Lecce Vs Inter: Chivu's Changes Pay Off as Mkhitaryan and Akanji Seal 2-0 Win
Inter closed out a hard-fought 2-0 victory at Stadio Del Mare, and Lecce Vs Inter ended with late substitutes Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Manuel Akanji striking to secure three points that extended Inter’s lead at the top of Serie A.
Lecce Vs Inter: Late substitutes settle a tight game
Henrikh Mkhitaryan opened the scoring in the 75th minute with a side-footed volley from a half-cleared corner, and Manuel Akanji added a header seven minutes later after rising highest to flick in another corner. The late goals gave Cristian Chivu’s side a 2-0 win at Stadio Del Mare and extended Inter’s unbeaten Serie A streak to 14 matches while increasing their cushion at the top of the table to 10 points.
Chivu’s defensive rotation and the absences that shaped the XI
Cristian Chivu moved Stefan de Vrij into a back three alongside Bisseck and Bastoni for the trip to Lecce, freshening up his defence after the midweek defeat in Norway. Barella and Calhanoglu both serve suspensions, and Dumfries and Lautaro Martinez remain sidelined through injury alongside the suspended Turkish midfielder. Lautaro had earlier been identified with a calf strain and was absent, so Ange-Yoan Bonny partnered Marcus Thuram up front.
Key moments — VAR, saves and denied chances
Federico Dimarco appeared to put Inter ahead seven minutes after the break when he turned in Marcus Thuram’s low cross, but the goal was ruled out for offside against Thuram on VAR review. Wladimiro Falcone produced a superb save to tip Francesco Pio Esposito’s glancing header around the post, and Luis Henrique had an early controlled volley saved despite a heavy deflection. Marcus Thuram also saw an effort on target denied before the late breakthrough from the substitutes.
Tactical set-ups: midfield pivots and Lecce’s formation
Chivu lined up Piotr Zielinski in the pivot with Davide Frattesi and Sucic either side of him, while Federico Dimarco and Luis Henrique returned at wing-back to provide width. Lecce set up in a 4-2-3-1 under Eusebio Di Francesco, with Cheddira leading the line and Pierotti, Omri Gandelman and Sottil supporting. Gandelman had been among the goals that helped Lecce climb clear of the drop zone in recent matches.
Background pressure and recent form entering the match
The match followed Inter’s chastening 3-1 defeat at Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of their Champions League playoff in sub-zero conditions at Aspmyra Stadion, a result that left them at risk of missing out on the last 16. Before that trip north of the Arctic Circle, Inter had put together a seven-match winning streak across all competitions while conceding just one goal, and they had won six straight in Serie A leading into the weekend. In the league prior to the match, Inter had sat seven points clear of second-placed AC Milan; after the win at Lecce, that cushion increased to 10 points.
Lecce arrived with pressure on their survival bid: they occupy 17th spot on 24 points, three above the relegation places, following a vital victory in Cagliari on Monday. One week after Lameck Banda’s late goal produced their first success of 2026, Lecce posted back-to-back league wins for the first time this term; midfielders Ylber Ramadani and Omri Gandelman both scored in the second half in Sardinia to move the Giallorossi clear of 18th-placed Fiorentina. Historically, Lecce had been winless in nine league meetings with Inter and had gone 222 minutes without scoring against them at the del Mare before this weekend’s match.
Stat boost for Dimarco and wider numbers
Federico Dimarco provided the corner assists for both late goals, becoming the first defender to record at least one assist in five straight appearances across the last 20 Serie A campaigns (since 2006-07). Inter have now won their last nine Serie A away matches, keeping a clean sheet in the last six, and the Nerazzurri produced 2. 15 expected goals (xG) to Lecce’s 0. 12 in the match. Only once in club history did Inter record a longer run of consecutive away wins — 11 between October 2006 and March 2007 under Roberto Mancini.
The win added to a sequence of positive league results: Inter had recently won 12 of their last 13 top-flight fixtures and eight straight on the road prior to this match, and the Del Mare victory maintained that strong run.
Next on Inter’s calendar is the upcoming visit from Bodo/Glimt to San Siro in the Champions League playoff second leg, and Chivu must now ready his squad for that decisive fixture while managing suspensions and the injured players before the return to continental action.
