Staff Reporter.
Champions Inter Milan moved to the top of the Serie A standings after they earned a 3-1 victory over AS Roma on Saturday.
With rivals AC Milan not in action until Sunday against Lazio, Inter took full advantage to move to the Serie A summit after beating a Roma side who had gone 12 games unbeaten in the Italian top flight before their trip to the San Siro.
Flying full-back Denzel Dumfries fired his side into the lead on the half-hour mark, before a fine solo effort from Marcelo Brozovic double the dominant hosts’ advantage five minutes before the break.
Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez headed home from a corner in the 52nd minute to make it three for Inter.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan fired home in the 85th minute but it was too little too late for the visitors. Inter’s fourth successive league win moved them on to 72 points from 33 matches, one ahead of Milan. Roma stay fifth on 58 points.
Meanwhile Atalanta ended a run of three consecutive losses in Serie A by beating Venezia 3-1 on Saturday as Colombia striker Duvan Zapata scored his first goal in four months.
Mario Pasalic broke the deadlock for Atalanta just before halftime in Venice and Zapata doubled the lead moments after the interval after being set up by compatriot Luis Muriel.
Zapata had not scored in the league since late November and missed the first three months of the year because of injury, coinciding with Atalanta’s downward spiral out of the top four.
“I was waiting for this goal since my return, but especially this win which we needed,” Zapata told DAZN after notching his 10th Serie A goal this term.
Muriel headed in a third for Atalanta shortly past the hour before Domen Crnigoj grabbed a consolation for Venezia, who dropped to the foot of the table after an eighth straight loss.
Atalanta stayed eighth but pulled to within two points of the European places. Venezia are level with Salernitana and Genoa, all of whom are six points from safety.