Lautaro Martínez struck the decisive blow in the second half as Inter Milan ground out a 1-0 victory over Atalanta BC to reclaim top spot in Serie A, extending their dominance in the fixture with a ninth straight head-to-head win.

With hopes of silverware recently dented by an Italian Super Cup semi-final loss to Bologna, the Nerazzurri were keen to respond, and Cristian Chivu’s side showed encouraging signs of recovery from the outset. Against an Atalanta team in good form after winning three of their previous four matches, Inter gradually took control of a cagey opening period.

Clear chances were at a premium, but Marco Carnesecchi was forced into action to keep out efforts from Marcus Thuram and Martínez as Inter’s pressure slowly increased. The visitors thought they had made the breakthrough after 35 minutes when Thuram smashed a superb first-time effort past the goalkeeper, only for VAR to intervene and rule the goal out for offside.

Atalanta offered little in response before the interval, failing to muster a single shot on target in a tentative first-half display that left them firmly on the back foot.

The contest opened up after the restart, with the hosts showing greater attacking intent. Éderson squandered a good opportunity by heading over from Charles De Ketelaere’s delivery, while the Belgian forward later saw a goal chalked off for offside.

Despite that brief spell of encouragement for La Dea, it was Inter who found the crucial breakthrough in the 65th minute. A loose pass from Berat Djimsiti was seized upon by Pio Esposito, who slipped a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Martínez, allowing the Argentine to finish ruthlessly from close range.

The goal marked Martínez’s eighth against Atalanta, and with Inter having won on each of his previous four goalscoring appearances against them, the pattern felt all too familiar. Palladino’s side pushed in search of an equaliser, but Inter managed the closing stages with composure, even surviving a late scare when Lazar Samardžić somehow fired wide from close range.

In the end, Inter held firm to record a fourth consecutive league victory and reassert themselves as the team to beat heading into 2026. For Atalanta, the frustration continues, as their winless run against the Nerazzurri stretched to 16 matches, bringing an abrupt end to their three-game winning streak in all competitions.