Inter tighten grip on top four with 2-0 win over Lecce

MILAN: Inter Milan secured a 2-0 home win over lowly Lecce with goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Lautaro Martinez in Serie A on Sunday (Mar 5) to tighten their grip on a Champions League spot.

Inter, whose 1-0 defeat at Bologna last weekend further eroded their slim hopes of winning the title, moved back up to second spot on 50 points from 25 games.

They are two points above third-placed Lazio and three ahead of AC Milan in fourth but 15 points adrift of leaders Napoli.

Inter took the lead just before the half-hour mark through Mkhitaryan's first-time finish before Martinez doubled the lead eight minutes into the second half.

"We were coming off an ugly defeat like the one in Bologna, so there was a lot of talk about it," Inter coach Simone Inzaghi told a news conference. "We responded well and we have to continue at this pace.

"We played an excellent game with the right approach and we didn't lower our intensity. The second goal made it easier for us. It was a deserved victory against a team that bothered many."

Goalkeeper Andre Onana saved the hosts in the 17th minute when Lecce forward Assan Ceesay dribbled past the defence and fired towards the right post from the edge of the box.

Inter responded three minutes later through striker Edin Dzeko, whose header from a corner was wide of the right post.

They went in front when Nicolo Barella tricked defenders inside the box and squared the ball to Mkhitaryan, setting the forward up for a brilliant strike into the top right corner.

Martinez made it 2-0 after the break from a perfect cross by Denzel Dumfries which the Argentine striker finished superbly.

Inzaghi's men have now triumphed in each of Martinez's last 14 goalscoring home outings in Serie A.

Inter, without Joaquin Correa, Federico Dimarco and Milan Skriniar through injury, could have netted again in stoppage time but a low Dzeko shot was cleared by the defence.

Only AS Roma (five) and Barcelona (one) have conceded fewer goals than Inter (six) at home this season in the big five European leagues.

Lecce, who managed only one shot on target, remain 15th, nine points above the drop zone.

"When you come to this stadium and find an angry Inter team, you don't take away points but you take away something in terms of the team's growth," Lecce coach Marco Baroni said.

Inter travel to lowly Spezia on Friday before visiting Porto in their Champions League last-16 return leg clash on Mar 14, leading 1-0 from the first game.