Inter Milan didn’t let a disappointing Champions League result get the best of them Sunday night. A win would send them to the top of the Serie A table after AC Milan drew against Sassuolo, and the Nerazzurri delivered when it mattered most with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Genoa.
Y. Bisseck opened the scoring just six minutes in, giving Inter the perfect start to their title pursuit. The visitors dominated possession throughout the first half, and their superiority paid dividends in the 38th minute when L. Martinez doubled the advantage before the break.
Inter controlled proceedings with 64.4% possession and peppered Genoa’s goal with 18 shots, eight on target. Their 1.45 xG compared to Genoa’s 0.89 reflected their territorial dominance, forcing the hosts’ goalkeeper into six crucial saves.
However, Genoa refused to roll over. After L. Colombo entered the fray in the 58th minute, the home side found renewed energy. Vitinha pulled one back in the 68th minute, transforming what seemed a comfortable victory into a nervy finale.
The match grew increasingly fractious as Inter sought to protect their lead. M. Akanji collected a yellow card in the 54th minute, followed by N. Barella (73′) and Bisseck (79′) as tempers flared. Inter manager shuffled his pack, bringing on P. Sucic and F. Esposito in the 75th minute, before withdrawing Martinez in the 84th and introducing P. Zielinski in stoppage time.
Despite Genoa’s late pressure and five substitutions attempting to salvage a point, Inter’s defense held firm. With 29 effective clearances to their credit, Genoa battled admirably but couldn’t find the equalizer.
The victory propels Inter to the Serie A summit, proving their championship mettle by bouncing back exactly when required.
