Simone Inzaghi has moved closer to securing his first Serie A title after a crucial victory on Sunday. Despite not officially winning the league yet, the players of Inter Milan celebrated with great enthusiasm. Inzaghi’s team took a significant step towards the title with a 1-0 win over Juventus in the Derby d’Italia, thanks to an own-goal by Bianconeri defender Federico Gatti in a chaotic situation. This victory has propelled Inter four points ahead of second-place Juventus.
Inter Milan’s players celebrated with great enthusiasm, as if they had emerged victorious in the league. Although they may not have officially won it yet, coach Simone Inzaghi made a significant stride towards securing his first Serie A title on Sunday. In a match filled with chaos, an own-goal by Bianconeri defender Federico Gatti proved to be the decisive factor, granting Inter a 1-0 triumph in the Derby d’Italia and extending their lead over second-place Juventus to four points.
Both teams were keen to emphasize that the outcome at San Siro would not determine anything, as there are still 15 rounds left. However, it is worth noting that Inter also has an additional match to play at home against Atalanta on Feb. 28.
The Inter Milan players joyfully danced in front of their enthusiastic supporters, who chanted loudly and ignited flares while waving flags. Hakan Çalhanoğlu, one of the standout performers on the pitch, even removed his shirt in celebration.
“I was pleased with the team’s performance tonight, they were truly exceptional. We displayed great technical skills and maintained our focus throughout,” stated Inzaghi.
“This is a significant step forward, although not definitive, as I mentioned prior to the match. However, it is undeniably a fantastic evening, especially with the unwavering support of our home crowd from the moment we arrived at the stadium.”
Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus will now be anxiously monitoring their position as AC Milan trails behind by only four points.
Allegri acknowledged the challenging nature of the match against Inter, a team deserving of their first place in the league. He emphasized the significance of this match in Juventus’ growth trajectory.
While there is room for improvement, Allegri acknowledged the difficulties faced by the team in the past week. He emphasized the need for calm and focused work to regain their winning form.
Inter displayed a stronger start on Sunday and had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 25th minute. Çalhanoğlu delivered a splendid crossfield pass to Federico Dimarco, who then crossed the ball to Marcus Thuram. Thuram seemed to be in a clear goal-scoring position, but Bremer executed a perfectly timed, last-ditch tackle to deny him.
Juventus came close to scoring at the opposite end shortly after, when Weston McKennie made a strong run downfield and passed to an unmarked Dušan Vlahović. However, Vlahović’s first touch was poor, allowing Benjamin Pavard to block the shot for a corner.
Eight minutes before halftime, Inter took the lead. Nicolò Barella delivered a cross from the right, but Pavard missed the ball with an overhead kick. The ball then reached Thuram, who attempted a diving header, but it ended up bouncing off Gatti’s chest and into the net.
In the second half, Inter started just as they did in the first, with Dimarco narrowly missing the target with a powerful shot, and Çalhanoğlu hitting the right upright.
Charles De Ketelaere is finally displaying the talent that prompted AC Milan to invest over 30 million euros ($32 million) in the young Belgian player.
De Ketelaere failed to live up to expectations at Milan and was subsequently loaned to Atalanta for the current season. On Sunday, he scored two goals to contribute to Atalanta’s 3-1 victory over rival Lazio, solidifying their position in fourth place.
In the first half, the 22-year-old successfully converted a penalty, and in the second half, he showcased his confidence by skillfully evading his opponent before unleashing a powerful shot into the bottom corner of the net, extending Atalanta’s lead to 3-0.
With these goals, De Ketelaere has now scored a total of seven goals in his last nine matches. It is worth noting that he failed to score at all during his time at Milan last season.
Additionally, Mario Pašalić scored the opening goal for Atalanta, further highlighting their dominance in the match. Although Lazio attempted to overtake Atalanta in fourth place, they only managed to find their rhythm in the final 10 minutes, with Ciro Immobile converting a penalty in the 84th minute.
Juventus also had opportunities to equalize in the back-and-forth second half, with Vlahović’s overhead kick narrowly going over the crossbar.
The race for fourth place is intensifying, with Atalanta now sitting three points ahead of Bologna and four points ahead of both Roma and Napoli. Fiorentina and Lazio are just one point behind. Napoli, however, managed to maintain the pressure by staging a comeback and securing a 2-1 victory against relegation-threatened Hellas Verona. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored the winning goal in the dying minutes of the match. Verona initially took the lead through Diego Coppola’s header in the 72nd minute, but their advantage was short-lived. Cyril Ngonge, a former Verona player who recently departed the club, had his shot deflected into the net, resulting in an own-goal credited to Verona defender Paweł Dawidowicz. It is worth noting that Ngonge refrained from celebrating the goal.
Furthermore, Salernitana, the team currently at the bottom of the league, managed to secure a goalless draw against Torino.