Inter Milan returned to winning ways this Sunday by defeating Venezia (0-1) thanks to a lone goal from Mateo Darmian. This result allows the 'Nerazzurri,' with two games in hand, to depend on themselves to take the lead in the Serie A standings in the upcoming matchdays.

After the disappointment of losing the Italian Super Cup final against their city rivals, Milan, Simone Inzaghi's team redeemed themselves in the domestic league against a Venezia side that remains in the relegation zone, sitting second-to-last and increasingly in trouble. Inter controlled the match from start to finish, although they struggled in the closing minutes against a desperate Venezia looking for an equalizer to no avail.

The goal came after an impressive play by Lautaro Martínez. The captain executed a perfect control on the edge of the box, combining a touch with his foot and chest before firing at goal. Filip Stankovic, Venezia's goalkeeper and son of Inter legend Dejan Stankovic, managed to block the initial attempt, but Darmian capitalized on the rebound to score the only goal of the match.

Squad rotations and Lautaro’s leadership

Simone Inzaghi opted for rotations in his starting XI, with players like Zielinski, Asllani, Taremi, and Darmian in the lineup. However, Lautaro, despite his accumulated fatigue, proved crucial with his quality and leadership on the pitch.

In the final minutes, Venezia attempted to equalize with dangerous chances from Pohjanpalo, Oristanio, and Yeboah, which forced Sommer to make key saves. Despite the late pressure, Inter secured the three points, extending their unbeaten streak to 12 consecutive games.

With this victory, Inter is now just one point behind league leaders Napoli, who have played one more match and are set to face Hellas Verona in this round.