Inter 1-0 Venezia: Martinez nods hosts to controversial victory
Lautaro Martinez's fifth goal of the season saw Inter move to within a point of Serie A leaders Napoli, but the win came with controversy.
Inter survived a late scare to close the gap to just a point at the Serie A summit after edging past Venezia 1-0 at the San Siro on Sunday.
Marin Sverko thought he had cancelled out Lautaro Martinez's header in the final minute of second-half stoppage time, only for the goal to be ruled out by VAR for handball.
The hosts made a bright start to proceedings and almost took the lead early on when Martinez flashed an effort narrowly wide of the far post.
Inter continued to create the better chances, with Alessandro Bastoni firing over from distance before Federico Dimarco saw his strike saved by Filip Stankovic.
Venezia offered a threat on the break, though, and almost found the opener through Gaetano Oristanio, but his point-blank effort was brilliantly clawed away by Yann Sommer.
However, the visitors' resilience was finally broken in the 65th minute when Dimarco's teasing delivery picked out Martinez, who nodded home his fifth goal of the season.
But there was late drama at the San Siro. Venezia thought they had snatched a draw when Ridgeciano Haps' cross was headed into the net by Sverko.
Yet, upon further inspection by VAR, it ruled the ball had struck the forearm of the visiting defender as he challenged with Yann Bisseck, with Inter able to hold on to claim a controversial, but huge win for their Scudetto ambitions.
Data Debrief: Hero Martinez saves the day
Though Inter were fortunate in the way they won their encounter with Venezia, they are now unbeaten in 35 of their last 36 matches against newly promoted teams in Serie A (W29, D6).
Martinez has also enjoyed recent meetings against sides coming up from Serie B, netting his 13th goal in as many games against newly promoted sides in the top-flight.
The Argentine's header proved to be the difference, which was set up by Dimarco, who notched his second assist of the season.
He is now one of the only two defenders to have provided more than one assist in each of the last six seasons in the Italian top-flight (since 2019-20), along with Theo Hernandez.
