Serie A: Martinez Fires Inter Top of Serie A as Milan Fall at Torino
Lautaro Martinez propelled Inter Milan to the top of Serie A with a crucial 1-0 victory over Genoa on Saturday, intensifying the title race as they prepare for a showdown against Napoli next weekend.
The Argentine striker found the net with a deflected header from a corner in the 78th minute, sealing a hard-fought win for the champions at the San Siro. With this victory, Inter moves one point ahead of Napoli, who face Como in Sunday’s early kick-off. The stage is set for a monumental clash in Naples as both teams vie for the Scudetto, with Atalanta lurking six points behind in third place.
The match was tightly contested, and Genoa, revitalized under the management of Patrick Vieira, felt they deserved at least a point from the encounter. They currently sit comfortably in 13th place, nine points clear of the relegation zone. Inter struggled to break down the Genoa defense until Martinez’s decisive moment, which marked his 10th league goal of the season.
Before Martinez’s winner, Inter came close to scoring in the 70th minute when Nicolo Barella’s powerful shot rattled the crossbar. Moments later, Inter’s reserve goalkeeper Josep Martinez, filling in for the injured Yann Sommer, made a remarkable save to deny Caleb Ekuban from close range, preserving the clean sheet.
Across town, AC Milan continued to face difficulties, suffering a 2-1 defeat against Torino. The seven-time European champions are now seventh in the league, six points adrift of Lazio and the Champions League spots. Milan’s misery began early when Malick Thiaw inadvertently scored an own goal in the fifth minute, deflecting a clearance from goalkeeper Mike Maignan into his own net.
Milan managed to equalize just before the end of the first half when Tijjani Reijnders scored his 12th goal of the season. However, their hopes were dashed when Christian Pulisic missed a penalty, marking the first time in his career he failed to convert from the spot. Torino’s goalkeeper, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, made a brilliant save to deny Pulisic, who had been gifted the chance after a handball by Marcus Pedersen.
As Milan pushed for a winner, Antonio Sanabria took advantage of a quick free-kick to assist Gvidas Gineitis, who netted the decisive goal in the 76th minute. This loss comes on the heels of Milan’s disappointing exit from the Champions League at the hands of Feyenoord earlier in the week.
Despite their struggles, Milan has a chance to stay in contention for the top four with a game in hand against Bologna, who recently lost 2-0 to Cristian Chivu’s Parma. As the Serie A season intensifies, both Inter and Milan will be looking to turn their fortunes around in the weeks to come.
