Inter labours to late win to open gap at the top
Inter Milan was far from its best but a late 1-0 win over relegation-battling Lecce at San Siro was enough to give it a healthy lead at the top of the Serie A standings after Napoli dropped points earlier in the day.
Inter has moved to 46 points, six ahead of both AC Milan, which plays away to Como on Friday (AEDT), and Napoli.
The home side were boosted by defending champion Napoli's 0-0 draw with Parma, but for a long time it looked like Inter would fail to take advantage.
Inter laboured against a stubborn Lecce side before substitute Francesco Pio Esposito scored from a rebound with 12 minutes remaining for what could end up being a major turning point in this season's title race.
Ange-Yoan Bonny, in for the rested Lautaro Martinez, created an early chance for himself, dancing his way past three Lecce players in the area but his shot was parried away by Wladimiro Falcone at full-stretch.
From an almost identical situation, Bonny, surrounded by the Lecce defenders, was awarded a penalty by the referee but a video assistant referee (VAR) check ruled that Danilo Veiga had played the ball.
Inter huffed and puffed for the rest of the opening half, desperation pushing Henrikh Mkhitaryan to take a chance from distance, smashing his strike well over the bar and into the stands.
Falcone punched away a Nicolo Barella header from close-range shortly after the break and easily gathered a shot from Andy Diouf as the hosts continued to struggle to open up a dogged Lecce defence.
The loudest applause of the night came when Martinez was launched from the bench with less than 20 minutes remaining and the replacement played a large part in Inter finally finding a way through.
Martinez had a volleyed effort parried away by Falcone and Esposito was quickest to react and slammed home the rebound to the relief of the home crowd.
"A great team victory, even the players who don't play as much are always ready to help the team," Inter midfielder Carlos Augusto said after the match.
"The first half was complicated, but that was our own fault as we were too slow with the ball. We weren't quite ourselves but you can't score five goals in every game."
Top of the table at the midway stage of the Serie A season, the Nerazzurri are officially the league's winter champions, but coach Cristian Chivu was quick to dismiss the importance of that feat.
"I have won this semi-title of winter champion before in my career, but it counts for nothing, what matters is being there in May," he said.
"What this means is that we're competitive, but as I said the other day, it'll be a battle to the end for every single point.
"I expected it to be difficult, because when you use up as much energy as we did in the game with Napoli on Sunday [Monday AEDT] and didn't get the full result, that weighs on you.
"Despite the difficulties finding a way through and the right sharpness to make certain choices, this team had the right attitude, it believed to the end and had the heart to carry home the victory."
Chivu also paid tribute to match-winner Esposito, a player he previously coached in the Nerazzurri's youth ranks, after the coach sprinted down the touchline following the game's decisive goal to embrace the 20-year-old.
"I remember this little seven-year-old kid. We practically grew up together," Chivu continued.
"I know him inside out, his family, his ambition, his work from the youth academy.
"He was my captain in the Inter Primavera squad, and I am happy for him, just as I am happy for the whole team, because this was a really complicated game."
Lecce remains 17th in the standings on 17 points, three points above the relegation zone.
