MILAN:
Inter Milan stayed on the Serie A summit on Sunday after beating Atalanta 1-0 to take care of their slender lead over native rivals AC Milan.
Lautaro Martinez netted the one objective of the sport in Bergamo for Inter who lead Milan, 3-0 winners in opposition to Verona due to Christoper Nkunku’s first Serie A objectives, by a single level on the high of the division.
The Argentina striker has scored in 4 consecutive league matches to finish what has been a difficult 2025 in optimistic type.
“I ended final season in loads of ache… I stored going throughout the Membership World Cup and worldwide responsibility and I had a really quick summer time break,” stated Martinez who scored 15 Serie A objectives over the calendar 12 months.
Martinez’s league-leading ninth objective of the marketing campaign determined an interesting match which might have gone both approach, with each groups having possibilities to interrupt the impasse earlier than Martinez pounced.
Marcus Thuram and Charles De Ketelaere had objectives dominated out for offside for either side whereas Nicolo Barella wasted an excellent probability to attain for Inter simply after Luis Henrique was denied by Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi.
However as soon as Martinez rifled residence along with his left, after Berat Djimsiti sloppily gave away possession simply outdoors his personal penalty space, Atalanta had an uphill process to cease a second residence defeat of the season.
It was an encouraging efficiency from Atalanta who’ve been a distinct group since Raffaele Palladino changed Ivan Juric final month however sit tenth, fifth factors away from the European positions.
Atalanta would have come away with a degree had Lazar Samardzic not fallen over his personal ft when introduced with a wonderful alternative to stage by De Ketelaere with three minutes remaining.
Nkunku breaks duck
Earlier on the San Siro, Nkunku doubled Milan’s lead two minutes after half-time with a penalty he had earned, ending a league drought stretching again to February when he was taking part in for Chelsea in England.
5 minutes later he tapped residence the third to make sure the hosts continued their unbeaten league run to fifteen matches.
The 28-year-old’s solely earlier objective for Milan since signing from Chelsea for an preliminary 37 million euros ($43.6 million) in August got here in opposition to Lecce within the Italian Cup in September.
Milan had been despatched on their strategy to a complete victory on the stroke of half-time by Christian Pulisic who continued his sensational type by scoring his eighth objective in 11 Serie A appearances.
Pulisic, who has misplaced round a month of this marketing campaign to damage, has performed an element in 50 objectives in Serie A since arriving at Milan in 2023.
Verona, who had received their final two matches in opposition to Atalanta and Fiorentina, keep within the relegation zone, two factors behind Genoa who sit simply outdoors the underside three and face Roma on Monday.
Hojlund on a roll
Hojlund took his all-competitions objective tally for Napoli to 9 because the champions cruised to a 2-0 win at Cremonese and stayed two factors behind Inter in third.
Contemporary from successful the Italian Tremendous Cup in Saudi Arabia, Napoli had been the higher group from the primary whistle and had been deservedly forward within the thirteenth minute when Hojlund pounced on a deflection to internet from shut vary.
And Hojlund was once more in the suitable place on the proper time seconds earlier than the break when Alessio Zerbin might solely divert Matteo Politano’s cross straight to the Denmark striker, who calmly poked residence.
Hojlund has scored six instances in 12 Serie A appearances, two greater than he managed in a complete Premier League marketing campaign with Manchester United final season.
“I am getting higher each season,” stated Hojlund, who performed in Italy for Atalanta earlier than United.
Clearly once I was at Atalanta I used to be a bit youthful and I’ve bought a bit extra expertise now. I’ve performed within the Premier League and within the Champions League and I am taking part in with excellent gamers now.”
Bologna are seventh and with out a win in 4 league matches after being held to a 1-1 draw by Sassuolo.
