Inter Milan Extends Serie A Lead as Napoli and Como Keep Top-Four Hopes Alive

Inter Milan bounced back from Champions League elimination with Saturday’s 2-0 win over Genoa, continuing their march toward the Serie A title. Federico Dimarco’s brilliant volley just after the half-hour mark and Hakan Calhanoglu’s second-half penalty were enough to extend Inter’s lead over AC Milan at the top of the table to 13 points.

Milan are expected to win at Cremonese in Sunday’s early fixture, with the local rivals set to face off next weekend in a derby that will likely have little impact on the Scudetto race. Inter’s fans, anticipating the showdown, had already launched a series of anti-Milan chants ahead of the match. The team has dropped only two points in 15 league games and has been dominant in Italy’s top flight this season.

Their domestic form contrasts sharply with the humiliating exit from the Champions League at the hands of Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday. A 5-2 aggregate defeat raised questions about Cristian Chivu’s squad and the state of Italian football.

Dimarco’s opener displayed high quality, with the Italy full-back striking a first-time volley from a tight angle after exchanging passes with Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The game remained largely uneventful until Alex Amorim handled a cross from Luis Henrique, who had previously seen a shot tipped onto the post. Calhanoglu converted the resulting penalty, marking his return from muscle problems that had troubled him since before Christmas.

Elsewhere, Romelu Lukaku kept Napoli’s Champions League ambitions alive with a last-gasp winner in a 2-1 victory over bottom-placed Verona. Lukaku’s first goal of the season came at the final moment, tapping in Giovane’s cross to secure three points for third-placed Napoli at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.

Napoli had appeared set to drop points after Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro equalized Rasmus Hojlund’s early strike in the 65th minute. Lukaku, who only returned to action in late January, described the season as difficult but emphasized the team’s ambitions. Napoli’s title defense is effectively over, trailing Inter by 14 points, and they were missing key players including Scott McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne, Andre-Frank Anguissa, and captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo.

Como also maintained momentum in the top-four race with a 3-1 win over struggling Lecce. Cesc Fabregas’s side sit two points behind Roma in fourth and five behind Napoli, keeping their hopes of a first-ever European qualification alive. Como will face Inter in the first leg of the Italian Cup semifinals on Tuesday, while Juventus, two points behind Como, host Roma on Sunday, seeking to remain in contention for a Champions League spot after their elimination by Galatasaray.