Inter Moves Clear at Serie A Summit with Lecce Victory

Inter Milan beats Lecce 2-0

Inter Milan earned a seventh consecutive win in Serie A, after two late second-half goals helped the Nerazzurri to a 2-0 victory against Lecce at the Stadio Ettore Giardiniero – an eighth successive H2H victory for Cristian Chivu’s men.

Inter Milan's win puts pressure on AC Milan and Napoli to win their matches tomorrow to keep up in the Serie A title chase...

Inter Milan secured a 2-0 win over Lecce at the Stadio Ettore Giardiniero, extending their Serie A lead. Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Manuel Akanji scored late second-half goals, securing Inter's seventh consecutive Serie A victory and eighth straight head-to-head win against Lecce.

Manager Cristian Chivu made seven changes to the team that suffered a midweek defeat in the Arctic Circle, showcasing his squad's depth. This win keeps Inter firmly in control of the Serie A title race, with 64 points, 10 ahead of AC Milan and 14 clear of Napoli in third.

And though Lecce, who were freshly confident after their first set of successive victories this term, might have fancied their chances of defying the odds, they were dealt a blow within a minute of kick-off.

Kialonda Gaspar was forced off with an injury after going down when trying to block a Marcus Thuram shot, but Jamil Siebiert proved a worthy replacement.

Jamil Siebiert, the German defender, made a crucial save for Lecce in the 10th minute. Federico Dimarco's cross found Luis Henrique unmarked at the back post, and his side-footed volley seemed headed for the far corner. However, Siebiert was alert and cleared the ball off the goal line after Wladimiro Falcone parried it towards him.

Włodzimierz Falcone made another crucial save, denying Francesco Esposito's effort, leaving Lecce grateful for a halftime draw. The team had struggled offensively, managing just one off-target shot in the first 45 minutes.

Inter thought they'd taken the lead 5 minutes into the second half when Marcus Thuram broke through and Federico Dimarco bundled the ball into the net. However, the goal was ruled out as Thuram was offside.

With their lead at the top of the table at risk of being cut, Chivu turned to his bench in order to shake things up with four changes after the hour mark.

Two second-half goals give Inter the win! ⚽⚽#LecceInter pic.twitter.com/eELDeOsxcs

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) February 21, 2026

One of the substitutes, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, repaid the faith of his manager when he popped up in the 75th minute with a sweeping finish, converting inside the box from Dimarco’s corner for his second league goal of the season.  

The pressure eased off Inter and manager Cristian Chivu after Mkhitaryan's goal. They capitalized on this momentum with a second goal, courtesy of Manuel Akanji, who powered in a header from Federico Dimarco's corner.

Inter Milan's win puts pressure on AC Milan and Napoli to win their matches tomorrow to keep up in the Serie A title chase. AC Milan is currently second, 10 points behind Inter, while Napoli is third, 14 points behind.

Federico Dimarco is the Panini Player of the Match! 🏆#LecceInter pic.twitter.com/Klan8UpXzN

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) February 21, 2026

Lecce's defeat keeps them 17th, just three points above the relegation zone with two of the bottom three teams still to play this gameweek