Inter Milan took another step toward securing back-to-back Serie A titles with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Udinese, extending their lead at the top to six points.
Early goals from Marko Arnautovic and Davide Frattesi proved enough to seal Inter’s third consecutive league win ahead of a crucial Milan derby in the Italian Cup semifinals on Wednesday.
Simone Inzaghi’s side faces a defining month, with a Champions League quarterfinal showdown against Bayern Munich and tricky league fixtures against fourth-placed Bologna and Roma, both of which could be pivotal in their title defense.
Inter now await the outcome of Napoli’s clash with AC Milan later on Sunday after effectively ending Atalanta’s fading title hopes.
Atalanta slipped to third place, nine points behind Inter, following a 1-0 defeat at Fiorentina in which they failed to register a single shot on target.
Inzaghi will take encouragement from the contributions of his second-string players, with Arnautovic and Frattesi stepping up in the absence of Lautaro Martinez and Nicolo Barella.
Both found the net in the first half, finishing off well-placed crosses from Federico Dimarco in the 12th and 29th minutes.
Despite being in control for much of the match, Inter were made to sweat after Oumar Solet’s thunderous strike reduced the deficit in the 71st minute.
Goalkeeper Yann Sommer then came to the rescue with two stunning saves—first, denying Lorenzo Lucca’s free header in the 74th minute and later blocking Solet’s close-range effort in stoppage time, crashing into the post in the process.
Meanwhile, Moise Kean continued his fine season, scoring the decisive goal in Fiorentina’s win over Atalanta just before halftime.
The Italy striker, fresh off a brace for the national team against Germany, capitalized on a defensive error to net his 16th league goal of the season and bring Fiorentina within a point of the European places.
Atalanta, who looked like title contenders after an 11-match winning streak between October and December, have struggled since the turn of the year, managing just four league wins in 2025—all away from home. They now sit only two points ahead of Bologna.
“We lacked the dynamism and energy to trouble Fiorentina… we just have to move on and focus on what’s ahead,” said Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
Elsewhere, Cagliari bolstered their survival hopes with a commanding 3-0 victory over bottom-placed Monza, moving six points clear of the relegation zone.
