Martínez Strike Keeps Inter's Perfect Record Alive

BERGAMO, ITALY — League leaders Internazionale extended their commanding grip on Serie A with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Atalanta at the Gewiss Stadium, maintaining their perfect unbeaten record. The result left 10th-placed Atalanta 14 points adrift, their struggles in front of goal painfully evident.

For 64 minutes, Atalanta's defense held firm against wave after wave of Inter attacks. Then Lautaro Martínez struck. Francesco Pio Esposito threaded a perfectly weighted pass through the heart of the home defense, and the Argentine striker made no mistake, drilling a left-footed shot from the center of the box into the net. Marco Carnesecchi stood rooted to the spot as Inter's traveling supporters erupted in celebration.

The breakthrough came moments after Atalanta had introduced Lorenzo Bernasconi for Nicola Zalewski, a substitution that barely had time to settle before Inter punished their hosts. Martínez's clinical finish was the culmination of relentless pressure and proved to be the decisive moment in a match that had threatened to remain goalless.

Inter enjoyed 54.8% possession and created far more danger throughout the 90 minutes. The visitors peppered Atalanta's goal with 15 shots compared to just seven from the home side, forcing four saves from Carnesecchi. Most damning for Atalanta was their complete inability to test Yann Sommer—they failed to register a single shot on target all evening, a statistic that laid bare their attacking impotence.

Piotr Zielinski and Nicolò Barella controlled the midfield for Inter, dictating tempo and cutting off Atalanta's supply lines to Charles De Ketelaere and Gianluca Scamacca. Alessandro Bastoni and Manuel Akanji formed an impenetrable wall at the back, though Bastoni picked up a yellow card for a cynical foul on De Ketelaere in the 77th minute. Éderson worked tirelessly for Atalanta, winning defensive duels and driving forward when possible, but his close-range header in the 50th minute sailed harmlessly over the bar.

A potential turning point arrived in the 36th minute when Marcus Thuram thought he'd broken the deadlock, only for VAR to rule out his effort. The lengthy review seemed to deflate Atalanta while galvanizing Inter's belief that their moment would come.

The final half-hour saw Atalanta desperately chase an equalizer, introducing Kamaldeen Sulemana and Lazar Samardzic in search of fresh attacking impetus. Sulemana's frustration boiled over, earning him a yellow card in the 80th minute for a reckless challenge on Yann Bisseck. Inter managed the game expertly, bringing on Davide Frattesi and Andy Diouf to shore up midfield and run down the clock during five minutes of added time.

Atalanta will travel to face AS Roma on January 3, while Internazionale host Bologna on January 4.