MILAN: Poland midfielder Piotr Zielinski scored a 90th-minute winner as Inter Milan edged Juventus 3-2 on Saturday to move eight points clear in Serie A.
Zielinski found the net after the 2024 champions had led twice thanks to an Andrea Cambiaso own goal and an effort from Pio Esposito in the Derby of Italy.
“It is very important, perhaps the most important win for now,” Zielinski told Sky Sport.
“We have to avoid these types of things, because we took the lead with Pio’s goal and were in the lead.
“Then there was a bit of a lack of concentration, we need to manage it better,” the 31-year-old added.
Local rivals AC Milan are second in the table after Luka Modric’s late strike claimed a 2-1 win at Pisa on Friday.
Cambiaso and skipper Manuel Locatelli had equalised for visitors Juve, who are 15 points behind Inter in the standings.
Inter coach Cristian Chivu made just one change from Sunday’s 5-0 hammering of Sassuolo, as Italy’s Nicolo Barella replaced Armenia’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan in midfield.
France defender Pierre Kalulu started for Juve six days on from scoring a 96th-minute equaliser against Lazio but was sent off after 42 minutes for a second bookable offence.
Television footage showed Juve officials Giorgio Chiellini and Damien Comolli angrily confronting referee Federico La Penna at half-time following the decision.
By the break, Italy midfielder Cambiaso had scored at both ends, putting Inter ahead with an own goal and levelling for Juventus after 26 minutes.
With a quarter of an hour to play, Esposito edged Inter back into the lead with a header but Juve captain Locatelli equalised for the visitors with seven minutes left.
Inter responded to keep their cushion atop the table as 105-time Polish international Zielinski fired home from the edge of the box.
Atalanta eye Europe
Earlier, Ederson and Nicola Zalewski scored as Atalanta beat Lazio 2-0 to strengthen their claim for a place in European football next season.
The Brazil midfielder and the Poland winger netted either side of the break in Rome as the Bergamo team moved a point clear of Como in the Uefa Conference League qualifying spot.
Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio fell nine points off the pace in the race to feature in continental competition.
Como lost 2-1 at struggling Fiorentina earlier in the day.
In the Italian capital, Lazio were without Spain striker Pedro due to an ankle injury after he scored in last Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Juventus.
Raffaele Palladino made three changes to his Atalanta side from Monday’s win over Cremonese, with captain Mario Pasalic on the bench, as Ederson was joined in midfield by Marten de Roon.
Ederson, 26, stepped up from the spot to put his side 1-0 ahead after Danilo Cataldi handled the ball in his own box.
On the hour Palladino’s outfit doubled their lead thanks to 24-year-old Zalewski, who scored his first goal since September with an effort from the edge of the box.
Lazio’s attempted fightback included three efforts from attacker Daniel Maldini but they were unable to stop a second league loss in five games.
The pick of Sunday’s action is third-placed Napoli welcoming Roma with three points between the sides.
