Inter Milan took a significant step to keeping its Serie A crown on Sunday (Mar 16) with a 2-0 win at title rival Atalanta. Carlos Augusto and Lautaro Martinez scored in the second half to lift the league leaders three points above second-placed Napoli and six points above third-placed Atalanta. Napoli had earlier been held 0-0 at relegation-threatened Venezia. The fight for the final Champions League spot is also tight, with just six points separating six teams in the race for fourth place after more misery for Juventus, which lost 3-0 at Fiorentina.
Inter Milan moved three points clear at the top of Serie A after beating third-placed Atalanta. Napoli, who sit second, were held to a goalless draw by Venezia earlier in the day and Inter seized the opportunity to open up daylight in the race for the title.
Midfielder Carlos Augusto opened the scoring early in the second half by heading home Hakan Calhanoglu's corner.
Atalanta struggled to impose themselves on the game and were reduced to 10 men in the 81st minute when Ederson received two yellow cards in the space of a few seconds for dissent towards the referee.
Inter took full advantage of their extra man and doubled their lead six minutes later when Lautaro Martinez powered a shot into the far corner.
Atalanta Manager Gian Piero Gasperini was sent off for dissent before Inter had Alessandro Bastoni dismissed for a second bookable offence in stoppage time.
Atalanta remain third in the table but are now six points behind Inter.
It was another draw for Napoli – its fifth in its last seven matches.
Napoli almost got off to the perfect start in Venice but Giacomo Raspadori’s effort came off the left post in the fourth minute.
Venezia also had plenty of chances, with the best opportunity coming three minutes from the break. Alex Meret did well to parry from Kike Perez and Daniel Fila’s follow-up was cleared off the line by Napoli defender Amir Rrahmani.
Napoli went even closer on the stroke of halftime but Ionut Radu pulled off a superb save to grasp Romelu Lukaku’s header on the goalline.
It was a fourth straight draw for Venezia – with two of those coming against Atalanta and Lazio – but it remained in penultimate position in the standings, five points from safety.
Juve coach Thiago Motta is under even more pressure after his team slipped out of the top four, shipping seven goals in two matches and scoring none.
Robin Gosens and Rolando Mandragora scored within two minutes of each other in the first half and Albert Guomundsson added another after the break as Fiorentina moved to within five points of the top four.
Juve’s season was already in tatters after a dismal 4-0 loss at home to Atalanta last weekend. The Bianconeri had also been eliminated from the Champions League and Italian Cup.
Motta’s former team, Bologna, replaced Juventus in fourth after an impressive 5-0 drubbing of sixth-placed Lazio.
Seventh-placed Roma beat Cagliari 1-0.
