Lautaro Martínez fired Inter Milan back to the top of the Serie A table with a decisive second-half goal, as the Nerazzurri ground out a 1-0 victory over Atalanta to claim a ninth consecutive head-to-head win against La Dea.
With one route to silverware already closed following their Italian Super Cup semi-final defeat to Bologna earlier this month, Cristian Chivu’s side showed a clear response in Bergamo, gradually asserting control against an in-form Atalanta side.
Inter dictated the tempo throughout a measured first half, forcing Marco Carnesecchi into saves to deny both Marcus Thuram and Martínez. The breakthrough appeared to arrive after 35 minutes when Thuram fired home a fine first-time finish, only for VAR to intervene and rule the goal out for offside.
Atalanta struggled to create chances of their own before the interval, failing to register a single shot on target in a tentative opening period.
The hosts emerged with greater intent after the restart and went close when Éderson headed over from Charles De Ketelaere’s cross, while the Belgian also saw an effort chalked off for offside.
However, it was Inter who eventually made their pressure count in the 65th minute. A misplaced pass from Berat Djimsiti was seized upon by Pio Esposito, who slipped a perfectly weighted ball through for Martínez to finish clinically from close range.
It marked the Argentine’s eighth career goal against Atalanta, further cementing his reputation as their nemesis.
Raffaele Palladino’s side pushed for a late equaliser, but Inter maintained control in the closing stages, surviving a late scare when Lazar Samardžić somehow fired wide from close range.
The victory secures a fourth straight league win for Inter and sends them back to the summit heading into 2026. For Atalanta, the defeat extends their winless run against Inter to 16 matches, bringing their recent three-match winning streak to an abrupt end.
