Matteo Politano and Roberto Gagliardini gave an undermanned Inter a 2-0 home win over SPAL as they closed back to within a point of AC Milan.

The Nerazzurri had a goal disallowed and lost two players to injury before winger Politano and midfielder Gagliardini struck in the space of 10 second-half minutes to lift the mood at San Siro.

Their quickfire goals ended a three-match winless streak in all competitions and reduced the gap to the third-placed Rossoneri ahead of next weekend's derby.

Inter must first visit Eintracht Frankfurt in the second leg of an evenly poised Europa League last-16 tie and could do so without Marcelo Brozovic and Miranda after the pair sustained injuries.

The hosts were already without Radja Nainggolan and Ivan Perisic and, during a frustrating first half, Luciano Spalletti must have wished Mauro Icardi was not still exiled over a contract dispute.

Lautaro Martinez threatened regularly and looked to have broken the deadlock when he skilfully fired home just after the half-hour, but a VAR review found the forward to have handled the ball in controlling Kwadwo Asamoah's pass.

Inter's irritation grew as Brozovic limped off with a thigh problem, while Miranda made way at half-time due to a suspected fractured nose.

Relief eventually arrived in the form of Politano's clever 67th-minute strike, the 25-year-old swivelling onto Martinez's deflected pass and picking out the bottom-right corner.

And, after suspicions of offside on that goal were dismissed, Inter were able to celebrate a first Serie A victory since February 17 as Gagliardini cushioned Cedric Soares' wayward shot and rifled in the 77th-minute sealer.