Simone Inzaghi says his Inter side must maintain the high standards they have set after the champions beat Lazio 2-1 to return to the top of Serie A.
Milan had taken over at the summit with a 3-0 win at Venezia on Sunday, but the Nerazzurri responded with an eighth consecutive Serie A victory in their first game since the winter break later in the day.
Alessandro Bastoni put them in front with a brilliant long-range strike – his first goal since June 2020 – but Ciro Immobile’s 18th goal of the season drew Lazio level in the first half.
Bastoni turned provider for Milan Skriniar to secure all three points in the second half, whipping in an inviting cross that his fellow defender headed in off the crossbar.
Inter are unbeaten in 12 top-flight matches since a 3-1 loss when head coach Inzaghi made a miserable return to his former club Lazio in October.
They lead fierce rivals Milan by a point with a game in hand, but Inzaghi knows they cannot rest on their laurels in the title race.
3 – In 18 appearances in this #SerieA season, Milan Skriniar has scored three goals (all header), as many as those scored in 32 games played in the last season. Giant.#InterLazio
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) January 9, 2022
He told DAZN: “I am fortunate to have important players and I am very happy. We must continue like this because the championship does not stop, all the antagonists have won.
“We just have to win, after the break we had the postponement with Bologna [on Thursday due to Bologna’s COVID-19 outbreak] and we returned against a team that could have been more on the ball, having played on Thursday.
“The boys were very good and I congratulated them.”
Lautaro Martínez had a goal disallowed when the VAR adjudged the striker to have been marginally offside as he raced to get on the end of Alexis Sanchez’s defence-splitting pass before Bastoni opened the scoring.
Inter were good value for their victory after conceding for the first time in seven Serie A matches and now turn their attention to a Supercoppa Italiana showdown with Juventus on Wednesday.
Inzaghi added: “It wasn’t easy because Lazio have quality. Our victory is well deserved, we made an excellent return. I’m happy, we have another great match on Wednesday, it’s a final and we have prepared ourselves in the best way possible.”
