In a Serie A match with few chances on Saturday, fourth-placed Inter defeated struggling Hellas Verona 1-0 at home thanks to an opening goal from goalscorer Lautaro Martinez.
Martinez’s first goal of the game, his 9th goal this season, came after just three minutes. He grabbed the ball within the box and shot it toward the far left corner.
When Martinez chipped the ball over goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo in the 63rd minute, the goal was ruled out for a foul on Pawel Dawidowicz in the build-up.
Kristjan Asllani, an Inter substitute, nearly added a second goal in stoppage time, but his outside of the box shot curled just wide of the post.
In the waning moments of the game, Verona attempted to exert some pressure on Inter as they frantically sought an equaliser, but they were unable to produce any clear chances.
After 18 games, the outcome left Inter level on 37 pts with third-place Juventus and 10 points behind leaders Napoli. Verona is six points outside of the safety zone and in second-last place with nine points. Inter held on to the slender lead to secure their 12th win of the season and their seventh consecutive victory, providing them a further sense of confidence in their title challenge
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