Southampton were left to rue their missed chances as Inter Milan sealed a 1-0 win at the San Siro with their only shot on target on Thursday night.
Claude Puel's side suffered their first defeat of the Europa League campaign after conceding a 67th-minute goal from Antonio Candreva.
After recording back-to-back losses, Frank de Boer's men are finally off the mark, but they remain at the bottom of Group K, while the Saints sit second, two points behind leaders Sparta Prague.
Discover how the game unfolded in Sports Mole's text commentary below.
5.00pmHello everyone! Attention turns to the Europa League this evening as the clubs involved play their third round of fixtures. Manchester United are preparing for a reunion with Robin van Persie when they take on Fenerbahce at Old Trafford later on, but right here, we will be bringing you action from the San Siro as Southampton face Inter Milan.
5.04pmWhen the draw was made, most Southampton fans would have marked this fixture in their calendars. It is the first time that the coastal club have faced Serie A opposition in a competitive match. Instantly, the Saints were regarded as underdogs but given Inter's recent form and off-the-pitch issues, perhaps now is the best time to play the Italian club.
5.07pmFrank de Boer's side are having a torrid time in the Europa League given that they lost their first two Group K matches. In fact, they have not tasted victory since their 2-0 win over Empoli in the league on September 21. On top of that, matters off the pitch have taken centre stage due to Mauro Icardi's feud with some of Inter's ultras. More on that later...
5.12pmWhat about Southampton? Well, their campaign in Europe is going positively as they have won one and drawn one. They currently sit second in the group, level on points with leaders Be'er Sheva, while Sparta Prague sit one point adrift in third. Should the Saints win at the San Siro this evening, they will go seven points clear of Inter, who are rooted to the bottom of the group.
5.15pmRight, before we go any further, let's bring you the lineups for both sides.
5.16pmINTER MILAN XI: Handanovic; Nagatomo, Miranda, Murillo, Santon; Medel, Gnoukouri, Brozovic; Candreva, Icardi, Eder
5.17pmSOUTHAMPTON XI: Forster; Martina, Van Dijk, Yoshida, McQueen; Romeu, Hojbjerg; Ward-Prowse, Tadic, Rodriguez; Long
Subs: McCarthy, Clasie, Fonte, Davis, Austin, Boufal, Stephens
Subs: McCarthy, Clasie, Fonte, Davis, Austin, Boufal, Stephens
5.19pmDe Boer has made four changes to the team as Yuto Nagatomo comes into the defence to replace Cristian Ansaldi. In midfield, Assane Gnoukouri comes into the fold alongside Marcelo Brozovic, who has returned to the lineup for the first time since the defeat to Be'er Sheva. Mauro Icardi may not be very well liked by the fans right now, but he keeps a spot in the first XI. Eder comes in for Ivan Perisic.
5.20pmClaude Puel has rung the changes for this evening. He has made six in total, but Sofiane Boufal still has to wait for his first start as he settles for a spot on the bench. The club-record signing has not played for Southampton since his move in the summer due to injury, but he may make an appearance tonight. On the pitch, Maya Yoshida, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, James Ward-Prowse, Jay Rodriguez and Shane Long all get the nod to start, while Sam McQueen has been given his first start for the Saints. Jose Fonte, Jordy Clasie, Steven Davis and Charlie Austin drop out. Cedric Soares, Jeremy Pied, Ryan Bertrand and Matt Targett are all injured, while Nathan Redmond has been rested.
5.25pmLet's discuss Inter's current form, shall we? Well, there's only one place to start - the negativity surrounding their captain Mauro Icardi. The striker has enraged a number of people associated with ultras group Curva Nord. In his recent autobiography, the 23-year-old claimed that he had become an 'idol' in the dressing room for standing up to one of the members.
5.29pmIcardi explained in the book that he criticised one of the ultras after the fan allegedly ripped a shirt that the footballer gave to a young fan following a defeat to Sassuolo in the 2014-15 season. The club captain went on to claim that he would bring criminals from Argentina to kill the ultras, which has sparked anger among many fans.
5.32pmSince the release of his autobiography, Icardi has faced huge criticism from Inter's supporters. So much so, that a banner labelling the striker a mercenary was unfurled and cheers rang around the stadium when he missed a penalty during last weekend's 2-1 defeat to Cagliari. Icardi was forced to apologise and incurred a fine from the club.
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5.35pmDespite the anger surrounding the striker at the moment, his girlfriend Wanda Nara recently insisted that Icardi will not leave the club and will not relinquish the captain's armband.
She told Corriere della Serra: "He will not go away from Inter, will stay 100 per cent. He is - and will stay - the captain, which has not been in doubt.
"He had opportunities to leave last summer but chose to stay because of the relationship he has with the fans and because he is attached to Inter. He does not want to have to start all over again.
"The newspapers spoke of an exaggerated fine, but it is not so. The fine is a small percentage of his gross monthly salary, as the rules say, and Mauro asked for it go to charity."
5.38pmManager Frank de Boer is not best pleased with the feud as he believes that it is negatively affecting the club.
Earlier this week he told reporters: "The situation between Icardi and the Curva definitely had an effect. It is not good for the team, the fans or the club. Everyone needs to make sure similar situations can be avoided in the future, not just Icardi. The staff and all the players need to stay focused on the match in hand - that is very important.
"Mauro needs to take on board what happened and remember his responsibilities as captain. I think he understands that. He needs to set a good example for his teammates."
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5.41pmNot only is there drama off the pitch, the results on it have been disappointing so far this season. De Boer took over from Roberto Mancini in the summer, but it has not been an easy transition as the club sit 11th in the table after picking up 11 points from eight matches. After losing their opening-day clash against Chievo, Inter went on a positive run with two draws and three victories against Pescara, Juventus and Empoli.
5.42pmHowever, October has not been a positive month for the Serie A outfit as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Roma and were beaten 2-1 by Cagliari after taking the lead through Joao Mario in the 56th minute.
5.45pmWith regards to their Europa League form, it has been far from impressive. Inter were one of the favourites in the group when the draw was made but they were immediately put on the backfoot when they lost 2-0 to Be'er Sheva on home turf. De Boer's side had a chance to bounce back from the shock defeat when they faced Sparta Prague away, but after conceding twice in the first 25 minutes, they struggled to seal a comeback and ended up losing 3-1.
5.46pmSTATS! Inter have not tasted victory in a European competition in their last four matches. The last time that they lost four games on the bounce was in the Fairs Cup in 1961. Also, only Zorya Luhansk (21.4 per cent) have a lower shooting accuracy than Inter (26.1 percent) in the group stage this season.
5.48pmLet's turn our attention to Southampton. For a side that are competing in their first ever Europa League group stage, they are doing well. They opened their campaign with a convincing 3-0 win over Sparta Prague. Jay Rodriguez wrapped up the win at St Mary's, but it was Charlie Austin who stole the headlines because at that point he was struggling to get in the first team.
5.49pmIn their next Europa game, Southampton took on Be'er Sheva in Israel. In all honesty, Claude Puel's side struggled to impose their game on the opponents, but they still managed to come away with a point as neither side broke the deadlock.
5.50pmSouthampton are heading to the San Siro in positive form given that they are unbeaten in their last seven games in all competitions. In the Premier League, Puel's men have not suffered defeat in any of their last four games having won three and drawn one. The wins came against Swansea City, West Ham United and Burnley. Reigning league champions Leicester City restricted the Saints to a goalless draw.
5.52pmAustin is one man who is certainly in form at the moment, but he doesn't get a starting spot tonight. Since September, the former QPR striker has scored seven goals in all competitions, four of which came in the last four league games. At the weekend, Austin opened the scoring for the Saints in their clash against Burnley at St Mary's. He also netted a 66th-minute penalty as the team went on to claim a 3-1 victory.
5.54pmDID YOU KNOW? James Ward-Prowse has created more goalscoring opportunities for Southampton than any other player in the team so far in the Europa League. However, the team as a whole do not have the best away record in Europe given that they have failed to score in six of their last seven games on the road.
5.55pmTonight is a big occasion for Southampton as they take on Inter for the first time competitively, but Puel has urged his players to treat it like any other game.
"It's important to stay calm," Puel told reporters. "Perhaps it's a big occasion for Inter to react as they need points but for us it's the same thing. They have good players and a good team to have a good reaction and we approach this game with calm and we prepare this game with all our possibilities. This is most important.
"It's important to stay with good concentration for every game of this Europa League. Of course, to play away at Inter Milan is exciting, but this is for us just a game. It's important to try to take the three points. The result is very important now for qualification."
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5.57pmHEAD TO HEAD: Technically, there isn't a head-to-head record between these two clubs as they have never played one another before! However, Inter have faced 11 English clubs in European competition. There most recent opponents were Tottenham Hotspur, who knocked them out of the last 16 on away goals. The aggregate score was 4-4.
5.59pmWe are minutes away from kickoff now! Inter are in desperate need of a win this evening. Can Southampton cause an upset at the San Siro? We'll find out shortly!
1 minKICKOFF! We're underway at the San Siro! Gediminas Mazeika is the referee for this one.
3 minSouthampton launch the first attack as Long charges down the left-hand side searching for the ball, but the striker gets caught offside.
4 minThe visitors almost encounter some trouble when Icardi latches onto a poor back pass from Martina. The forwards back-heels the ball but it bobbles out of play.
7 minSouthampton try to get some time on the ball by knocking it back and forth in their own half before it's played out wide, but the ball is too heavy and it goes out for a throw-in.
9 minThe ball is played over the top for Rodriguez, who is in acres of space. The Southampton forward cuts into the box but ends up running straight into Miranda, who collects the ball. A wasted opportunity!
10 minThe ball is played out side to Brozovic, who drives towards the corner of the box before swinging the ball into the area, but it's a poor effort as it ends up dropping over the side and bouncing out for a throw-in.
11 minSouthampton get a free kick in a promising area after Romeu draws a foul. Tadic tries to whip it into the area with his left foot, but the ball ends up bouncing off the wall.
12 minTadic finds space close to the corner of the box and he swings the ball into the area, but none of his teammates can latch on and the ball bounces out for a goal kick.
14 minIt's taken a while to get going, but Southampton are beginning to find their feet. Aside from the early mistake from Martina, Inter have not had many opportunities to test Forster.
15 minOh dear, Inter waste a great chance for a counter-attack. The ball gets picked up in Southampton's half and it's swiftly played forward with a low pass, but it's not aimed at anyone. Icardi is not best pleased with his teammates!
17 minSouthampton hoof the ball forward and Murillo sticks a leg out to clear, but it's an awkward clearance as the ball lingers in the air before dropping for the keeper.
19 minHojbjerg nicks the ball off his opponent in midfield and storms down the field before knocking the ball wide to Tadic on the corner of the box. He crosses into the area, but it's headed clear by Inter. The ball is eventually drawn out wide to Martina, who whips a cross in, but the whistle blows after Long shoves his opponent in the back.
21 minMcQueen plays in Long in the box, but the striker gets crowded out and the ball is pushed back. Southampton are doing all the pressing at the moment. They look much more eager than their counterparts. In truth, Inter lack desire.
23 minWard-Prowse whips a great delivery into the box from a free kick. The ball bounces in front of Van Dijk, who fails to attack it. Romeu tries to latch on at the near post, but Santon tracks him well and the Southampton man fails to reach it.
26 minInter get some rare time on the ball as they knock it back and forth around Southampton's half but they struggle to find a way through the visitors. Eventually the Saints win the ball back and Hojbjerg releases a pass to Long, but it's overhit and the keeper comes off his line to collect.
28 minMartina commits a late, lunging tackle on Santon. The home side want a yellow card, but Martina gets away with it. The free kick is taken, but is comfortably cleared by Southampton.
28 minCHANCE! So close for the visitors! McQueen charges down the left and delivers a cross into the box for Rodriguez, who is inches away from getting a touch, but the ball ends up getting cleared off the line by Nagatomo.
29 minCHANCE! Ward-Prowse latches onto the ball from the edge of the penalty area and goes for goal with a first-time shot, but it just grazes the crossbar.
30 minInter defend poorly as Martina is given acres of space to get into the box. He whips the ball across the face of goal and neither Long nor Rodriguez are able to get on the end of it.
31 minAt the other end, Inter get a rare sight at goal as Eder breaks into the box. He slows down before taking a shot, which gives Yoshida time to get across and get a block in.
33 minThe corner is whipped in and Medel gets on the end of it, but his header sends the ball straight into the hands of Forster.
36 minInter are seeing more of the ball now as they try to slow the pace of the game down, but they are yet to cause a real threat in front of goal.
38 minCHANCE! Martina crosses into the danger area to find Long, who headers the ball across the face of goal. Rodriguez storms in to try to connect with a tap-in, but the ball bobbles away from him.
40 minWard-Prowse leads a counter-attack as he sweeps the ball forward for Rodriguez with the outside of his boot, but the move eventually breaks down.
41 minCHANCE! Inter play the ball over the top and it's headed down to Eder's feet. The forward takes a touch and delivers a low strike towards the bottom corner, but the ball goes just wide of the target.
44 minInter are getting more involved as we reach half time, and that's woken the crowd up! Candreva wins a corner and he plays it short, but the move fails to test Forster.
45 minHALF-TIME: INTER MILAN 0-0 SOUTHAMPTON
6.59pmIt's goalless at the break, but Southampton could easily be in front. The visitors created a handful of opportunities in the first 45 minutes, but that clinical touch in the final third was missing. Inter have struggled to create goalscoring chances at the San Siro and their defending has been questionable at times. There seems to be a lack of desire among the team as well. We will have to see if that changes in the second half!
46 minRESTART! We're back underway at the San Siro! Will there be a winner tonight or are we destined for a stalemate? Let's find out!
47 minA tussle between Miranda and Long ends up with the Southampton striker on the floor. He needs treatment and it looks as though he's hurt his hamstring. It doesn't look like he's going to continue. Very disappointing for him!
48 minSOUTHAMPTON SUB: As expected, Austin has come on to replace Long. He's in great goalscoring form, so he can he be the difference?
50 minInter look a lot more determined in this half and they are closing down Southampton whenever their opponents have the ball. They are yet to muster an attack, though.
51 minMcQueen gets the ball down the left and drives towards the byline before whipping a cross into the box, but the keeper comfortably picks the ball out in the air.
51 minA great tackle from Miranda! Rodriguez latches onto a through ball and charges into the box before the Inter defender comes across to stop him in his tracks. Corner given.
52 minDISALLOWED GOAL! Southampton have the ball in the back of the net but it won't count! The corner kick finds Rodriguez, who heads from inside the box and sends the ball into the corner of the net, but the referee penalises him for climbing on Santon's back. In fairness, there wasn't much wrong with what Rodriguez did!
53 minCHANCE! At the other end, Eder plays in Icardi and the forward strikes from inside the box, but he attempt just fizzes wide of the post.
56 minCHANCE! Another wasted opportunity from Southampton as Austin picks the ball up on the edge of the box but his shot drills wide.
58 minTadic tries his luck from distance, but his attempt ends up going straight to the goalkeeper. Inter are looking livelier than in the first half, so Southampton will hope that they aren't left to rue their missed opportunities.
58 minBOOKING! Brozovic is the first man to be yellow carded tonight following a late challenge on Austin.
61 minInter exchange passes on the halfway line before Gnoukouri lofts the ball over the top towards Icardi, but it's overhit and Yoshida clears it.
67 minGOAL! INTER MILAN 1-0 SOUTHAMPTON (CANDREVA)
67 minElation for Inter but despair for Southampton! Against the run of play, the home side go in front thanks to Candreva. A low cross comes into the box and the Saints fail to clear. Candreva latches on and slams the ball into the right top corner.
70 minInter have their tails up after taking the lead and they are suddenly playing with confidence. McQueen gives away a corner, but they managed to deal with the danger.
72 minCHANCE! A lovely turn from Icardi in the box as he breaks away from two defenders, but his shot gets blocked and goes out for a corner, which comes to nothing.
73 minSOUTAMPTON SUB: It's the end of Tadic's evening as club-record signing Boufal makes his debut.
77 minOFF! Inter Milan are down to 10 men! Brozovic gets his second booking of the game. Could this be a lifeline for Southampton?
79 minSOUTHAMPTON SUB: Rodriguez makes way for Davis with just over 10 minutes to play.
82 minCHANCE! What an opportunity for Southampton! A free kick is whipped into the box and Van Dijk breaks free, but his close-range strike goes straight at the keeper.
84 minBOOKING! Medel receives a yellow card for time wasting.
85 minBOOKING! Another card is brandished, but this time for Hojbjerg. The Saints are running out of time to find an equaliser.
88 minCHANCE! Oh my, so close! Van Dijk's header gets cleared off the line and the resulting corner ends up at Austin's feet, but Handanovic saves from close range.
90 minWe have FIVE MINUTES of added time. That will be because of Inter's time wasting!
90+1 minIt's all Southampton now as they try to make having an extra man count. The visitors win a corner and it's played short. The ball eventually drops to Martina, who lofts the ball into the box, but it's cleared.
90+4 minCHANCE! A great volley from Ward-Prowse as he aims at goal, but he is inches wide of the target!
90+5 minFULL-TIME: INTER MILAN 1-0 SOUTHAMPTON
7.59pmMassive disappointment for Southampton as they are forced to accept a 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan, who were the inferior side for large chunks of the match. Antonio Candreva's 67th-minute goal ended up being the difference after the Saints missed a handful of chances in the first half. Claude Puel's side stay second in Group K, but they are now two points behind leaders Sparta Prague, while Inter have their first points of the campaign and remain at the bottom. Thank you for joining us, and until next time, goodbye!
