Serie A Roundup: Inter Defeat Roma, Napoli Secure Victory Over Empoli to Maintain Lead

Inter Milan continued their pursuit of Serie A leaders Napoli with a narrow 1-0 win over Roma, courtesy of Lautaro Martinez's decisive goal. Martinez found the back of the net in the 60th minute, capitalizing on a poor clearance from Zeki Celik. This marked the Argentine striker's fourth goal of the season in all competitions. The victory at Stadio Olimpico was hard-earned, with Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar making crucial saves to deny Marcus Thuram and Denzel Dumfries, keeping the scoreline tight.

Inter's victory leaves them two points behind Napoli, who also secured a 1-0 win, beating Empoli. With all top-four teams in Serie A winning this weekend, Inter now look ahead to a crucial clash against Juventus at the San Siro. Before that, they travel to Bern to face Young Boys in the Champions League. However, the Nerazzurri might be without key players Hakan Calhanoglu and Francesco Acerbi, both of whom were forced off due to injuries in the first half against Roma.

Simone Inzaghi, Inter's coach, was pleased with his team's performance despite the narrow margin of victory. "The boys played well ... once we broke the deadlock, we had chances to score again and should have," said Inzaghi to DAZN. "I'm very happy with what the boys showed me today."

On the other side, Roma suffered their second league defeat of the season, leaving them in 10th place. Discontent among fans continues to grow, with supporters protesting outside the stadium for the first 15 minutes of the match, voicing frustrations over the direction of the club under American owner Dan Friedkin. Roma coach Ivan Juric expressed his disappointment: "We created chances but didn't take advantage of them ... to give away a goal the way we did in a match like this is a real shame because the team played well."

Napoli Keep Their Lead

Napoli maintained their top position in Serie A with a 1-0 win over Empoli, thanks to a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia penalty in the 63rd minute. Kvaratskhelia's goal, his fourth of the season, extended Napoli's winning streak to four matches in all competitions. Empoli had been a thorn in Napoli's side last season, defeating them twice, including a victory in Naples that cost Rudi Garcia his job. This time, despite Empoli being the better side for large parts of the game, Napoli held on to secure the win.

With no European football on their schedule after a disappointing collapse last season, Napoli, now under Antonio Conte, are focused on their domestic campaign. "We're trying to build something here, something that isn't just a flash in the pan but lasts long-term," Conte told DAZN.

Fiorentina Thrash Lecce, Atalanta Ease Past Venezia

Fiorentina climbed to fifth place after a dominant 6-0 win over Lecce. The match saw braces from Danilo Cataldi and Andrea Colpani, while Lucas Beltran and Fabiano Parisi also found the net. Lecce played with 10 men after Antonino Gallo was controversially sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Fiorentina, now six points behind Napoli, delivered their best performance under coach Raffaele Palladino, who joined in the summer.

Atalanta remain level on points with Fiorentina, securing a 2-0 win at Venezia. Mateo Retegui was instrumental in the victory, assisting Mario Pasalic for the opener and scoring himself shortly after halftime. Retegui, who leads the Serie A scoring charts with eight goals, has been a key player for Atalanta after joining the club due to Gianluca Scamacca's injury earlier in the season.

This weekend's results keep the Serie A title race alive, with Napoli and Inter continuing to set the pace.