Having played each other in the league on Thursday, these two sides have become well acquainted, but Fiorentina were almost caught cold inside the opening minute.
Matteo Darmian marauded down the right and delivered an inch-perfect ball onto the toe of Lautaro Martinez, but his half-volley fizzed inches wide of the post.
Inter were largely struggling against La Viola’s low block but they almost broke it down in sensational fashion when Nicolo Barella leapt into the air and saw his bicycle kick drop narrowly wide of the post.
The Nerrazurri came even closer midway through the half, rattling the woodwork twice when Carlos Augusto and Martinez hit the post and bar respectively from successive corners.
Fiorentina didn’t heed the warning though and fell behind from a corner. There was an element of controversy to it as they felt Inter had run the ball out before the corner was given, but the hosts didn’t care and the ball ricocheted off Marin Pongracic and into his own net.
Fiorentina then had a stroke of luck themselves when Robin Gosens’ header bounced off the arm of Darmian in the area.
There was huge pressure on the resulting penalty, but Rolando Mandragora caressed his spot-kick into the top corner.
La Viola weren’t on level terms for too long though, finding themselves behind again soon after the restart.
Augusto’s high-hanging cross can be described as nothing more than hopeful, but Marko Arnautovic forced the affair and rose highest to head the hosts back in front.
It was largely Inter in the ascendancy after that goal, but they never particularly threatened to lay the game to rest. They did come close to doing so 10 minutes from time when Nicola Zalewski flashed an effort across the face of goal, but a one-goal cushion set up a nervy ending.
Inter needn’t have worried too much as Fiorentina offered precious little in the final third, with a Nicolo Zaniolo pop shot from distance which trickled harmlessly wide about as close as they came to finding an equaliser.
As such, the hosts were untroubled in seeing out a seventh win from their last 10 home meetings with their opponents and three points which moved them closer to the ultimate goal of winning successive Scudetti.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Carlos Augusto (Inter)
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