Inter Milan press on with Scudetto push after Champions League setback
Inter Milan recovered swiftly from their Champions League exit thanks to a 2-0 triumph against Genoa on Saturday, maintaining their strong pursuit of the Serie A crown.
A superb volley by Federico Dimarco shortly past the half-hour and a penalty converted by Hakan Calhanoglu in the second period sufficed for Inter to widen their commanding lead atop the standings over AC Milan to 13 points.
Milan enter their away game at Cremonese on Sunday as clear favourites, with the city rivals due to clash next weekend in what seems unlikely to sway the Scudetto's final destination.
Inter supporters unleashed a barrage of anti-Milan songs ahead of the upcoming derby, as the team has surrendered merely two points across 15 Serie A outings and stands out clearly from the competition in Italy's premier division this term.
This league supremacy stands in sharp opposition to the embarrassing fashion of their Champions League ousting at the hands of Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday evening.
The 5-2 aggregate loss to the Norwegian underdogs raised questions not only about Cristian Chivu's squad's capabilities but also about the state of Italian football broadly.
Dimarco's opening goal showcased real class though, with the Italian defender elegantly directing a first-time shot from an awkward position after a swift exchange with Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
The match remained uneventful overall until Alex Amorim inadvertently blocked a delivery from Luis Henrique, who had seen his effort diverted onto the upright only seconds earlier.
Calhanoglu coolly dispatched the resulting penalty upon his comeback from persistent muscular troubles that have troubled him since the lead-up to Christmas, thus confirming Inter's victory.
Big Rom returns to form
Romelu Lukaku helped Napoli stay in the hunt for Champions League qualification via a dramatic late strike that delivered the defending champions a 2-1 success against bottom-of-the-table Verona, marking his inaugural goal this campaign.
The Belgian striker bundled in Giovane's delivery to clinch the points for Napoli in third position with the final touch at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.
Napoli appeared set to squander the advantage in that northern Italian venue after Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro cancelled out Rasmus Hojlund's initial strike in the 65th minute.
Yet Lukaku, who debuted this season in late January, delivered a vital boost to Napoli amid challenges from both Como and Atalanta for a top-four berth.
"I felt like a finished player prior to joining here," Lukaku remarked to DAZN.
"This year has posed challenges, but we must set our sights high."
Napoli's bid to retain the title lies in ruins, sitting 14 points adrift of Inter following a campaign plagued by injuries.
Saturday's lineup for Napoli lacked crucial midfield options like Scott McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne, and Andre-Frank Anguissa, plus skipper Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
Verona, managed by caretaker Paolo Sammarco after parting ways with Paolo Zanetti earlier this month, sit 10 points shy of survival following a dozen consecutive winless outings.
Como, slated to host Inter in the Italian Cup semi-final first leg come Tuesday, eased to a 3-1 success over beleaguered Lecce, bolstering their quest for an inaugural European berth.
Cesc Fabregas's side trail Roma by two points in fourth, who entertain Juventus on Sunday, and lag Napoli by five.
Como hold a two-point edge on sixth-placed Juventus, who travel to face Roma aiming to keep pace in the Champions League race after a midweek elimination from Europe's top club event against Galatasaray.