Inter Milan beat Lazio to go top of Serie A
MILAN – Inter Milan returned to the top of Serie A on Sunday with a composed 2-0 victory over Lazio at San Siro, secured by goals from captain Lautaro Martínez and forward Ange-Yoan Bonny. The result extends Cristian Chivu’s side’s winning streak to three league matches and moves them ahead of Roma on goal difference heading into the international break.
Inter made an early breakthrough in the third minute when Alessandro Bastoni dispossessed Gustav Isaksen on the left flank and found Martínez, who struck powerfully into the far top corner past Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel. It was the Argentine’s 11th league goal of the season, reinforcing his status as the division’s leading scorer.
The Nerazzurri continued to dominate possession and nearly doubled their lead midway through the first half when Nicolò Barella’s cross found Petar Sucic, whose low volley drifted narrowly wide. Lazio struggled to retain the ball under Inter’s aggressive press, while Provedel was kept busy as Chivu’s side pushed for a second.
Inter’s persistence was rewarded just after the hour mark following a sweeping team move. Carlos Augusto released Martínez down the left, and the captain’s cutback to Federico Dimarco led to a precise low cross that Bonny converted at the far post for his first Serie A goal.
A third goal appeared to have arrived when Piotr Zielinski fired home from the edge of the area, but the effort was disallowed after a VAR review identified a handball by Dimarco in the build-up.
Lazio mounted a brief response in the final stages, with Pedro’s curling effort missing narrowly and substitute Oliver Provstgaard’s header striking the underside of the bar before Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer gathered the rebound on the line. Sommer later denied Luca Pellegrini to preserve the clean sheet.
The victory underlines Inter’s strong start to the campaign under Chivu, whose team remains unbeaten at home this season. With their defensive solidity and attacking fluidity, the Nerazzurri appear well positioned to sustain their title challenge when Serie A resumes after the break.