Gatti’s own goal helps Inter win a critical match against Juventus, the championship contenders

Inter Milan extended their lead at the top of Serie A to four points over Juventus after a thrilling encounter at the San Siro. The highly anticipated clash between the league’s top two teams saw Inter emerge victorious, thanks in part to a Federico Gatti own goal that proved decisive in condemning Juventus to only their second defeat in their last seven Derby d’Italia league meetings.

The atmosphere at the San Siro was electric, with both sets of fans creating a daunting environment for the visiting Juventus players. Despite Inter’s dominance in possession during the early stages of the match, they struggled to break down Juventus’ defense and create clear-cut opportunities in the final third.

Juventus weathered the storm and nearly took the lead themselves when a defense-splitting pass from Hakan Calhanoglu found Federico Dimarco, who set up Marcus Thuram for a close-range effort. However, Gleison Bremer’s crucial challenge denied Thuram a certain goal.

Although Juventus spent much of the first half on the back foot, they showed resilience and threatened on the counterattack. Weston McKennie created a golden opportunity for Dusan Vlahovic, but the striker’s poor first touch let him down, squandering a chance to put Juventus ahead.

Just before halftime, Inter capitalized on a defensive error from Benjamin Pavard, as Nicolo Barella’s cross caused chaos in the Juventus penalty area. Amidst the confusion, Gatti accidentally redirected the ball into his own net, giving Inter the lead going into the break.

With a narrow advantage, Inter looked to assert their dominance in the second half. Federico Dimarco and Hakan Calhanoglu came close to doubling their team’s lead, but Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny stood firm to keep his side in the game.

As the match progressed, Juventus grew into the game and began to pose a threat in attack. Gatti, looking to make amends for his earlier mistake, unleashed a powerful shot that narrowly missed the target.

In the final stages of the game, Juventus goalkeeper Szczesny produced a series of outstanding saves to deny Inter from extending their lead. Despite their efforts, Juventus failed to find an equalizer, allowing Inter to maintain their impressive defensive record of not conceding a goal beyond the 76th minute in Serie A this season.

Overall, Inter’s victory showcased their resilience and defensive solidity, while Juventus will be left to rue missed opportunities as they fell further behind in the Serie A title race.

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A sixth successive home league win – and the fifth within that run to produce a clean sheet – well and truly places Simone Inzaghi’s men into pole position for the Scudetto.

Experiencing the wrong end of an evening themed on contrasting emotions, Juve’s 19-match unbeaten streak comes to an end – and as Inter still possess a game in hand, Allegri’s men will have to be near-impeccable in the run-in if they’re to reclaim their place on the Italian throne they once held with an iron grip.