3 takeaways from Inter's win over Roma: Bare minimum is enough

An unlikely goal from Gary Medel was enough for Inter Milan to beat Roma 1-0 at San Siro on Saturday and provisionally reclaim first place in Serie A.

The Nerazzurri relied on a sharp counterattack and defended well against the Giallorossi's own quick-trigger attack. The match often tipped like a scale, with each side going back and forth several times.

It was a relatively innocuous build-up in the first half that prompted the lead. Stevan Jovetic turned quickly in midfield and laid off the ball for Medel, who took a few strides forward and smashed his first goal in two seasons for Inter.

Related - VIDEO: Gary Medel launches 25-yard strike to net 1st goal for Inter

Roma pushed for an equaliser in the second half. But a nine-save performance from Samir Handanovic, coupled with a red card to Miralem Pjanic, made sure there wasn't one.

Here are three takeaways from Inter's narrow win:

Inter loves a tight 1-0 victory

Inter has just 11 goals through 11 matches, the fewest of any Serie A club in the the top half of the standings. This is a team that doesn't take you by a storm. It grabs a lead and wraps it in a blanket. Such is the philosophy of manager Roberto Mancini, who, despite spending more than €80 million in the market this summer, has decided that defence comes first:

Mancini even decided to sit star striker Mauro Icardi, Serie A's top scorer last season, for the entire match.

It seems that at Inter, tactics take precedence over names.

Handanovic plays big part once more

The highlight for Handanovic was a four-save combination midway through the second half, with the 31-year-old Slovenian denying Alessandro Florenzi from long range and pawing away subsequent rebounds in a matter of four seconds.

Even more stunning was the fact that Handanovic had more touches on the ball (56) than any of his teammates. That's not the most encouraging stat - after all, he is the goalkeeper - but it is proof that they trust him enough to handle danger.

Roma fails to score for the first time this season

Inter put the onus on Roma to score, and it didn't. Even at home, in front of their own fans, the Nerazzurri gave the visitors the greater share of possession. Roma's Edin Dzeko probably had the greatest chance to get his team into the game, but he somehow missed with Handanovic scrambling and his net wide open.

Dzeko has struggled in general. He has taken the second-most shots (20) in the penalty area, according to WhoScored.com, but only has a solitary goal to his name. The lack of a true poacher on this team is a problem.

In the end, the result for Roma was a first scoreless game this season. As a side built to attack, it simply cannot expect to win with 19 shots attempted, and not a single one of them ending up in the back of the net.