Inter extends lead over AC Milan to 13 points, Lukaku helps Napoli secure 3 valuable points in Serie A

Inter Milan secures a 2-0 victory over Genoa to strengthen their Serie A lead, as Lukaku's crucial strike aids Napoli in a 2-1 win against Verona in round 27.

After the shock of being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, Inter Milan quickly regained balance with a 2-0 win over Genoa in Serie A, extending their unbeaten domestic run against Il Grifone to 14 consecutive matches.

The match started energetically with Lorenzo Colombo hitting the crossbar, while Nicolo Barella had his shot blocked in the opening minutes. Inter applied early pressure through Federico Dimarco's set-pieces. Goalkeeper Justin Bijlow showcased his skills by saving Stefan de Vrij's header, and Manuel Akanji fired off-target. The visitors continued to press, and Bijlow made another excellent save to deny Ange-Yoan Bonny.

Inter's patience finally paid off in the 30th minute. From Henrikh Mkhitaryan's lofted cross, Dimarco struck a decisive volley from an extremely tight angle, driving the ball into the far corner to open the scoring. Earlier, Mkhitaryan had rattled the crossbar with a deflected long-range effort. Genoa also had opportunities, but Mikael Egill Ellertsson failed to beat the opposing defense.

In the second half, the game became more balanced. Vitinha nearly caused a surprise with a long-range shot, while Ellertsson missed another headed chance. As Genoa began to gain momentum, Bijlow made another crucial save from Luis Henrique's deflected strike. However, the turning point came when Alex Amorim handled the ball in the penalty area. From the spot, Hakan Calhanoglu coolly deceived the goalkeeper, sealing a 2-0 victory for Inter Milan.

This marks Inter's eighth consecutive win in Serie A, extending their lead to 13 points over second-placed AC Milan before their rival faces Cremonese. Meanwhile, Genoa's three-match unbeaten run ended, leaving them just three points above the relegation zone.

In another development, Napoli secured a dramatic 2-1 victory at Hellas Verona thanks to Romelu Lukaku's 96th-minute goal.

Following a period of decline that saw them eliminated from the Coppa Italia and losing ground in the Scudetto race, Napoli started with determination. In just the second minute, Matteo Politano delivered a cross for Rasmus Hojlund to head home skillfully and open the scoring.

Despite controlling the game in the first half, Napoli failed to extend their lead. In the second half, Verona fought back and equalized controversially when Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro's shot deflected off Hojlund for an own goal. In the closing minutes, Napoli faced difficulties under pressure from the hosts.

Just when the match seemed destined for a draw, in the final moments of stoppage time, Lukaku capitalized on Giovane's low cross to score the decisive goal, securing a valuable 2-1 win for Napoli.

This result helps Napoli consolidate their position in the top four, while Verona remains deep in the relegation zone, facing a clear threat of demotion.