Milan
(AP)
— Inter Milan narrowed the gap at the top of Serie A to a solitary point as they navigated past Venezia on the same day that leaders Napoli lost against Atalanta ahead of their highly-anticipated encounter next weekend. The reigning champions capitalized on the misfortune of Gli Azzurri to tighten their grip on their coat-tails, with a mouth-watering encounter looming large.
The outcome of the match against Venezia resonated with widespread anticipation as the reigning champions reduced the gap separating them from the top of the Italian top-flight standings. Every point in the world of Inter Milan will count as they chase their fifth Scudetto in nine seasons, with Simone Inzaghi's charges having seized the opportunity presented to them in an assertive manner.
At the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, the Nerazzurri kicked off the resumption of their campaign for a scintillating Serie A win on the back of two dispiriting losses when their season resumed in 2022. While Inter started more cautiously than the fans would have desired, the breakthrough finally arrived just after half-time when Lautaro Martinez orchestrated chaos in the opposition's penalty box, culminating in Hakan Calhanoglu heading home from close range.
That would not be all in an impressive display of intent by Inter as Edin Džeko, the talismanic captain of Inter Milan, buried the hopes of the team they were facing with lethal precision to put Inter firmly in the driving seat. It required only 30 minutes after the restart for Inter to create a strong hold on proceedings and ultimately emerge victorious.
In the day's other top-billed match, Atalanta snatched an eye-catching away triumph against previous pacesetters Napoli to augment Inter's result. Luigi Sepe endured a day to forget as he allowed two soft goals in the defeat for Gli Azzurri. As has often been the case in the world of Italian football, top-drawer talent only occasionally holds sway in shaping the fate of a match; instead, luck, permutations of chance, coupled with a zealous fan base undoubtedly go a long way in shifting the balance.
Now all focus turns to next weekend when Simone Inzaghi's Inter will host current table-toppers Napoli at the San Siro. Following a few tumultuous months during which the Azzurri seemed insurmountable, such have been the rigors and tribulations the new challengers have been put through that several could point to a far more feasible outcome being on the cards.