Inter Milan Edge Fiorentina 2-1 to Close Gap on Serie A Leaders Napoli

Inter Milan Edge Fiorentina 2-1 to Close Gap on Serie A Leaders Napoli


Inter Milan Narrow Gap on Napoli with 2-1 Win Over Fiorentina

Milan, Italy – February 11, 2025 – Inter Milan tightened their grip on the Serie A title race with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Fiorentina at the San Siro on Monday, moving to just a point behind leaders Napoli. The win came as a much-needed redemption for Inter, who had suffered a 3-0 defeat to Fiorentina in their previous encounter just days ago.

In front of their home fans, Inter’s Austrian forward Marko Arnautovic, replacing the injured Marcus Thuram, scored his first league goal of the season early in the second half to put the hosts back in the lead. Arnautovic’s header from Carlos Augusto’s cross proved to be the difference after Fiorentina had equalized through a penalty just before halftime.

The match began with some controversy when Fiorentina’s Marin Pongracic scored an own goal in the 28th minute, diverting a corner into his own net. The decision to award the corner was disputed by Fiorentina, with replays showing the ball may have gone out of play before being crossed. Despite the protests, Inter led 1-0 at halftime.

Fiorentina was awarded a penalty in the 43rd minute when Matteo Darmian handled an inswinging cross in the box. After a long VAR check, Rolando Mandragora converted the spot-kick to level the score.

However, Inter quickly regained the lead early in the second half through Arnautovic’s clinical header. The goal, which came just six minutes after the restart, was enough to seal the win for Simone Inzaghi’s side, who had created numerous chances throughout the match, including hitting the woodwork twice through Lautaro Martinez and Carlos Augusto.

With the three points, Inter Milan now sit just one point behind Napoli, who could only manage a draw with Udinese on Sunday. Looking ahead, Inter will face a tough challenge next weekend against Juventus in Turin, while Napoli travels to fourth-placed Lazio for their next fixture in what promises to be a tightly contested title race.

Speaking after the match, Arnautovic emphasized the importance of focusing on each game: “Today we got three important points and we’re close to Napoli, but it’s not done. We’ve got a long season ahead of us, and we can only think about winning games.”

Fiorentina remains in sixth place, three points behind Lazio in the race for a European spot. Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino expressed pride in his team’s performance, despite the controversial moments: “We held our own against a great team, a team which is going to fight for the title all the way.”

The Serie A title race is heating up as Inter continues to apply pressure on Napoli with both teams set to face tough challenges in the coming weeks.

Inter Milan Edge Fiorentina 2-1 to Close Gap on Serie A Leaders Napoli

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