Francesco Pio Esposito struck late as Inter beat Lecce 1-0 at San Siro, moving six points clear in Serie A with Milan yet to play.
Inter Milan moved six points clear at the top of Serie A after edging Lecce 1-0 at San Siro. Francesco Pio Esposito scored the decisive goal late on to reward sustained pressure. With second placed AC Milan not playing until Thursday, Inter made the most of the opportunity. The result also widened the gap after Napoli were held to another goalless draw.
Cristian Chivu rotated his side, resting captain Lautaro Martinez from the start. Ange-Yoan Bonny led the line and tested Wladimiro Falcone early. The Lecce goalkeeper pushed his low drive wide inside the opening minutes. Inter controlled possession but struggled to find space in the final third.
Inter thought they had a penalty midway through the first half. Bonny went down under a challenge from Danilo Veiga in the box. The referee pointed to the spot but VAR intervened. The decision was overturned after review, much to the home crowd’s frustration.
Chances remained limited before the break. Marcus Thuram came close twice with headers, once in each half. Lecce also showed threat on set pieces and counters. Yann Sommer reacted sharply to claw away Jamil Siebert’s header and keep the scores level.
The match turned after the introductions from the bench. Esposito was brought on and made an immediate impact. He forced Falcone into a strong save with a header from Luis Henrique’s cross. With less than twelve minutes of play left, he struck the decisive blow.
Falcone could only parry Martinez’s shot back into danger. Esposito reacted quickest and bundled home from close range in the 78th minute. It was a poacher’s finish and a crucial one for Inter’s title push. The 20-year-old later curled another effort narrowly wide as Inter closed out the win.
Esposito’s numbers continue to impress. He now has two goals and two assists as a substitute this league season. Only Said El Mala is younger among players with similar substitute returns in Europe’s top leagues.
The win was Inter’s 15th after 20 league matches this season. It is only the fifth time they have reached that mark at this stage in the three points era. Inter have also won seven straight Serie A games against Lecce for the second time. The previous run came between 1991 and 1999.
Lecce’s struggles away from home continued. This was another top flight away defeat without scoring against the same opponent. Despite their resilience, they remain precariously seated just above the relegation zone.
Inter will look to maintain momentum with a demanding run ahead. They place Udinese on Saturday before hosting Arsenal on Tuesday, 20th January in the Champions League. AC Milan can respond when they travel to Como on Thursday. Napoli also remain in the race but cannot afford more dropped points. For Lecce, the focus turns to finding goals as the pressure at the bottom intensifies.
