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Paul Pogba's agent Mino Raiola has insisted his client has no intention of leaving Juventus in the January transfer window.
France start Pogba has a contract with the Serie A champions until June 2019, but is continually being linked with a move elsewhere, with clubs such as Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City all believed to be interested.
However, Raiola has made it clear Pogba wants to stay put until at least the end of the season.
"He will not be going anywhere in January," Raiola told Radio Sportiva.
"He has expressed his desire to end this season at Juventus. Plus great players rarely switch clubs in the January window.
"A transfer at the end of the season? June is still far away."
The Nerazzurri were knocked off the summit with a defeat against fellow high-flyers Napoli, but the former Manchester City man has his mind set on a European spot
Roberto Mancini has reiterated Inter are not thinking about winning the Serie A title just yet as qualifying for the Champions League remains their primary target.
Inter sit second in the Serie A table after 14 games, trailing leaders Napoli by just one point, and look well placed to provide a strong challenge in what promises to be an open title race.
Nevertheless, Mancini feels teams like Juventus, Roma, Fiorentina and Napoli are all better placed to go all the way this campaign.
"We are not aiming for the Scudetto," Mancini told Corriere dello Sport.
"Of course, it does not hurt to dream about the title. Inter have a great history and traditionally fight until the end. And it could be an advantage that we do not play European football. But our goal is to qualify for the next Champions League.
"Napoli, Roma, Fiorentina and Juventus are better equipped than us because they've played together for a long time.
"Juventus came back in the title race and that doesn't surprise be. They lost three great players, but also brought in four or five great ones. They are seven points behind and are back in it.
"Roma are a strong team, but one day they're up and another they're down. That said, they are in the running for the Scudetto, too.
"It would be better to finish second than third, because we would like to avoid the [Champions League] play-offs. That is our goal. It is always hard to settle for second place, though."
Inter v Genoa: Mancini´s side out to reignite title tilt
3 December 2015
Inter will look to bounce back quickly from defeat in their first-versus-second clash with Napoli when they host Genoa in Serie A on Saturday.
Roberto Mancini's men were knocked off top spot by Napoli in losing 2-1 at Stadio San Paolo on Monday - a result that ended their four-match winning run in the league and marked just their second Serie A defeat of the season.
But with Napoli not back in action until Sunday, Inter could reclaim pole position, at least temporarily, with victory over struggling Genoa, who sit 15th in the table after a disappointing 2-1 home loss to Carpi last time out.
Mancini is not expected to make a raft of changes in the wake of the Napoli defeat, although he may opt to recall Felipe Melo in order to bolster the centre of midfield and will have to reshuffle his backline given the absence through suspension of Yuto Nagatomo.
In-form Croatian midfielder Ivan Perisic, meanwhile, is expected to recover from a virus in time to feature, and that means Stevan Jovetic may again be forced to settle for a place on the bench.
Striker Mauro Icardi, who continues to be linked with a big-money move away from Inter, is likely to lead the line once again despite his relatively modest return of four Serie A goals this season.
Genoa, meanwhile, are without leading scorer Leonardo Pavoletti due to suspension.
The former Sassuolo man will start a three-match ban having seen red in the defeat against Carpi.
Pavoletti's red card was the seventh received by a Genoa player this season - a record in Europe's top five leagues - and left coach Gian Piero Gasperini exasperated.
"We're always commendable for our effort," he said, "but there have been too many red cards due to stupidity, if we may use that term.
"I find it hard to justify a red card like that."
Pavoletti's absence could mean a start for former Inter forward Goran Pandev.
Key Opta Stats:
- Genoa's last away win against Inter was back in March 1994. Since then there have been six wins for Inter and three draws.
- Inter have scored 16 goals in their last five home league games against Genoa.
- Roberto Mancini's side have scored exactly one goal in 11 of their last 14 league games.
- Inter's Rodrigo Palacio has scored three goals in five league meetings against Genoa, including two in last season's games.
Carpi v AC Milan: Poli wants ´win at all costs´ in first meeting between sides
4 December 2015
AC Milan's up-and-down season continues when they travel to play struggling Carpi for the first time ever on Sunday, with Andrea Poli calling for a win at all costs.
The last week has produced two victories for Sinisa Mihajlovic's side, with a 4-1 home triumph over Sampdoria followed up by a nervous 3-1 extra-time win over Serie B outfit Crotone in the Coppa Italia.
Milan have struggled for consistency in Serie A this year, winning seven, drawing two and losing five of their opening 14 fixtures in the league, although they have only lost once – to Juventus – in their last seven.
All that leaves them seventh in the table, eight points behind leaders Napoli, six behind Fiorentina in the third and final Champions League spot, but only four clear of Lazio in 10th place, highlighting how their campaign can still go either way.
Carpi, meanwhile, have struggled since gaining promotion to the top flight this season. They have only picked up nine points from 14 games to sit 19th in the table, although they did pick up what was just their second win of the season by securing a 2-1 victory away to Genoa in their last league match.
The 27 goals conceded in their league matches to date gives Carpi by far the worst defensive record in Serie A and Poli is desperate to see Milan take advantage.
"The Carpi match this weekend is massively important," he told Milan Channel.
"We want to win at all costs and bring home the three points.
"The Crotone match was one in which we could have done better and we suffered. We faced a side that defended deep and man marked across the entire pitch. We should have done better, but in the end we were able to win and that is what matters.
"It was hard in extra-time with players that have not had much game-time this season. We were under pressure at times, but we simply had to progress to the next round and in the end we deserved to win.
"Many expected a flurry of goals, but we did not underestimate Crotone because they are a tough side to play against."
Nigel de Jong (thigh) has been training in full this week, while Mario Balotelli is also back with the group following groin surgery but he is not expected to return until closer to Christmas.
Key Opta stats:
- Carpi and AC Milan have never met in Serie A or in Serie B.
- In the last game against Genoa, Carpi won after they had gained only one point in six games (0-0 against Verona).
- Milan have scored four goals against Sampdoria after they hadn’t scored in the previous two games: moreover Milan have not conceded more than one goal since the game against Napoli on October 4.
- Carpi have conceded six goals in the first 15 minutes of play, more than any other Serie A team.
- Milan have conceded five goals in the first half: only Napoli (three) and Inter (four) have better records.
- Marco Borriello have played 53 games for Milan in Serie A, scoring 16 goals, one every 207 minutes: at the moment his average at Carpi is 185 mins/goal.
Kevin-Prince Boateng is close to securing his release from Schalke and agreeing a deal to re-join AC Milan, his agent has confirmed.
The midfielder has already been training and playing in friendlies with Milan for over two months after being suspended by the Bundesliga club following May's 2-0 defeat at Cologne.
Boateng's representative Federico Pastorello has now revealed a deal to bring an early end his contract with Schalke – which expires at the end of the season – is in the pipeline, which would clear the path for him to represent Sinisa Mihajlovic's side from January.
"We have taken an important first step and now we look to end the agreement with Schalke in the next few days," Pastorello told MilanNews.
"Once that is done, we will find an agreement with Milan. The coach has confirmed that he wants him and that was the most important thing – to have the okay from the coach, who had to make a decision.
"He has a great desire to do well and make a contribution and he will be very useful to the coach.
"Kevin has a great desire for redemption after some difficult months and he wants to also repay the faith that Milan have shown in him."
Boateng's first spell with AC MIlan saw him play at San Siro between 2010 and 2013, winning Serie A in his first season.
Inter coach Roberto Mancini is adamant he is not concerned about Mauro Icardi's disappointing return in front of goal so far this season.
The Argentine attacker was Serie A's joint top-scorer last term with 22 goals in 36 appearances, but he has so far been unable to replicate that form in this campaign.
Icardi has scored just four times in 2015-16 and cut a frustrated figure in Inter's 2-1 defeat at the hands of Napoli on Monday.
Nevertheless, Mancini remains confident the 22-year-old will soon get back to his best.
"Icardi will score the goals we need, I'm not overly concerned about him," Mancini said at a news conference.
"He didn't get a lot of service against Napoli, we sat back a little but that was fair enough given the circumstances.
"Strikers need the team, just as the team needs its strikers."
Inter sit second in the Serie A table with 30 points from 14 games, trailing leaders Napoli by just one point.
Mancini claimed earlier this week they are not thinking about winning the Scudetto, insisting Champions League qualification is their main.
The Inter boss has now stressed they will do everything within their powers to win the title, even if he feels other teams have a better chance at this stage.
"We want to go for the title even though the other sides are better equipped to win it," he said.
"Our main aim is to secure qualification for the Champions League.
"I'm pleased with everyone, we were top of the league up until Monday and that shows we're working well."
Inter resume Serie A action on Saturday when they host Genoa.
Serie A Review: Napoli slip to third after surprise Bologna defeat
7 December 2015 00:44
Previous leaders Napoli slumped to third in Serie A on Sunday as they succumbed to a surprise 3-2 defeat at the hands of lowly Bologna.
Napoli had gone top of the table on Monday after they beat 10-man Inter in Naples but Roberto Mancini's men recovered on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Genoa.
Victory would have taken Napoli back to the summit but a sluggish start ultimately cost Maurizio Sarri's side as Mattia Destro and Luca Rossettini put the hosts' two goals ahead after just 21 minutes.
Destro scored again on the hour, with Gonzalo Higuain's brace failing to inspire a comeback as Napoli lost for the first time since their opening-day defeat at Sassuolo.
Fiorentina's 3-0 win over Udinese made matters worse for Napoli - Paulo Sousa's men moving a point behind Inter in second thanks to goals from Milan Badelj, Josip Ilicic and Gonzalo Rodriguez.
Vincenzo Montella's wait for a first win as Sampdoria boss continues, his side going down 3-1 to Sassuolo.
Francesco Acerbi, Sergio Floccari and Lorenzo Pellegrini were on target for the visitors who move above eighth-place Milan into sixth following their goalless draw at Carpi.
Elsewhere, Chievo and Atalanta coped with the dismissals of Simone Pepe and Giulio Migliaccio respectively to see off Frosinone and Palermo.
Late goals from Alberto Paloschi and Riccardo Meggiorini ensured Chievo a 2-0 win at the Stadio Comunale Matusa with German Denis, Nicolo Cherubin and Marten de Roon on target for Atalanta in their 3-0 success.
Veteran striker Luca Toni announced his intention to retire at the end of the season - just short of his 39th birthday - following Hellas Verona's 1-0 defeat to Empoli.
Andrea Costa's goal just after the hour was enough to keep Toni's side bottom of the table, four points adrift of Carpi in 19th and nine off safety.
"I hope to celebrate [retirement] by keeping Verona safe in Serie A," said the former Italy international.
Sporting director Ariedo Braida has ruled out Barcelona making a move for Fiorentina's Federico Bernardeschi by insisting the Liga leaders "do not need him".
Braida was in the crowd to see 21-year-old Bernardeschi score twice for his current employers in Europa League action in Basel at the end of November.
However, the Italian - who formerly held the position of general manager at AC Milan - has revealed his presence in Switzerland was not a scouting mission. Instead, he was there to discuss potential deals with the host club.
"I made a trip to Basel because I am a friend of the sporting director who is interested in some of our young people," Braida told Radio Anch'Io Sport.
"Bernardeschi is a young man of value, a talent, a player who is appreciated.
"At the moment, though, we do not need him. We have players in that role in sufficient numbers."
In the same interview, Braida also talked about Martin Montoya's current situation at Inter.
The defender is on a season-long loan at the Serie A club from Barcelona, but has yet to be used by Inter manager Roberto Mancini.
“I cannot understand how Inter cannot find space for him," Braida replied when asked about the full-back.
"Mancini obviously has other ideas. I think that in Spain many clubs want him."
Striker Mario Balotelli and midfielder Andrea Bertolacci have returned to group training with AC Milan after a number of weeks on the sidelines with injuries.
Liverpool loanee Balotelli has not featured for Sinisa Mihajlovic's side since their 1-0 Serie A defeat to Genoa on September 27 due to a groin problem, while Bertolacci's knee injury has seen him miss out for over a month.
Milan's form has been mixed in their absence - they currently sit eighth in Serie A - but the pair returned to train with their team-mates at Milanello on Wednesday.
Reports have suggested the pair could form part of Mihajlovic's squad for the visit of rock-bottom Verona on Sunday, although the club are yet to confirm a possible return date.
Milan have lost just one of their last eight league games, but were held to a disappointing goalless draw by strugglers Carpi on Sunday.
Udinese v Inter: Handanovic hails team spirit at Serie A leaders
11 December 2015
Goalkeeper Samir Handanovic believes everyone is "chipping in" at Inter as the Serie A leaders prepare for a tricky trip to Udinese on Saturday.
Roberto Mancini's side head to the Stadio Comunale Friuli knowing a win on the road will see them extend their lead at the summit to four points, albeit possibly only for 24 hours.
Nearest rivals Fiorentina are away to resurgent champions Juventus on Sunday, while third-placed Napoli - who sit two points back of Inter in the table - face Roma earlier on the same day.
A strong defence has been the foundation to Inter's success this season, with Gonzalo Higuain's brace in the 2-1 defeat to Napoli the only goals Handanovic has conceded in their past six league matches.
"We're at the top of the league because everyone is chipping in, from the goalkeeper to the strikers," the Slovenia international told the club's official website.
"We look a very compact team from where I'm standing on the goal-line."
Jeison Murillo and Miranda have formed a solid centre-back pairing in front of Handanovic, with the duo drawing comparisons to a great defensive double act from the club's recent past.
"I know that some have compared myself and Joao Miranda to Lucio and Walter Samuel, the treble-winning partnership," Murillo told ANSA.
"Now is the time of Miranda and Murillo, two players who have come to Milan with our characteristics and want to do even better.”
Inter will be without Danilo D’Ambrosio, who is serving a one-match ban after being dismissed in the 1-0 win over Genoa last time out.
Udinese, meanwhile, will be missing Danilo and Felipe dal Belo through suspension.
The hosts go into the weekend in 13th place in the table following a 3-0 loss to Fiorentina.
Key Opta Stats:
- Udinese have drawn only one of the last 14 Serie A matches against Inter (W5, L8).
- Inter are the only team yet to concede a headed goal in Serie A this term.
- Stevan Jovetic has scored five goals in six matches against Udinese, his favourite opponent in Serie A.
- Inter have scored in all of the last 11 away Serie A games, but have scored only one goal in each of the last six away matches.
- Udinese have won only two of the last 12 home Serie A games against Inter (D4, 6L).
Aston Villa manager Remi Garde has revealed the club will be looking to bring in Roma defender Ashley Cole in the January transfer window.
Cole, 34, has failed to make an appearance for Roma this season after being frozen out by coach Rudi Garcia.
Villa, who are bottom after 15 games, will be looking to strengthen in January to avoid relegation for the first time in the Premier League era.
And Garde confirmed Villa are willing to offer Cole a Roma escape.
"Every good player is interesting for me and Ashley is a good player," Garde said. "He is someone who has experience but he didn’t play for a while now.
"Experience is also something we need. I will speak soon with the club and I’m already working on the January window. We know what we want to do.
"I feel we will need to improve the team to get more chances [to stay up]. For the moment, we have other games to play and to try to win, I am only focused completely on that."
Cole has plenty of Premier League experience, having made almost a combined 400 appearances for Chelsea, Arsenal and Crystal Palace.
Garde added: "We are seven points away from the safe zone and it’s many points, but so were Leicester [City] last season. If they can do it, then why can’t we?"
Serie A Review: Mancini´s men extend lead after Icardi brace
12 December 2015
Mauro Icardi scored twice as Inter put in a dominant performance to win 4-0 at Udinese and extend their lead at the top of Serie A to four points.
Icardi, recalled to the side after being dropped for last weekend's 1-0 victory over Genoa, put Inter ahead midway through the first half and Stevan Jovetic doubled the lead.
Inter had to wait until the closing minutes for a third goal, Icardi on target again with a powerful finish for his sixth goal of the season, before Marcelo Brozovic completed a fine team performance with a brilliant curling strike.
With Scudetto rivals Napoli hosting Roma and Fiorentina travelling to Juventus on Sunday, Roberto Mancini's men are now in a strong position at the summit.
Palermo beat Frosinone 4-1 at home to climb away from the relegation zone. Edoardo Goldaniga and Franco Vazquez put the hosts 2-0 up within the first 17 minutes, but Paolo Sammarco struck back before the break.
Aleksandar Trajkovski made it 3-1 with substitute Alberto Gilardino adding late gloss to the scoreline.
Luca Rossettini's injury time strike gave Bologna a 1-0 win at Genoa, with both sides having a man sent off in the last 10 minutes.
Diego Perotti saw red for the hosts before Amadou Diawara was given a second yellow card shortly before the final whistle.
Elsewhere, Sassuolo's home game against Torino was postponed due to heavy fog.
Champions Juventus climbed to fourth in Serie A as they continued their impressive recent resurgence with a 3-1 win over second-placed Fiorentina on Sunday.
The visitors were looking to end a seven-year winless streak in Turin and made a strong start when Josip Ilicic fired them into the lead from the penalty spot with only three minutes played.
But Juan Cuadrado headed the equaliser against his former club just three minutes later and goals in the last ten minutes from Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala sealed a sixth successive win for the reigning champions.
Napoli remain third, level on points with Fiorentina and four behind leaders Inter, after battling out a 0-0 draw with Roma at the Stadio San Paolo.
The visitors were grateful to goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who pulled off a string of fine saves in the second half, notably from Marek Hamsik and substitute Omar El Kaddouri.
Roma did have a late effort from Daniele De Rossi ruled out for offside, but are likely to be the happier of the two sides with the draw, having failed to win any of their previous five games in all competitions.
Milan, meanwhile, were booed off at San Siro after being held to a 1-1 draw at home to bottom club Hellas Verona.
The visitors have yet to win a single league game this season and the result piled the pressure on under-fire Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic.
Carlos Bacca put Milan in front just after the break, but their lead lasted only five minutes as Nigel de Jong brought down Leandro Greco in the box and received a red card for his efforts.
Veteran frontman Luca Toni duly converted the resulting penalty and the visitors withstood sustained late pressure from the ten-man hosts to secure a morale-boosting point.
Chievo solidified their mid-table position with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Atalanta at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.
Valter Birsa scored what proved to be the winner for the hosts with 14 minutes left, after Alberto Paloschi had earlier seen a penalty saved by Marco Sportiello.
Nicolo Cherubin had seen red for the visitors in conceding that penalty and the Bergamo side finished the game with nine men after Slovenian midfielder Jasmin Kurtic was given his marching orders in stoppage-time.
Empoli also enjoyed a home win, comfortably seeing off struggling Carpi 3-0.
Former Middlesbrough striker Massimo Maccarone scored two of the goals for Marco Giampaolo's men, who have now lost just two of their last nine league outings.
Riccardo Saponara also found the net to take his tally for the season to five.
Juventus director Giuseppe Marotta has issued a hands-off warning for clubs targeting duo Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata.
Barcelona have been linked with a move for Argentine striker Dybala, who only joined Juve from Palermo during the off-season.
Dybala netted his eighth goal of the Serie A campaign as Juve accounted for Fiorentina 3-1 on Sunday and Marotta insists the 22-year-old will not be sold.
"He is a player who is improving and still hasn't expressed his full potential, because he is so young," Marotta told Mediaset Premium.
"Week by week he is showing what he can do, but we have no intention of selling him this year or any other year. We invested a lot of money in him and he represents the foundation to build on in future."
Morata re-signed with the Italian champions during the week, committing his future until June 2020.
However, former club Real Madrid still have a buy-back clause for the Spain international.
"It won't make any difference, it's just that if he remains with us then it's only right to invest in a player who has plenty of quality," Marotta added.
"We will enter negotiations with Real Madrid as soon as possible to resolve this situation and can make it transparent.
"We hope to remove this clause. Real Madrid are well aware that he is a player who was promising and is now to all intents and purposes a star."
AC Milan head coach Sinisa Mihajlovic insists he can cope with the pressure despite reports suggesting he is close to the sack at San Siro.
The 46-year-old heads back to former club Sampdoria for the first time on Thursday in the Coppa Italia round of 16, with reports in Italy claiming he is one more bad result away from being axed.
Mihajlovic left the Stadio Luigi Ferraris during the close-season to replace Filippo Inzaghi but a run of one win from five in Serie A has left Milan seventh on the table, seven points adrift of the top three.
Milan president Silvio Berlusconi said this week he was "disappointed" with the performances of the players and coach Mihajlovic.
But the Serbian has insisted he will not let the speculation about his position worry him.
"I am calm and peaceful regarding my future," he said at his pre-match media conference.
"I have confidence in my ability and the work that I am doing. I am certainly not panicking. I have broad shoulders and can deal with criticism. All I think about is taking things game by game.
"I do not know what the president said because I have not read his statements. I cannot comment on things I know nothing about. I always listen to the president but for now, I am not going to discuss these things."
Mihajlovic reiterated that he does not think his side's form is as bad as is being portrayed, despite consecutive draws against Carpi and Hellas Verona resulting in whistles from disgruntled Milan supporters.
"After the match against Napoli we have only lost against Juventus," he said.
"We lacked a bit of bite and luck against Carpi and Hellas, but we deserved to win. We know where to improve.
"With these four points more we could have been three points off the Champions League places. We are united and believe in our objective. I am convinced and so are the players - I have never looked for excuses.
"We must have the personality to transform the whistles into applause, we have to think positively and think only about playing.
"If you cannot cope you have to change jobs, but everyone at Milan has the personality to be able to play with whistles. Maybe it is not nice to hear them but they are not affected by whistling."
Rudi Garcia insists he has no intention of resigning from his job at Roma, despite an embarrassing Coppa Italia exit against Spezia continuing the club's miserable recent run of form.
After both sides failed to score in 120 minutes, the Serie B side upset their hosts at the Stadio Olimpico with a 4-2 penalty shootout win on Wednesday.
The result heaps further pressure on Garcia, who has now seen his team fail to find the net in their last three matches. Roma's last victory in all competitions came on November 8, when they recorded a 2-0 triumph over city rivals Lazio in Serie A.
However, the Frenchman - who took up his position in the summer of 2013 - remained defiant in his post-match media conference.
"I will not quit. I will stay on and fight to the death," the former Lille boss said.
"I will speak to the players, but the truth is we have no excuses tonight."
Although they have qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League, Roma sit fifth on the Serie A table, seven points behind leaders Inter.
Garcia admitted that while he is pleased to have kept clean sheets of late, he must find a way to get the team scoring goals again.
"We haven't conceded in three matches, but tactically we've lost our balance because we were scoring in buckets before and we're not doing that anymore," he added.
"We have to take risks and take full advantage of the chances that present themselves.
"We need that desire to hit the back of the net in whatever fashion. These are the qualities that we've lost and we have to improve. There's nothing else to do, we cannot give up."
Zaza not allowed to leave Juventus in January, insists Allegri
17 December 2015 13:10
Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri has told Simone Zaza that he is going nowhere in the January transfer window.
The striker made the most of his chance to start a match for the first time since October by scoring twice in his side's thumping 4-0 win over city rivals Torino in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday.
Zaza, 24, has now netted five times in just four starts and 10 total appearances in all competitions, but Allegri has told him to banish any thoughts of a loan move, despite being behind Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic and Alvaro Morata in Juve's striking pecking order.
"Competition for places is good in a big team otherwise you cannot achieve good results," Allegri was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.
"In January, even if he asks to, he will not be allowed to leave on loan. Simone must fight for his right to play here and get used to the competition.
"He must strive to play for Juventus, it should not be the other way around."
Following their victory, Juventus face an away game against either Lazio or Udinese in the quarter-finals.
Serie A Review: Juve march on, Inter shocked by Lazio
20 December 2015
Juventus beat Carpi 3-2 to record their seventh consecutive Serie A win and move to within three points of leaders Inter, who lost 2-1 at home to Lazio.
Carpi somewhat surprisingly grabbed the lead early on when Marco Borriello found the net, but Mario Mandzukic's brace had Juve ahead before half-time.
Paul Pogba doubled Juventus' lead after the break, with Leonardo Bonucci's late own goal proving immaterial.
In a dramatic finale at San Siro, Antonio Candreva's penalty saw out-of-form Lazio surprise Inter, with both sides finishing the game with 10 men.
Mauro Icardi cancelled out Candreva's opener, before Felipe Melo's needless foul on Sergej Milinkovic-Savic allowed Candreva to win it three minutes from time, converting the rebound after seeing his penalty saved by Samir Handanovic.
Melo was then sent off for a high boot on Lucas Biglia, before Milinkovic-Savic received a second booking for kicking the ball away.
Fiorentina and Napoli both closed to within one point of Inter after respective wins over Chievo and Atalanta.
Nikola Kalinic and Josip Ilicic were on target as Fiorentina prevailed 2-0, while Napoli triumphed 3-1 in an eventful game in Bergamo.
Marek Hamsik's opener was swiftly cancelled out by Alejandro Gomez before Gonzalo Higuain's brace either side of Jorginho's red card for Napoli.
Atalanta's Gabriel Paletta was sent off in the final minute but it had no influence on the final result as Hamsik failed to convert the resulting penalty.
Roma ended their seven-match winless streak as they recorded a 2-0 win over Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico thanks to goals from Alessandro Florenzi and Sadiq Umar, although Edin Dzeko was sent off for dissent.
Four second-half goals saw AC Milan come from behind to record a 4-2 away win over Frosinone, while Sampdoria's poor run of form came to an end with a 2-0 home win over Palermo.
Elsewhere, Torino fell to a 1-0 defeat at home against Udinese and Verona still await their first win of the season after a 1-1 draw against Sassuolo.
Mihajlovic looks forward to "peaceful Christmas" with Milan
20 December 2015
Sinisa Mihajlovic says he and his AC Milan players will enjoy a "peaceful Christmas" following their 4-2 victory at Frosinone in Serie A on Sunday.
Second-half goals from Ignazio Abate, Carlos Bacca, Alex and Giacomo Bonaventura turned the game on its head at Stadio Matusa, after Daniel Ciofani gave the hosts an early lead, as Milan extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to six matches.
The Rossoneri have now lost just once in 12 competitive outings and, going into the mid-season break, Mihaljovic is pleased with his team's recent progress.
He said: "Over 12 competitive matches we had seven wins, four draws and only one defeat.
"Certainly some games, such as those with Verona and Carpi, we had to win and we deserved [to win]. With four points we'd be there. But there is still time to recover.
"With the work and the recovery of injured players, we have a lot of room for improvement. We can take away satisfaction, the important thing is trust.
"The group is compact and we have shown that. We will spend a peaceful Christmas."
Reflecting on the victory at Frosinone, the Serbian said: "We had a great game. We had the opportunity to take the lead, but we did not succeed.
"We continued to play and had to make better use of the opportunities. I told the guys to stay calm and keep playing. In [the second half] we did well and we deserved to win."
Inter head coach Roberto Mancini was left to rue Felipe Melo's "stupidity" after his needless foul in the dying minutes saw Lazio claim a 2-1 victory at the Serie A leaders.
The Brazilian midfielder jumped into Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's back with just three minutes left, leaving the referee no other choice but to award Lazio a penalty.
Antonio Candreva - who had scored the opener before Mauro Icardi levelled - saw his initial attempt kept out by Samir Handanovic, but tapped home the rebound to down the table-toppers in their last match before the mid-season break.
Fiorentina and Napoli are now just a point behind Inter, with Juventus and Roma three and four adrift respectively.
"We knew that it would be a difficult game, but we did nothing different than in other games. I am disappointed because we gave away the match," Mancini said at a news conference.
"We levelled the scoring and then threw away the game again. Lazio's winning goal was the result of stupidity.
"We did not play very well, but Lazio did not do much and sometimes you can win even though you play badly.
"We wanted to attack them both down the wings and through the middle, but we attacked very little before the break. We never managed to trouble Lazio's defence.
"We pinned them back inside their own half after the break and did not let them outside of their own area. We must have more patience in situations like this.
"A draw was maybe the right result and we just threw it away, which is obviously bad.
"Do we feel the pressure from our title rivals? The season is still long. We would have taken being top of the league halfway through the season, but we could have had a slightly bigger lead.
"This game has ruined Christmas a bit, but we are still first. Juventus, Napoli, Fiorentina and Roma are the favourites."
