Inter Milan’s hopes of retaining their Serie A crown suffered a significant blow on Sunday after a 1-0 home defeat to Roma, while AC Milan bounced back from their recent loss to Atalanta with a 2-0 victory over Venezia.
Following the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, Serie A fixtures resumed with a full schedule spread across Sunday and Monday.
A first-half goal from Matias Soule proved decisive at the San Siro, as the Argentinian coolly slotted home amid chaos in the Inter penalty area in the 22nd minute.
The defeat knocked Inter off the top of the table, allowing Napoli to move three points clear with their match against Torino later in the day.
Inter manager Simone Inzaghi admitted the situation was difficult, acknowledging, “Three defeats in one week hurt, and we’re not used to such a run.”
He urged his side to recover mentally ahead of their Champions League semi-final clash against Barcelona, though concerns remain after defender Benjamin Pavard limped off early with an ankle injury.
Roma’s victory lifted them to sixth place with 60 points, level with Bologna, who currently hold the final Champions League qualification spot.
Elsewhere, Fiorentina maintained their push for European football with a 2-1 win over relegation-threatened Empoli, thanks to goals from Yacine Adli and Rolando Mandragora, despite Jacopo Fazzini offering Empoli a brief lifeline.
Meanwhile, in Venice, AC Milan produced a much-needed response to recent setbacks. Christian Pulisic gave Milan an early lead in the fifth minute, and Santiago Gimenez secured the points deep into stoppage time.
Milan, who sealed a place in the Italian Cup final midweek by defeating rivals Inter, sit ninth in the standings. Venezia remain in the relegation zone, trailing Lecce by just a single point ahead of Lecce’s meeting with Atalanta.
In another Serie A clash, Gabriel Strefezza scored the lone goal as Como edged Genoa 1-0 in a match that saw former Arsenal teammates-turned-managers Cesc Fabregas and Patrick Vieira face off.
Later on Sunday, Juventus aim to bolster their Champions League hopes with a home win over bottom-placed Monza.
