Gonzalo Higuain pounced in stoppage time to give holders Napoli a 1-0 win over Inter Milan in their Coppa Italia quarterfinal on Wednesday, adding to the misery for Roberto Mancini’s team.
.
Mancini’s Inter have dropped to 13th in Serie A after losing their last two games and had been hoping that the Cup would bring a change of fortune.
.
But, with only seconds remaining, a quickly taken throw-in caught Inter defender Andrea Ranocchia off his guard and Higuain got away to side-foot the ball past fellow Argentine Juan Pablo Carrizo into the far corner.
.
The finish left Mancini, who returned for a second stint at the club in November, completely exasperated.
.
“We just keep giving away goals, all the time,” he told reporters.
.
“We played well, but then we did something silly, we are too weak. To concede goals like that one is absurd, it’s shocking.
.
“It was over, there were 30 seconds left,” he added. “It was a fine performance until then, but you have to score goals and not concede them.
.
“I can’t remember the last time I lost three matches in a row, it was probably 10 years ago.”
.
However, Mancini did not single out Ranocchia for criticism. “Higuain is a player who is too experienced, too cunning,” he said.
.
Higuain missed two early chances for Napoli before Inter forward Mauro Icardi struck the bar in a lively opening.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate