Lautaro Martinez ends slump with 2 goals in Inter's bounce-back win
Lautaro Martinez struck his first goals of the season for Inter Milan with a brace in Saturday's 3-2 win at Udinese which moved the champions level with Torino and local rivals AC Milan at the top of Serie A.
Davide Frattesi's deft finish after just 43 seconds was followed by Argentina forward Martinez's strikes moments before and after half-time.
The win in Udine saw Inter bounce back from Milan derby defeat last weekend and move up to 11 points after six matches.
Torino, who host Lazio on Sunday, currently hold top spot by virtue of second-placed Milan and Inter having played a game more.
"After the derby we kept quiet and worked hard and I think you saw that on the pitch," said Martinez to DAZN.
Martinez's brace will be great news for coach Simone Inzaghi, whose team host Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Serie A's top scorer last season, Martinez had not scored since netting the winner for his country in the Copa America final in July, and his poor form at the start of this campaign had been a worry.
"It definitely important for me because a striker is always on the hunt for goals," he added.
"I always say that first I work for the team, and if I manage to score then so much the better."
Decisive Martinez
The 27-year-old's goal-scoring drought looked set to continue when he headed wide a golden opportunity to double Inter's lead from Hakan Calhanoglu's cross eight minutes after Frattesi's opener.
But after Christian Kabasele levelled for Udinese in the 35th minute, Martinez bundled home Federico Dimarco's cross in added time at the end of the first half.
And two minutes after the restart, he confidently drilled home the decisive third for the away side, which made Lorenzo Lucca's 83rd-minute strike for fifth-placed Udinese meaningless.
Juventus will move a point ahead of the leading trio if they win at Genoa in a match which will be played behind closed doors as punishment for widespread fan disorder before and after the hosts' Italian Cup defeat to local rivals Sampdoria.
Prolonged clashes between Genoa and Sampdoria's hardcore ultras on Wednesday led to dozens of injuries to fans and police and a crackdown by Italy's security authorities.
The away supporters' section has been closed for Samp's Serie B fixture at Modena on Sunday, with ticket sales for other sections also banned for anyone from the Liguria region, of which Genoa is the capital.
On Thursday, Italy's interior ministry said its public security department was also evaluating Genoa and Samp's following three matches, asking Serie A and Serie B to tell the clubs not to sell tickets for those fixtures until a decision is made.
Juventus, who are at Leipzig on Wednesday, are yet to concede a league goal this season under Thiago Motta but have drawn their last three league matches 0-0.
Bologna host Atalanta in the day's late match ahead of Wednesday's daunting Champions League trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool.