Inter experience tells against Qarabağ

• Danilo D'Ambrosio opens the scoring with sweet 18th-minute strike
• Mauro Icardi makes certain with an angled shot late on
• Qarabağ show plenty of spirit but create few chances
• Next games: Inter v St-Étienne, Dnipro v Qarabağ (23 October)

Danilo D'Ambrosio and Mauro Icardi scored for FC Internazionale Milano as Qarabağ FK's willing performance earned them scant reward in UEFA Europa League Group F.

Qarabağ arrived as rank outsiders, but seemed determined to enjoy their adventure at San Siro, giving Inter a few anxious moments as they made a lively start. However, they were stung by a moment of class on 18 minutes, D'Ambrosio swirling the ball into the net from just outside the box, the Azerbaijani side having failed to effectively mop up after an Inter move broke down.

But for the alertness of Ibrahim Šehić would have been 2-0 up inside 30 minutes, the goalkeeper diving to keep out Hernanes's header, though he had reason to be thankful when Fredy Guarín was unable to secure maximum profit after the Bosnian spilled an easy ball. Qarabağ's thunder did not desert them entirely, Reynaldo screwing a shot just wide after a lightning-fast break with half-time approaching.

Šehić saved on 57 minutes as Mauro Icardi took a defensive slip as a cue to try his luck from distance, and the Argentinian might have done better on 83 minutes, when he snatched at a chance and missed the target with only the goalkeeper to beat. All was forgiven, however, as he beat Šehić with low shot from out on the right after being fed by Pablo Osvaldo.