MY ACCOUNT
Alessandro Bastoni scored one goal and set another up for Milan Skriniar as Inter returned to the top of Serie A with a 2-1 win over Lazio.
Bastoni found the back of the net for the first time since June 2020 to put the Nerazzurri in front at San Siro on Sunday, but Ciro Immobile equalised in the first half with his 18th goal of the season.
Inter were not to be denied an eighth consecutive Serie A win, with Bastoni setting up fellow defender Skriniar for the winner midway through the second half.
Victory for Simone Inzaghi’s side against his former club in their first game after the winter break moved them a point above Milan at the summit.
Lautaro Martinez looked to have given Inter a deserved 16th-minute lead when he raced onto a defence-splitting pass from Alexis Sanchez and fired beyond Thomas Strakosha, but the VAR ruled he was marginally offside.
Strakosha produced a great reflex save to keep out Martinez’s rasping volley, but the champions were in front on the half-hour mark when Bastoni bent a brilliant left-foot strike into the bottom-left corner of the net from 25 yards out.
Lazio had not posed much of a threat until the lethal Immobile capitalised on a mix-up between Stefan de Vrij and Skriniar to nip in and level 10 minutes before half-time with a poacher’s finish.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic spurned a good chance to put Lazio in front when he timed his run into the box to perfection, but failed to make a clean contact on Felipe Anderson’s pinpoint cross.
Luiz Felipe’s crucial block prevented Ivan Perisic from finding the back of the net after Strakosha denied Denzel Dumfries, but the Nerazzurri were back in front midway through the second half.
Bastoni turned provider for Skriniar, whipping in a cross that the centre-back met with a towering header that went in off the crossbar.
There was drama when referee Luca Pairetto showed Stefan Radu a red card before realising that the defender was only guilty of one bookable offence, correcting his mistake by also cautioning Mattia Zaccagni.
What does it mean? Inter looking ominous
Inter conceded for the first time in seven Serie A games, but Inzaghi will not lose any sleep over that after another impressive performance from the leaders.
They carried on where they left off in 2021 and are now unbeaten in the 12 top-flight matches since a 3-1 loss when Inzaghi made a miserable return to Lazio in October. The champions also have a game in hand on fierce rivals Milan.
Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri had not lost in seven matches against Inter, but that run came to a halt here and they are now down in eighth place.
Bastoni makes a big impact at both ends
This was another assured performance from Bastoni, who was solid at the back and made two decisive contributions with his sweet left foot.
He finished like a seasoned striker with a majestic opening goal and delivered an inviting cross for Skriniar to secure all three points.
Irrepressible Immobile in great company
Immobile was short of service, but punished Inter to score his 15th Serie A goal of the season.
The Italy international has now scored at least 15 goals in six consecutive seasons, a feat only Mohamed Salah and Robert Lewandowski have also achieved among players in the five biggest European leagues.
Key Opta facts
– Inter have picked up 49 points in their first 20 Serie A games for the first time since the 2007/08 campaign.
– Immobile’s goal ended a 587-minute streak in which Inter had gone without conceding in Serie A.
– Skriniar’s goal was Inter’s 13th headed goal in Serie A this season, more than any other side in the big five European leagues.
– Today was Nicolo Barella’s 100th start in all competitions for Inter.
What’s next?
Inter face a Supercoppa Italiana showdown with Juventus at San Siro on Wednesday, while Lazio travel to Salernitana next Saturday.
