike proved the difference between the two teams in a fairly lacklustre affair in which both produced some wasteful play in the final third.

Neither team managed to find a way through in the first half as they laboured. The pair were perhaps not helped by the state of the pitch, which Eurosport's Siavoush Fallahi described:

Nabil Fekir fired off target for the Ligue 1 outfit, while Bertrand Traore came close with a venomous 30-yard effort following a promising run from Memphis Depay.

Traore also scuffed an effort into Samir Handanovic's hands late on in the half after Sergi Darder failed to take advantage of a poor clearance from the 'keeper, but Handanovic made amends with some excellent reactions to close down a through ball from Darder to Mariano Diaz.

At the other end, Marcelo made a perfectly timed tackle to deny Eder as he dribbled his way into the box, while Anthony Lopes had to be equal to Roberto Gagliardini's powerful strike from 25 yards, but all too often Inter's attacks broke down because of poor deliveries into the box.

Lyon almost broke the deadlock two minutes after the restart when Ferland Mendy finished a neat move by lashing into the side netting, but it was Inter who came out much the stronger in the second half after a wave of substitutions.

Geoffrey Kondogbia came close with an acrobatic scissor kick after being picked out by Ivan Perisic, while Jovetic had a low strike well saved by Mathieu Gorgelin. Gorgelin came to the rescue again to deny Gabriel Barbosa after he latched onto a pass by Jovetic and rounded Marcelo, while Inter's Daniele Padelli stopped Depay when he unleashed a powerful shot from distance.

The Nerazzurri took the lead when Joao Mario charged forward and escaped the attentions of Mouctar Diakhaby before offloading to Jovetic to apply the finish. Goal's Ben Cullimore gave his take:

Andrea Ranocchia almost doubled their lead from a corner when he flashed a thumping header just over.

Lyon were unable to punish them, though, as they struggled to create anything going forward in the closing stages.