Italian media have suggested that referee Massimiliano Irrati got the key decisions right in yesterday’s fractious Serie A clash between Inter and Lazio.
The referee’s decisions to award each team a penalty were both correct ones according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, while he is also deemed to have acted correctly for the Biancocelesti’s second goal.
Inter were awarded a penalty early on in the first half after a sloppy challenge by Elseid Hysaj brought Nerazzurri midfielder Nicolo Barella down in the area, while the Biancocelesti were able to equalize in the second half through a spot kick awarded after Alessandro Bastoni handled a header by Patric.
For the Gazzetta, these were both indeed penalties, though they note that the yellow card given to Bastoni had been harsh.
Meanwhile, Irrati is deemed to have acted correctly by allowing play to continue as the Biancocelesti countered to score their second goal of the match despite Federico Dimarco being on the ground, as the referee’s duty is only to stop play should a player sustain a head injury or otherwise serious problem, which was not the case with Dimarco.
Lastly, the Gazzetta states that Irrati was correct to issue a red card to Lazio defender Luiz Felipe after the match as his jumping on the back of Inter forward Joaquin Correa had been unsportsmanlike.