Lukaku pulls Inter eight points clear as Juve, Milan held
Romelu Lukaku fired Inter Milan eight points clear at the top of Serie A on Saturday with the only goal in a 1-0 win at Bologna as title rivals Juventus and AC Milan were both held.
“Winning is a big step forward for us,” said coach Antonio Conte after second-placed Milan’s challenge faltered in a 1-1 draw with 10-man Sampdoria while champions Juventus were held 2-2 at city rivals Torino.
Conte’s side stretched their winning run to nine league games as they chase a first ‘Scudetto’ since 2010, having finished runners-up last season.
“Last year we nearly got there. The closer we get to the finish line, every victory becomes more important,” added Conte.
Lukaku got his head to an Alessandro Bastoni cross after half an hour and bundled the ball over the line for his 20th league goal this season after Bologna’s young goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia had pushed out the initial strike.
In Turin, Cristiano Ronaldo struck in the 79th minute but couldn’t stop Juve dropping further points in their bid for a 10th consecutive league title.
Andrea Pirlo’s side slip to fourth, 12 points behind Inter, and four points back from Milan, with a game in hand.
“We complicate these games all by ourselves,” lamented Pirlo with his team’s Champions League qualification also in the balance.
Captain Giorgio Chiellini said: “We must push on, keep giving our all and try to secure our minimum target, which is qualifying for the Champions League.
“We have another important match on Wednesday and it’s one we need to win,” he added of their midweek postponed fixture against European rivals Napoli.
Milan’s miserable recent form at the San Siro continued in their draw with Sampdoria.
A terrible Theo Hernandez pass across midfield in the 57th minute allowed Sampdoria veteran Fabio Quagliarella to pounce and send a long-range lob over Gianluigi Donnarumma to claim his 10th goal of the season.
Claudio Ranieri’s mid-table side went a man down just after their goal with Adrien Silva sent off after picking up a second yellow card.
Substitute Jens Petter Hauge curled in the leveller three minutes from the end, with Franck Kessie denied a late winner after hitting the woodwork.