Milan Hold Roma at Bay as Inter Secure Late Victory over Verona

AC Milan denied Roma the chance to move top of Serie A with a narrow 1-0 victory at the San Siro on Sunday, while Inter Milan edged Verona 2-1 thanks to a late own goal.

Roma, aiming to overtake reigning champions Napoli—who were held to a goalless draw by Como the previous evening—needed a win to move two points clear at the summit. However, their ambitions were halted by Milan defender Strahinja Pavlović, who scored the only goal of the game before Paulo Dybala missed a crucial penalty late on.

The result sees Milan climb to third place, level on points with both Inter and Roma, while Napoli remain a point clear at the top.

Milan, under Massimiliano Allegri, continue their fine form, remaining unbeaten since their opening-day shock defeat to Cremonese.

“It’s far too early to start dreaming; it’s only November,” goalkeeper Mike Maignan told DAZN. “We’ve got a good squad and a strong spirit. We’ll take it one game at a time and see where we are later. Of course, we want to win everything, but there’s still a long way to go.”

Roma, led by new manager Gian Piero Gasperini, saw their perfect away record come to an end.

Match Summary: AC Milan vs Roma

Milan’s goal arrived in the 39th minute following a blistering counter-attack. After winning the ball deep in their own area, Milan surged forward, and Rafael Leão’s precise pull-back was fired home by Pavlović from close range—just 17 seconds after possession was regained.

Roma were offered a lifeline when Lorenzo Pellegrini’s free-kick struck the arm of Youssouf Fofana in the wall, but Dybala’s resulting penalty was expertly saved by Maignan. To compound Roma’s frustration, the Argentinian forward appeared to injure himself while taking the spot-kick and was forced off.

“They couldn’t score against us before, and they couldn’t from the penalty either,” said Leão. “We knew we could hold firm. We created more chances and deserved the victory.”

Inter Milan Move Up to Second

At Verona, Inter claimed a hard-fought 2-1 win in difficult, rain-soaked conditions.

Piotr Zieliński gave Inter an early lead in the 16th minute with a thunderous volley following a poorly cleared corner. Verona’s Giovane equalised on 40 minutes, and for much of the second half, the game seemed destined for a draw.

However, three minutes into stoppage time, Verona defender Martin Frese inadvertently diverted Nicolo Barella’s cross into his own net, gifting Inter a dramatic victory.

“It was one of those matches that are easier to lose than to win, but we showed character,” said Inter coach Cristian Chivu after the match.

Match Summary: Verona vs Inter Milan

Elsewhere, Fiorentina continued their miserable run with a 1-0 home defeat to Lecce, leaving them winless after ten Serie A matches—a worrying statistic for a side that has not been relegated since 2004. Torino and Pisa played out a 2-2 draw.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Luciano Spalletti made a victorious start to life as Juventus coach, as his side defeated Cremonese 2-1 despite a late strike from Jamie Vardy for the visitors.

With Napoli holding firm at the top and both Milan clubs in hot pursuit, the Serie A title race promises to be as unpredictable and fiercely contested as ever.