Alessandro Matri was the hero as Juventus stunned an out-of-sorts Inter 1-0 in Turin last night to dent the champions’ title hopes.

Inter now trail leaders Milan by eight points, with a game in hand, after falling to only their second defeat under Leonardo.

The champions produced a limp display against a dogged Juve, who breathed new life into their own Champions League hopes, moving up to sixth.

The previously in-form Inter started in confident fashion and carved Juve open after just two minutes.

However, with the option of two unmarked strikers to aim at, Wesley Sneijder tried to pick out Samuel Eto’o only to hit his pass straight at Frederik Sorensen, the ball spinning up and into the path of his other option, Giampaolo Pazzini, who scuffed his volley well off target.

On 14 minutes Juve almost took a fortuitous lead as Alberto Aquilani’s overhit cross almost dropped under the bar.

In a half of few chances it was unsurprisingly a mistake that led to the opener.

Ivan Cordoba mistimed his leap to meet Sorensen’s cross from the right, leaving Matri unmarked to head home from seven yards.

Inter fashioned an almost identical chance of their own on 50 minutes with Maicon centering for Pazzini but his header was straight at Gianluigi Buffon, who parried easily.

Despite having struggled throughout this season, Juve were giving as good as they got and Maicon had to be alert to block Matri when pulling the trigger from 10 yards before Giorgio Chiellini headed over from the resulting corner.

Sneijder had a sight of goal on 66 minutes but his fierce drive hit his own player, substitute Goran Pandev.

Pazzini followed that up with a volley that probably landed closer to the corner flag than the goal.

Inter’s best chance came eight minutes from the end as Eto’o played a one-two with Sneijder, took the Dutch playmaker’s lofted return but Buffon came out bravely to crowd the Cameroon captain’s shot. Juve almost punished Inter on the counter as Simone Pepe got down the left and crossed for Matri whose shot flashed past the near post.

A minute from time Inter knocked on the door again as Maicon surged forward and crossed from the right only for Eto’o at the back post to blast his shot from five yards onto the bar before moments later swinging at thin air when attempting a volley from an angle.

Earlier, Lazio kept their slim Serie A title hopes alive as they won 2-0 away to Brescia. Edy Reja’s team remain seven points off Milan, who thrashed Parma 4-0 on Saturday, and moved above Inter into third.

Goals from Alvaro Gonzalez on 18 minutes and Libor Kozak just before the hour mark ensured Lazio maintained their grip on a Champions Legaue place.

Udinese are not letting up in their pursuit of a top four finish as they cruised to a 3-0 win at troubled Cesena.

Antonio Di Natale scored another brace, either side of a strike by Gokhan Inler, keeping fifth placed Udinese just two points behind third-placed Lazio.

Serie A

Bari 0
Genoa 0

Att: 15,000.

Brescia 0
Lazio 2
Gonzalez 17; Kozak 58;

HT: 0-1. Att: 7,000.

Cagliari 4
Conti 19; Canini 29; Nene 44, 71;
Chievo 1
Therau 84;

HT: 3-0. Att: 5,000.

Catania 3
Silvestre 45; Lodi 80, 85;
Lecce 2
Jeda 56; Munari 61;

HT: 1-0. Att: 15,000.
Red card: Giacomazzi (L) 90.

Cesena 0
Udinese 3
Di Natale 41, 75; Inler 70;

HT: 0-1. Att: 16,704.

Juventus 1
Matri 30;
Inter 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 24,485.

Palermo 2
Pastore 7; Nocerino 48;
Fiorentina 4
Gilardino 36; Camporese 70; Bovo 78 og; Montolivo 88;

HT: 1-1. Att: 24,571.

Sampdoria 3
Palombo 8; Gastaldello 11; Maccarone 15;
Bologna 1
Paponi 65;

HT: 3-0. Att: 21,000.

Next fixtures
Wednesday: 18.30 Fiorentina vs Inter; Sampdoria vs Genoa.
Saturday: 18.00 Bologna vs Palermo; 20.45 Inter vs Cagliari.
Sunday: 12.30 p.m. Lecce vs Juventus. 15.00 Chievo vs Milan; Fiorentina vs Sampdoria; Genoa vs Roma; Lazio vs Bari; Parma vs Cesena; Udinese vs Brescia. 20.45 p.m. Napoli vs Catania.

Top scorers
20 goals: Cavani.
18 goals: Di Natale (Udinese).
15 goals: Eto’o (Inter).
14 goals: Di Vaio (Bologna), Matri (Juventus).
13 goals: Ibrahimovic (Milan).

Prima Divisione ‘A’
Gubbio vs Alessandria 1-0; Pergocrema vs Bassano 1-2; Lumezzane vs Cremonese 2-2; Sorrento vs Monza 1-0; Alto Adige vs Ravenna 1-2; Pavia vs Salernitana 1-2; Paganese vs Spal 1-0; Como vs Spezia 2-1.

Leading standings: Gubbio 48; Sorrento 41; Alessandira 36; Salernitana, Bassano 35; Spal 33; Reggiana 32; Ravenna, Lumezzane, Cremonese 30.

Prima Divisione ‘B’
Foligno vs Andria 0-1; Lanciano vs Atl. Roma 1-0; Pisa vs Cosenza 2-2; Lucchese vs Gela 3-0; Foggia vs Juve Stabia 4-1; Nocerina vs Siracusa 0-0; Cavese vs Taranto 1-1; Barletta vs Ternana 1-2; Benevento vs Viareggio 2-2.

Leading standings: Nocerina 52; Benevento, Atl. Roma 40; Juve Stabia 35; Siracusa, Lanciano, Taranto 32; Lucchese, Foggia 31; Andria 28.