Martinez Strikes Again As Inter Reclaim Top Spot From Juve

Milan, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Jan, 2024) Lautaro Martinez fired Inter Milan back to the top of Serie A with the only goal in Sunday's dramatic 1-0 win at Fiorentina, as depleted Napoli played out an uneventful goalless draw at Lazio.

Argentina forward Martinez glanced home the decisive goal in the 14th minute of an action-packed contest in Florence in which Nicolas Gonzalez wasted a late penalty for the hosts, who had Inter on the back foot for much of the game.

However it was a clash which ended with Inter one point ahead of Juventus, who were held by Empoli on Saturday, with a game in hand, before the two title rivals meet at the San Siro next weekend.

Martinez is now on 22 goals in all competitions for the season, the Inter captain's league tally of 19 in 21 matches putting him way ahead in the division's scoring charts.

Inter fans will have breathed a huge sigh of relief at the final whistle as the win was down to Fiorentina's poor attacking, with bad decisions the order of the day for Vincenzo Italiano's side.

The Tuscan outfit missed the chance to take fourth and the final Champions League spot off Atalanta and stay fifth, two points off the money-spinning top-four positions.

Fiorentina thought they were set to snatch a point when Yann Sommer was penalised for punching M'Bala Nzola while trying to clear a speculative ball into the box.

But star attacker Gonzalez, who returned from the bench after six weeks on the sidelines, rolled a dreadful spot-kick at Sommer and handed Inter a huge win.