Under-fire France international Geoffrey Kondogbia hit his maiden Serie A goal as Inter Milan moved provisional top of the pile with their seventh 1-0 win of the championship away to Torino.
Kondogbia has been substituted on several occasions by coach Roberto Mancini as he struggled to adapt to life in Italy’s top flight since joining the Nerazzurri from Monaco in a 35m euros deal last summer.
But the 22-year-old made amends for past discrepancies on Sunday by firing the visitors in front on 31 minutes after meeting Yuto Nagatomo’s cross towards the back post with an acrobatic volley.
Inter held on for their eighth win in 12 games to move top of the table with a three-point lead on Fiorentina, who are away to Sampdoria in Sunday’s late game. Torino remain in 11th place, now 12 points adrift.
Fiorentina have been firing on all cylinders so far this season and if La Viola prevail at the Luigi Ferraris stadium they will regain top spot due to a far superior goal difference to Inter.
Roma host Lazio in the derby at the Stadio Olimpico but even a win for Rudi Garcia’s men, who are now four points adrift in third place, won’t be enough for them to go top of the table.
Champions Juventus, now 12 points behind Inter, are away to Empoli looking to win a second successive league game for the first time this season.
Napoli, now five points behind Inter in fourth place and one point behind Roma, host Udinese at the San Paolo later Sunday where striker Gonzalo Higuain will be aiming to score his 200th career goal.
So far the Argentinian international has scored 63 for Napoli, 121 for former club Real Madrid and 15 for River Plate.
Higuain also sits second in the Serie A scoring charts on eight goals, one behind Italy and Sampdoria striker Eder. – Agence France-Presse
