INTER Milan secured a 2-1 victory over Sassuolo at the San Siro to move into the top half of the Serie A table with six points from four matches.
Federico Dimarco and Carlos Augusto scored the goals for Inter in a match that lacked excitement for long periods.
The win came after a midweek Champions League triumph over Ajax but followed two consecutive Serie A defeats, including a last-gasp loss to rivals Juventus.
Dimarco emphasised the importance of the victory by stating that Inter had to take all three points.
The Italy international opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a cool finish from Petar Sucic’s layoff after a sweeping team move.
Sassuolo goalkeeper Arijanet Muric kept his team in the game with several key saves, including stops from Pio Esposito and Carlos Augusto.
Carlos Augusto eventually scored the winning goal with a deflected strike nine minutes from time, just seconds before Walid Cheddira pulled one back for Sassuolo.
Inter substitute Davide Frattesi had a late goal disallowed for offside, but the hosts held on during six minutes of added time.
The result gave Inter coach Cristian Chivu only the fifth win of his brief Serie A managerial career.
In the capital, Lorenzo Pellegrini scored the only goal in Roma’s 1-0 derby victory over Lazio at a passionate Stadio Olimpico.
The Roma-born midfielder, who lost the captaincy and was placed on the transfer list in the summer, made his first appearance of the season count.
Fans welcomed Pellegrini back with a banner that read “Welcome back, captain” before kick-off.
Pellegrini admitted he had been close to leaving the club and was unsure about his future after recovering from thigh surgery.
His 38th-minute strike was his fourth goal in a Rome derby and moved Roma up to fourth place in Serie A with nine points.
Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini had previously criticised Pellegrini’s physical condition but started him in one of the club’s biggest matches.
Gasperini reiterated after the match that Pellegrini still needed to improve his fitness ahead of Roma’s Europa League campaign.
Lazio remained on three points from four matches and finished the game with nine men after two red cards.
Reda Belahyane received a straight red card during the match, while Matteo Guendouzi was sent off after the final whistle for ranting at officials.
Atalanta moved to within one point of Roma in fifth place after a 3-0 win at Torino, with Ademola Lookman making a late appearance after his failed move to Inter. – AFP