uventus checked Inter Milan's pursuit of city rival and Serie A leader AC Milan with a 1-0 win Sunday from Alessandro Matri's first-half goal. Matri found the net in the 30th minute in a match in which both teams had several scoring chances. Inter striker Samuel Eto'o squandered a late chance to equalize when he smashed the ball against the bar despite having an open goal at his mercy. Inter is eight points behind Milan with a game in hand. Juventus is three further points behind.«It has been a tough few weeks for us and this win is important for our morale,» Juventus coach Luigi Delneri said. «Beating Inter can give us momentum for the rest of the season.«We have had to be strong mentally in this period and tonight we were focused and precise in what we did, and as such deserved our win.» Lazio, meanwhile, stayed in contention for a Champions League place with a 2-0 win at Brescia on Sunday.
