Inter wins 1-0 at Udinese to consolidate Serie A advantage, prepares for Arsenal in Champions League

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MILAN (AP) — Inter Milan will be full of confidence as the Champions League resumes after consolidating its lead at the top of the Serie A table with a 1-0 win at Udinese on Saturday.

Lautaro Martínez scored in the first half as Inter moved six points clear of second-placed AC Milan and nine above defending champion Napoli, in third.

Napoli was playing at home to Sassuolo later. Milan hosts lowly Lecce on Sunday.

Fourth-placed Juventus was also playing later, at relegation-threatened Cagliari.

Inter welcomes Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday. Arsenal tops the table having won all six of its matches in Europe’s elite club competition. Inter, which has lost its past two, sits sixth.

With that crucial match coming up, Cristian Chivu again rotated his squad on Saturday, with Pio Esposito partnering Lautaro.

And those two combined in the 20th minute for the opening goal.

Piotr Sebastian Zielinski played a through ball into the penalty area for Esposito to backheel it into the path of Lautaro, who muscled his way across before drilling into the bottom right corner.

Federico Dimarco thought he had doubled Inter's lead in the 61st minute following another Esposito assist, but it was ruled out for offside.

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