Inter turn focus back to Serie A title chase

MILAN: Inter Milan turn their focus back to the Serie A title chase after their Champions League flop while Gennaro Gattuso begins life as Napoli coach trying to end their seven-game winless run in Italian league action this weekend.

Inter Milan were the only one of Italy’s four Champions League teams to fail to make the knockout rounds after a 2-1 defeat aga­inst Barce­lona in the San Siro.

Antonio Conte’s league leaders, who have a two-point advantage over champions Juventus, travel to 13th-placed Fiorentina, with their focus on claiming a first Serie A title since 2010.

Inter stars Romelu Lukaku (ten) and Lautaro Martinez (eight) have between them scored as many goals as the entire Fiorentina squad this season, with the Tuscan side on a run of four consecutive defeats.

“I saw much disappointment in the players’ eyes and I was sad about that. We have to raise our heads again,” said Conte. “We have two games to go before the Christmas break and hopefully we can bring back some players from injury.”

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus host Udinese, in 16th, on Sunday after their unbeaten run ended last weekend against Lazio in Rome.

Portuguese star Ronaldo has scored in his last three games including the midweek Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen.

In a battle between third and fourth, in-form Lazio and Cagliari go head-to-head. Simone Inzaghi’s Lazio can extend their winning streak to eight consecutive games but Cagliari are unbeaten in the league since September 1.

Just behind, Roma host rock bottom SPAL needing to win to keep in touch, as do Atalanta, who travel Bologna after reaching the Champions League last 16 in their first season in Europe.

In seventh, Napoli are eight points off the Champions League places.

A winless league run stretching back to October 19 cost Carlo Ancelotti his job, despite a thumping 4-0 win over Genk in Europe this week.