The Inter Milan Serie A title race narrative shifted dramatically after their late victory over Juventus at the San Siro. After a run of 11 games without a win against Juventus, Milan and Napoli in the Serie A and 14 games in all competitions, Internazionale have registered a first win in the league over fellow Serie A contenders since they stitched the second star on the blue and black of Milan in the 2023/24 campaign.
Before Piotr Zielinski’s 90th-minute winner at the San Siro last Saturday, Inter’s last victory against any of the aforementioned three was when they came out 2-1 winners against city rivals AC Milan in a heated fixture that saw three red cards brandished at the end and also clinched their 20th Scudetto.
Albeit with four losses from 25 games in the Serie A this season, the Nerazzurri now sit top of the league table with an eight-point lead over second-placed Milan, who also have a game in hand. A signal has been sent to the chasing pack that Cristian Chivu’s Inter are making a strong case to clinch the Scudetto this season.
The psychological breakthrough of sealing a win against another team gunning for a league title cannot be overstated, as any team with clear aspirations to be named the best in the league in a season has to prove it by beating other contenders. This is a victory that transcends just the three points and serves as an exorcism to clear the mental blockade of falling short against their fellow contenders in so many games prior. The significance of Inter surpassing this hurdle is marred by Pierre Kalulu’s second yellow, which resulted in him being sent off, and Alessandro Bastoni’s zealous celebration of the decision after a dive from the Italian centre-back.
With 13 games left to play, the possibility of Inter blowing their advantage decreases with each game as their opponents play catch-up. They are currently on a 13-game unbeaten run in the Serie A and would almost certainly secure the Scudetto if they can replicate a run.
Juventus, on the other hand, has enjoyed a resurgence under boss Luciano Spalletti, owing to his new ideas and tactical innovation to get Juventus interesting again. A great example of this change is club captain Manuel Locatelli, who has been one of the best players in the Serie A this season, pulling the strings from his deep-lying playmaker position and also ended up on the scoresheet in this encounter. Although against the ten men of Juventus, Inter showed determination to go out to get the three points after Locatelli’s equaliser in the 83rd minute and break down a Juventus team who, until the late dagger in their hearts, were still fighting and could have gone ahead to win the game themselves.
In addition to this desire to reclaim the title after narrowly losing out by two points to Antonio Conte’s Napoli last season, the Nerazzurri possess arguably a greater attacking force compared to other contenders. Inter striker and captain is favourably poised to win the Serie A Capocannoniere award with 14 goals already this term and has support from his strike partner Marcus Thuram, alongside Ange-Yoan Bonny and wonderkid Francesco Pio Esposito, whose bullish header put Inter ahead for the second time in the tie against the Old Lady in the 76th minute via a cross from Federico Dimarco. Steadily whipping in balls for fun, Federico Dimarco has had a magnificent campaign so far, with five goals and 12 assists in 23 games from the left wingback role. Inter have a host of options to hurt whoever comes up against them, and this has been evident with the way the Italian outfit has gone about their business so far.
In an interview before facing Lazio in November, Chivu said: ‘In a long, demanding season like ours, everyone is needed,’ signalling a policy to give rest to players to keep them fit and firing when it comes to the business end of the season. This trust in players to deliver no matter who is on the pitch could prove crucial as Inter continue their title charge and competes in multiple competitions to ensure a favourable result for the Nerazzurri.
However, the race is not over. Inter still have potential banana skins in the upcoming Derby della Madonnina against cross-city rivals Milan, an away visit to Como and other relegation-threatened sides who will intensify their push for survival in the latter stages of the season.
Eight points are enormous. In football’s arithmetic, it is a chasm that rarely closes at this stage of the season. History, statistics, and logic all point in the same direction. But football has never respected logic.
This is where humility matters most. Complacency is the invisible opponent that destroys dynasties from within. Inter cannot afford to be lax with other teams watching on. One injury, one bad run, one moment of madness repeated across three matches, and suddenly eight points become manageable for the chaser.
Eight points might not be destiny. But it is damn close. And right now, Inter have just enough belief to see it through, just enough fear to keep them sharp. That’s the balance that wins titles.