Esteban Cambiasso and Mario Balotelli both struck for Inter Milan in their crucial 2-0 victory over Fiorentina last night.
"We struggled in the opening 25 minutes because we allowed them too much space," said Inter coach Roberto Mancini afterwards. "We were not compact enough and that caused problems. Fiorentina play good football, but we certainly did not lack scoring opportunities.
This result was needed after Roma's 3-1 win away to Udinese in the afternoon temporarily closed the gap to one point.
"With five rounds to go until the end of the season we must focus solely on our path. A four-point advantage over Roma is a good margin to have at this stage."
Balotelli was on target for the second time in as many Serie A games and is proving to be a remarkable talent who only turned 17 in August.
"When a player has his debut so young he doesn't really think about the importance of what he is doing. He enjoys playing football and does not consider the dangers," said Mancio, who played his first Serie A game aged 16.
"One of the reasons why Mario is so strong right now is that he doesn't feel the pressure. That is only right, as he has many years ahead of him and enormous room for improvement. I think he's not even at 50 per cent of his potential."
