MILAN, Italy (Reuters) – Inter Milan secured a 2-1 home win over Fiorentina on Monday, with Marko Arnautovic’s second-half header keeping them within striking distance of Serie A leaders Napoli.
The win was a blessing for second-placed Inter, who now have 54 points and have narrowed the gap with Napoli to just one point.
Inter hosted Fiorentina just four days after their previous Serie A clash — the second-shortest gap in league history. Fiorentina completed a 3-0 victory in last Thursday’s match, which had been suspended in the 17th minute on December 1 after Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the pitch.
Inter dominated the first half but broke the deadlock thanks to an own goal from Fiorentina’s Marin Pongracic, who headed the ball into his own net from a corner in the 28th minute.
Despite Inter’s dominance, the visitors managed to level the score a minute before the break, with Rolando Mandragora converting from the penalty spot after Matteo Darmian handled a cross.
Inter substitute Arnautovic headed the team back into the lead with a close-range finish off a cross, just seven minutes after the restart, securing all three points.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.