Serie A: Juventus defeat Inter Milan to close on top four

• Inter Milan hosted Juventus at the San Siro on Sunday, March 19 in the Derby d’Italia in the La Liga
• Inter needed a victory to drift from AC Milan who lost to Udinese on Saturday 
• Filip Kostic scored the only goal of the match as Juventus secured all the points on Sunday

With a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan at San Siro on Sunday, Juventus extended their winning streak to six games in a row in Serie A.

The Bianconeri began the game four places lower than their hosts, but Kostic scored in the first half to put them on track to complete the league double over Inter for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

Juve’s backline cruised to victory despite only three attempts on goal from Simone Inzaghi’s side.

Inter’s erratic form continues, with a third defeat in four Serie A games putting their Champions League prospects in jeopardy as Massimiliano Allegri’s men close in on the Nerazzurri.

After Wojciech Szczesny denied Nicolo Barella twice early on, Kostic placed Juve ahead with 23 minutes remaining.

The Serbia international got the ball from Adrien Rabiot before rifling into the bottom right corner, despite a lengthy VAR review that found no wrongdoing in the build-up.

Juventus midfielder Filip Kostic celebrates after scoring the winner against Inter Milan in the Serie A on Sunday, March 19 2023. | PHOTO: SKy |

Romelu Lukaku missed an opportunity to equalize before the break, and Dusan Vlahovic and Manuel Locatelli both tested Andre Onana early in the second half as Juve looked to extend their lead.

Federico Chiesa came off the bench for Allegri, and the substitute nearly made it 2-0 when his powerful run finished with him curling just wide.

Inter troubles continue as Juventus march forward

Inter pressed for a late equalizer, but Juve’s tenacious defence held firm to keep another clean sheet and make it eight wins from 12 in Serie A since the turn of the year, with Leandro Paredes and Danilo D’Ambrosio both sent off for a scuffle after the final whistle.

Juve’s 15-point deduction for alleged financial violations appeared to have ended their chances of qualifying for the Champions League, but their red-hot form since has made them the side to watch, with only seven points separating them and the top four.

The key to their win was their excellent defensive performance, which limited the league’s second-highest scorers to just three shots on goal while Sczcesny enjoyed a relatively comfortable match between the sticks.

Rabiot’s outstanding performance in the middle of the park, both defensively and offensively, helped Juventus to another crucial win.

His assist for Kostic’s goal capped off a game in which he led his team in key passes (two) and passes in the final third (12), while no other Juve player had more effective tackles (two) and duels won (two). (eight).

After the international break, both sides will return to Serie A action on April 1, with Inter hosting Fiorentina and Juventus hosting Hellas Verona.