Inter miss chance to go top of Serie A after losing at Juventus in Derby d’Italia

MILAN: Defending champions Inter Milan missed their chance to move top of Serie A on Sunday after losing 1-0 at Juventus, who boosted thir hopes of a top-four finish.

Francisco Conceiçao scored the only goal in the 74th minute of a high-tempo Derby d’Italia, or Italy’s derby as matches between the two fierce rivals have come to be known.

Inter wasted a number of chances and remained two points behind league leader Napoli, who were held to a 2-2 draw at Lazio on Saturday. Juventus are fourth.

“There’s certainly great regret and disappointment — clearly we should have been better at finishing and scoring goals,” Inter coach Simone Inzaghi said. “Because after a first half like that we should have gone in at the break ahead.

“Then we didn’t approach the second half like the first … we need to work even harder because what we’re doing isn’t enough for what we want to achieve.”

Inter visit Napoli in a potential title-deciding match in two weeks.

“We’ll try to do our best, or at least better than tonight,” Inzaghi said.

Inter had the better of the chances in the first half, with Lautaro Martinez uncharacteristically blazing over the bar from close range when completely unmarked. However, visiting goalkeeper Yann Sommer had to make the most important saves.

Nerazzurri defender Denzel Dumfries also hit the post twice.

But it was Juventus who broke the deadlock with a fantastic assist from new signing Randal Kolo Muani.

The France forward, who had scored five goals in three league matches for Juventus, gathered the ball on the edge of the area and made his way through a crowd of players before tripping. The ball came to Conceiçao, who drove it into the bottom left corner.

Juventus almost doubled their lead two minutes