Inter beat Real Betis 1:0 in a club friendly on Friday in August. The match ended with a single goal in the second half and a score that failed to reflect the hosts' dominance. Inter controlled the flow but let the tie slip for long stretches before finishing it off.
The first half produced nothing at the other end, and the game changed after the break. Inter came out with fresh legs and a new shape. Antony, Valles, Bovio, Carlos Augusto and Fornals all arrived from the bench on the hour mark, along with Calhanoglu. The visitors made their own changes at the same time.
It was not until the eighty-second minute that the deadlock broke. Stones scored from a set-piece situation and the goal stood. It was Inter's only shot on target that counted, while Betis offered little in return. The visitors had two shots on target all night and created no big chances.
The statistics told the story without needing commentary. Inter had 54 per cent possession and 107 attacks compared to 89 for the visitors. They registered four shots on target against two, and their expected goals figure of 1.44 dwarfed Betis's 0.14. Inter created two big chances while the visitors managed none.
There were two yellow cards in the match, both for Betis players. Esposito went off early in the second half after 65 minutes, and Natan collected two bookings in the closing stages. The visitors had more fouls and more throw-ins, but Inter's control was never in doubt.
Inter have now won their last friendly and ended a run of draws. They beat Juventus 2:1 last weekend and drew with Milan and Manchester City before that. Betis came into the game unbeaten in four but let the tie slip after a strong showing earlier in their tour.