Federico Dimarco’s long-range strike helps Inter Milan to victory over Frosinone

Federico Dimarco scored with an outrageous long-distance strike as Inter Milan climbed back to the top of Serie A with a 2-0 win over Frosinone.

On a weekend when Napoli lost to Empoli and AC Milan drew at Lecce, Inter eased themselves back above Juventus after a hard-fought home win.

Dimarco set the ball rolling with a stunning finish from just inside the visitors’ half before Hakan Calhanoglu converted a second-half penalty to secure the points.

The win sends Simone Inzaghi’s men, who are already assured of their place in the last 16 of the Champions League, into the international break 10 points better off than champions Napoli, eight ahead of arch-rivals Milan and in perfect shape for the visit to second-placed Juve on their return.

Frosinone found themselves defending deep in the early stages, but mustered the game’s first meaningful attempt when Luca Mazzitelli blazed over after Matias Soule had surged forward and pulled the ball back to him.

However, Marcus Thuram bundled wide at the far post from Francesco Acerbi’s flick-on and keeper Stefano Turati had to push away Thuram’s cross at his near post after Lautaro Martinez had played him into space.

Turati excelled himself with 19 minutes gone when he managed to tip Martinez’s rising drive over after Nicolo Barella had cleverly laid off Dimarco’s cross.

However, the Canaries were refusing to allow Inzaghi’s side to have it all their own way and as the deadlock remained unbroken, frustration grew in the San Siro stands.

Frosinone defender Caleb Okoli had to be at his best to clear Dimarco’s dangerous 36th-minute cross after Denzel Dumfries and Henrikh Mkhitaryan had broken at pace, and Barella was only just unable to connect with Mkhitaryan’s driven ball five minutes before the break.

But Inter forced their way ahead in spectacular style as the whistle approached when Dimarco spotted Turati off his line and clipped a left-foot shot over him from all of 50 yards.

They increased their advantage within three minutes of the restart when, after Thuram’s twisting run into the area had been halted illegally by defender Ilario Monterisi, Calhanoglu stepped up to beat Turati from the spot.

Substitute Walid Cheddira was denied by the upright as the visitors sought a way back into an increasingly open game, but Barella fired into the side-netting from Dimarco’s teasing cross with the Nerazzurri looking to kill the game off.

Inter were content to soak up pressure and attempt to hit the tiring visitors on the break as time ran down, but Barella’s last-minute snapshot, which was easily claimed by Turati, was as close as they came to extending their lead.