FIORENTINA starting XI (4-2-3-1): Terracciano, Faraoni, Martinez Quarta, Ranieri, Parisi (subbed for Milenkovic), Arthur (subbed for Maxi Lopez), Duncan (subbed for Mandragora), Ikone’ (subbed for Nico Gonzalez), Beltran (subbed for Barak), Bonaventura, Nzola

Bench: Vannucchi, Martinelli, Mina, Milenkovic, Kayode, Comuzzo, Infantino, Amatucci, Sottil

INTER starting XI (3-5-2): Sommer, Pavard (subbed for Bisseck), De Vrij, Bastoni (subbed for Acerbi), Darmian (subbed for Dumfries), Frattesi, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, Carlos Augusto,
Thuram (subbed for Arnautovic), Lautaro Martinez (subbed for Sanchez)

Bench: Audero, Di Gennaro, Buchanan, Klaassen, Sensi, Stankovic, Akinsanmiro, Dimarco

Goals: Martinez 14’

The Argentina World Cup winner scored again on Monday (AEDT) to help Inter to a 1-0 win away to Fiorentina, who had a penalty saved.

Inter moved back to the top of Serie A with a game in hand. 

Simone Inzaghi’s side leapfrogged a point above second-placed Juventus, who were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Empoli on Saturday.

Inter host Juventus next Sunday in a mouthwatering match at San Siro.

It was a league-leading 19th goal for Lautaro in as many matches. He also netted the goal that gave Inter the Italian Super Cup on Monday.

Fiorentina remained two points behind fourth-placed Atalanta.

The home side had the ball in the back of the net in the 11th minute. M’Bala Nzola ran on to a long ball over the top and nutmegged Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer, but it was ruled out for offside.

Instead, Inter took the lead three minutes later as a corner was whipped in from the left for Lautaro’s header at the near post.

Fiorentina almost equalised ten minutes before the break, but Sommer pulled off a magnificent save to fingertip Giacomo Bonaventura’s corner over the bar.

The hosts felt they should have had a penalty from the resulting corner as Luca Ranieri was hauled down by Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni, but a lengthy VAR check ruled that the official on the field was right to wave play on.

Fiorentina did get a penalty in the 75th minute, following another VAR check, after Sommer went to push the ball clear but instead punched Nzola in the face.

Sommer went from villain to hero for Inter when he comfortably saved a weak penalty from Nicolas González.

Remarkably it was the fifth failed spot kick in Serie A at the weekend, out of seven.

AAP

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