Inter Milan 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur: 5 Talking Points, Champions League 2018-19

#2 Inter can celebrate, but still plenty of room for improvement

Inter Milan were far from perfect

For a good 85 minutes, the Nerazzurri didn't look like getting anything from the match. Defeat looked so imminent that the even fans were left gobsmacked after witnessing the late drama. And it all started with one crackling pile-driver from Icardi as the hosts suddenly imbued more confidence and urgency in the final 10 minutes than they did in the entirety of the game before that.

There were a few near-misses in the second stanza when Inter pressed high, so it isn't that the win was undeserved. But they left it too late. Also, Inter's game for the better part of the match lacked proper shape or structure. The passing was abysmal while the midfield lacked the muscle despite boasting talents like Nainggolan, Brozovic and Vecino. Icardi was rendered a mere spectator until the final few minutes of the game due to lack of proper service.

And the defence, well, that was shaky too. As we've seen from their performances in the Serie A so far, there's plenty of holes to be plugged despite the arrival of Stefan De Vrij. Thanks to Tottenham's own lack of cutting edge, it didn't come to bite. Well, almost. But if Inter were to progress from this admittedly daunting group, such performances are going to get them nowhere. Or maybe just the Europe League, but definitely not the knockout rounds.