Inter Extend Serie A Lead With Late Winners Against Lecce

Add as a preferred source on Google

Inter left Stadio Via Del Mare with a 2-0 win over Lecce, thanks to late goals from substitutes Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Manuel Akanji. The result stretched Cristian Chivu's Inter unbeaten Serie A run to 14 matches and moved the leaders 10 points clear at the top.

The victory also continued Inter's strong away form in Serie A, with the Nerazzurri now on nine straight wins on the road. Lecce stayed organised for long periods and limited clear chances, but Inter's pressure and depth from the bench eventually decided the contest.

Inter's current away sequence includes six consecutive Serie A clean sheets, underlining the team's defensive control. The club's longest top-flight streak of away victories remains 11, achieved between October 2006 and March 2007 under Roberto Mancini, a target now moving into view for Chivu's side.

Federico Dimarco played a vital creative role again, supplying both corners that led to the late goals. With the assist for Akanji, Dimarco became the first defender in the last 20 Serie A seasons, since 2006-07, to record at least one assist in five successive league appearances.

The first half brought frustration for Inter as Lecce contained attacks and threatened on the break. Luis Henrique forced a save with a controlled volley that deflected on its way to goal. At the other end, Wladimiro Falcone denied Marcus Thuram and then tipped Francesco Pio Esposito's glancing header around the post.

Inter thought the breakthrough arrived seven minutes after half-time when Dimarco finished a low Thuram cross. However, VAR intervened and ruled the goal out for offside against Thuram. That decision lifted Lecce briefly, but Inter kept pushing, using sustained possession and set-piece pressure to pin the hosts deeper.

Mkhitaryan finally opened the scoring on 75 minutes, guiding a simple volley into the bottom corner after Lecce failed to clear Dimarco's corner fully. Seven minutes later, Akanji settled the match, climbing highest to glance a header inside the far post from another Dimarco corner and secure Inter's points cushion at the summit.

Underlying numbers reflected Inter's control of the Serie A contest, with the visitors generating 2.15 expected goals (xG) to Lecce's 0.12 xG. Inter's combination of patient build-up, set-piece quality and defensive stability kept the leaders on course in the title race and reinforced their advantage over nearest rivals.