Inter flying high in Italy

MILAN (AP):

Inter Milan moved provisionally clear at the top of the Serie A table with a 1-0 win at Torino yesterday, while Roma kept up the pressure with a 2-0 victory over Lazio in the capital derby.

Napoli remained two points behind Inter after Gonzalo Higuain scored his ninth league goal of the season to help them beat Udinese 1-0.

Geoffrey Kondogbia scored his first Serie A goal to leave Inter one point clear of Roma and three ahead of Fiorentina, which was scheduled to play Sampdoria later. Key saves by Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic were also decisive in preserving his side's lead.

"These are three fundamental points because we get to the international break at the top," Handanovic said. "At the end we were clinical and we got what we deserved. ... We have to be humble, things might not go well all the time. Only a third of the season has gone, it would be pointless to think of the title now."

There was a controversial penalty for Roma's opener, while both teams hit the woodwork in an entertaining match. But unusually few spectators watched the match amid a boycott to protest new security measures.

Elsewhere, Juventus came back from a goal down to win 3-1 at Empoli and move above Lazio on goal difference, with the capital side having lost four of their past five matches.

High-flying Sassuolo beat relegation-threatened Carpi 1-0, while Genoa rescued a 2-2 draw at fellow struggler Frosinone despite playing more than 50 minutes with 10 men after Sebastian De Maio was sent off for two bookings. Palermo beat Chievo Verona 1-0.

Inter were top of the table and hadn't lost at Torino in 21 years but was almost behind 30 minutes in when Marco Benassi's strike from distance crashed off the crossbar.

The visitors took the lead moments later when Rodrigo Palacio nodded on Yuto Nagatomo's free kick for Kondogbia to volley in at the back post.

Inter, which had two shots on target all match, held out for a third successive 1-0 victory. The last time Inter won by more than one goal was April 11 -- a 3-0 win at Hellas Verona.

Juventus, which needed a last-gasp goal to win last week's derby, was still struggling to find form and found themselves behind in the 19th minute when Massimo Maccarone drove into the bottom left corner against the run of play.

However, they turned the match around shortly after with two goals in six minutes from Mario Mandzukic and Patrice Evra.

Substitute Paulo Dybala sealed the match six minutes from time.