Inter Milan vs. Chievo Verona: Ranieri Exhales as Nerazzurri Triumph Late

Michael Bradley was probably thinking himself some kind of giant slayer going into Chievo Verona's match with Inter Milan. His U.S. side had beaten Italy in Genoa and just a few days later he'd led tiny Chievo to a draw with Juventus

Unfortunately for Bradley, his third tangle with an Italian Goliath was one too many.

Inter's Early Chances

Despite their recent struggles, Claudio Ranieri's side started well. They created chances out of the early confusion in Chievo's back four, but the Verona players had started to find their footing when the worst happened.

As a ball dropped into the left side of the box, Chievo defender Francesco Acerbi leaped to deny an Inter attacker. The ball dropped next to him and bounced up directly into his upraised arm.

Whistle. Penalty.

Just 14 minutes into the game, Diego Milito placed the ball at the spot and prepared to put Inter ahead. Perhaps no one told him just how hot Chievo keeper Stefano Sorrentino had been lately.

Milito drove his penalty shot waist high, just to the left of Sorrentino. The keeper guessed the right way and was able to adjust his leap to keep the ball out.

It was a big battle for Chievo to win, but the war was a long way from finished.

Just a few minutes later, Wesley Sneijder emphasized that point as the ball fell to him at the left corner of Chievo's penalty box. Sneijder cut back onto his right foot and unleashed a curling ball that beat Sorrentino, only to ping off the crossbar and out.

Maicon Gets Comfortable in Chievo's Half

As the half wore on, Chievo were pushed further and further into their own half. Inter's Brazilian right-back Douglas Maicon essentially abandoned defense after the first 30 minutes and set himself up deep inside the Chievo half.

With Maicon incessantly combining down the right side, Inter's attacking play continually tested the back four as well as the array of defensive midfielders employed by Chievo.

Faced with waves of Inter attackers, Chievo's central defensive pairing of Acerbi and Marco Andreolli were extremely solid during the first half and managed to fight off crossed balls and throw themselves in front of several menacing shot attempts.

The visiting side chased, harassed and otherwise pressured Inter at every turn, but they were unable to turn their ball-winning into consistently effective counterattacks.

There were moments of hope, such as in the 42nd minute, when a counter ended with forward Sergio Pellissier magically turning Lucio inside the Inter penalty area.

Pellissier looked to get his shot off in the empty space between him and goal, but a lunging Lucio did just enough to disrupt the attempt and see off the danger. Chievo gave a shout for the penalty, but the referee wasn't interested.

Other than the occasional counter, the half belonged more and more to Inter as it wore on. However, despite increasing their pressure throughout the first 45 minutes, the Milan side had only managed to put four shots on goal when the teams headed to the locker rooms.

Chievo Hunkers Down

The second half began with a five-minute spell where Chievo managed some breathing space on the ball. But Inter quickly stepped up the pressure and the game's regular service was resumed.

Chievo again dropped in deep and sought to defend. The difference between first and second half was the complete evaporation of their counterattacking effort.

Without any danger to push Inter's personnel backward and give their own defenders a chance to breath, the numbers for Chievo in their own half got worse and worse.

Maicon bombed down the right. Dejan Stankovic pushed forward from his defensive midfield position. Even center-backs Lucio and Walter Samuel began to find their way into attacking areas.

But through all the pressure, Chievo continued to hold out.

The Dam Finally Breaks

As the match wore on, Sneijder's sporadic involvement as Inter's playmaker became more and more evident. On the rare occasions when the ball found the little Dutchman's feet, dangerous opportunities inevitably popped up.

But Inter spent the majority of the match starving Sneijder of the ball, choosing instead to attack almost exclusively down the right side through the marauding runs of Maicon. It was a single-minded approach that came within five minutes of going unrewarded.

For 86 minutes, Chievo were impenetrable. They could be forgiven for starting to think the point was theirs.

But then Inter's Samuel lost his defender at a corner kick. The unmarked big center-back drifted toward the back post and headed home, puncturing Chievo's swelling hopes.

The boys in yellow barely had time to lick their wounds before Inter charged down the right side again in the 90th minute.

Maicon played Javier Zanetti deep down the right side. Zanetti got his hips turned around the ball and played a pinpoint cross that found Milito outracing Chievo's shell-shocked defenders. Milito smashed the header into goal to guarantee the win and lift pressure from his embattled head coach.

The three points pull Inter back within striking distance of Serie A's European qualification spots. Meanwhile, a heartbroken Chievo sits at 10th in the table.