Inter Milan closing in on Serie A title as Nerazzurri move nine points clear at the top of the table
The Serie A table is beginning to take shape and so is the previously estimated three-horse race in the Italian top-flight. Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus are all still in the race for glory.
Among the three teams, Inter Milan seems to have the biggest chance of claiming the title. The Nerazzurri have been in imperious form this season and are not looking back.
On Sunday, Antonio Conte’s men beat Torino 2-1 to extend their unbeaten run to 10 games. It was also the club’s sixth consecutive win in the Serie A, as they currently occupy the top spot.
Despite struggling against Torino in the first half, Inter opened the scoring after the restart when Romelu Lukaku scored from a penalty spot. Despite Torino grabbing the equaliser moments later through Antonio Sanabria, Lautaro Martinez was on hand to net a late winner to snatch all three points.
Inter move nine points clear at the top of the Serie A
The win over Torino has seen Inter take a healthy lead at the top of the table. The Nerazzurri are now nine points above rivals AC Milan and 10 points ahead of defending champions Juventus.
With just 11 games to go, the title is now theirs to lose. In previous seasons, teams like Napoli, AS Roma and Lazio have endured late collapses in the second half of the campaign. However, Inter boasts a manager who has seen it all. In Antonio Conte, Inter has a manager who has won the league multiple times in his career.
The Nerazzurri also have several experienced players in the team, with the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Ashley Young and Ivan Perisic all having several won trophies in their careers.
Juventus still have a game in hand and could move to within seven points of Inter if they win their outstanding game.
Inter now in pole position to win the league
There are 11 more games to be played, and even though anything can happen in that time, but it will be a huge shock if Inter lets this chance slip. Holding a 10-point lead at the top of the table puts them in the pole position to win the league, especially with Juventus and AC Milan struggling for consistency.
With Conte suspended from the touchline, Inter’s assistant coach Cristian Stellini has performed well, with his shrewd substitutions changing the game against Torino.
"Victories like these are crucial, they are doubly important because certain games aren’t easy to play,” Stellini said after the game, as quoted by Inter’s official website.
“The three points up for grabs were also vital for Torino, who sat back and gave little away. You need to produce excellent pieces of play to break the deadlock in these matches. For our first goal, we did well to make the most of a certain match situation while Sanche and Lautaro did extremely well for our second," noted Stellini.
Inter haven’t won the title since 2010, but they now have a unique chance to end that drought.