Lautaro Martinez struck the decisive goal to move Inter Milan six points clear at the summit of Serie A with a narrow 1-0 victory away to Udinese on Saturday, while Napoli answered the mounting pressure by edging Sassuolo by the same scoreline.
Martinez finished clinically in the 20th minute in Udine, prodding home the winner to extend Inter’s unbeaten run in the Italian top flight to nine matches, just days before their crucial Champions League meeting with Arsenal on Tuesday.
Inter dominated proceedings from the opening whistle, pressing Udinese aggressively in line with Cristian Chivu’s tactical demands.
“What we’re displaying on the pitch is a testament to the desire of these players, because it’s not easy to change habits,” Chivu told DAZN.
“We defend high up the pitch and we start with pressure from the forwards and it comes from their work, the desire for our midfielders to win duels and from the courage of our defenders in maintaining a high line.”
Inter have amassed 25 points from a possible 27 since their derby defeat to AC Milan in late November, once again showing a clinical edge against lower-ranked opponents, an area where both Milan and Napoli have faltered this season. Milan, in particular, have dropped numerous points in matches they were expected to control, dating back to their August loss to Jamie Vardy’s Cremonese, still the only side to beat Massimiliano Allegri’s men.
Inter’s challenge has been different, as they have struggled against elite opponents, a vulnerability that will be examined when Premier League leaders Arsenal visit the San Siro. After winning their opening four matches in the Champions League league phase, successive defeats have placed their automatic qualification hopes under threat.
Napoli remain six points behind Inter in third place after Stanislav Lobotka’s rare goal ended a run of three consecutive draws.
In Naples, the Slovakian midfielder fired in a rebound in the seventh minute, ending a club goal drought stretching back to the opening day of Napoli’s title-winning 2022/23 campaign. The strike proved decisive in an otherwise balanced encounter.
The champions are now level on 43 points with second-placed Milan, who welcome Lecce on Sunday, but still trail their city rivals Inter, who have not tasted defeat since the opening day of the season.
Antonio Conte’s Napoli face a demanding trip to Denmark next, where they meet FC Copenhagen in a Champions League clash that could shape their European future, with both sides hovering dangerously close to elimination places. Napoli’s concerns are compounded by injuries, with Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Andre-Frank Anguissa already sidelined, and further doubts emerging after Eljif Elmas, Amir Rrahmani and Matteo Politano picked up knocks.
Conte was visibly frustrated late on when Politano went down clutching his hamstring after a speculative effort, requiring immediate treatment after the final whistle.
“We’ll know more in the coming days. Elmas’ head was spinning a bit due to the flu, apart from that we don’t have any news,” said Conte’s assistant Cristian Stellini.
“The boys were great in spite of the difficulty (with injuries), which we don’t how long will last.”
Juventus sit fourth, 10 points adrift of Inter, but have shown signs of improvement under Luciano Spalletti and head into Saturday’s late fixture at Cagliari as clear favourites.
What you should know
Inter Milan’s victory at Udinese underlined their growing authority in Serie A, combining defensive solidity with efficiency in front of goal.
Lautaro Martinez continues to be decisive as Inter capitalise on rivals’ inconsistency, even as questions linger over their performances against top-tier opposition in Europe. Napoli’s narrow win kept them within touching distance of the top two, but injuries are becoming a serious concern as they juggle domestic and Champions League commitments.
With Milan and Juventus also in the frame, the title race remains tight despite Inter’s current advantage.
