In Rome, Inter Milan secured their position at the top of Serie A following a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Udinese. The match featured crucial interventions from goalkeeper Yann Sommer, whose timely saves were pivotal in ensuring the win.
Making the most of his opportunity at center forward, Marko Arnautovic opened the scoring early on by converting a precise cross from Federico Dimarco with a deft single touch. Shortly afterward, another quick attack led to Davide Frattesi doubling the lead with a similar goal, granting Inter a comfortable advantage.
Udinese fought back in the second half, with defender Oumar Solet narrowing the gap by netting his first Serie A goal with a remarkable long-range shot. However, Inter’s goalkeeper Sommer remained vigilant, thwarting a threatening attempt from Lorenzo Lucca to maintain his side’s narrow lead.
Sommer’s heroics continued into stoppage time with a crucial save against another effort from Solet, though this action led to furious objections from Inter’s coach, Simone Inzaghi, resulting in his dismissal from the sidelines. As a result of this triumph, Inter Milan extended its lead to six points ahead of Napoli, who were set to play against AC Milan later that day.
In earlier matches, Atalanta, currently third in the standings, suffered a setback with a 1-0 defeat to Fiorentina, wherein Moise Kean scored his 16th goal of the season. As the first half concluded, Kean’s solo effort left Atalanta struggling to catch up. Such back-to-back losses, including the recent 2-0 loss to Inter before the international break, have become a critical blow to Atalanta’s aspirations for the title.
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini reflected on the situation, stating, “In terms of the title race, I would say we’re done. It was an impossible dream that I think had already faded away during the match with Inter.”
Elsewhere, Cagliari claimed a decisive 3-0 victory over Monza, who are languishing at the bottom of the league table. Inter Milan anticipates a challenging fixture in the Champions League quarterfinals, where they will face Bayern Munich.