MILAN, Feb 5: Inter Milan’s players joyously celebrated as if they had won the league. They might not have – yet – but coach Simone Inzaghi took a potentially decisive step toward his first Serie A title on Sunday.
An own-goal by Bianconeri defender Federico Gatti in chaotic circumstances was enough to hand league leader Inter a 1-0 win in the Derby d’Italia and lift it four points above second-place Juventus.
The Nerazzurri players jubilantly danced in front of their fans, who sang raucously and set off flares and waved flags. Hakan Çalhanoglu, one of the best players on the field, even took off his shirt in celebration.
Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus will now be nervously looking over its shoulder, with AC Milan only four points behind.
FIGHT FOR FOURTH
Charles De Ketelaere is finally showing the form that saw AC Milan shell out over 30 million euros ($32 million) on the Belgian youngster.
De Ketelaere never fulfilled his promise at Milan and was loaned to Atalanta for this season. He scored two goals on Sunday to help Atalanta beat rival Lazio 3-1 and consolidate fourth spot.
The 22-year-old converted a penalty in the first half and showed his confidence in the second with a delicious feint past his marker before driving a shot into the bottom near corner to put Atalanta 3-0 up.
That took De Ketelaere’s tally to seven in his past nine matches. He did not score at all for Milan last season.
Mario Pasalic scored the opener for a dominant Atalanta side. Lazio was looking to replace Atalanta in fourth but didn’t really get into gear until the final 10 minutes, with Ciro Immobile converting a penalty in the 84th.
It is a tight battle for fourth and Atalanta moved three points above Bologna and four above Roma and Napoli, with Fiorentina and Lazio a point further back.
Napoli kept up the pressure as two late goals saw it fight back to win 2-1 at home to relegation-threatened Hellas Verona, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia netting the winner three minutes from time.
Also, bottom club Salernitana drew 0-0 at Torino.(PTI)
