Bologna 0-1 Inter Milan: Visitors top of Serie A table

Mauro Icardi's second-half goal gave 10-man Inter Milan a 1-0 away victory at Bologna that took them top of the Serie A table as Felipe Melo and manager Roberto Mancini were sent off.

They will remain at the summit for 24 hours at least ahead of second-placed Roma's home clash with Udinese on Wednesday, when joint-third placed Napoli, Fiorentina and Lazio respectively face Palermo, Verona and Atalanta. The result left Bologna in the relegation zone, in 18th.

Midfielder Melo was first booked for a late challenge early in the second half on Luca Rizzo. Then, on the hour mark, he was sent off, having earned a second yellow - perhaps harshly - for a block on the same forward following a nutmeg.

His dismissal visibly angered Mancini, who aggressively protested in referee Luca Banti's face.

Just seven minutes later, however, Inter captain, Icardi, secured their victory.

Marcelo Brozovic's through-ball beat Alex Ferrari when the Bologna defender should have done better and cleared, giving Adem Ljajic time and space on the left to cross to Icardi for a routine, six-yard tap with which he ended his 348-minute goal drought.

In the match's final minutes, Mancini was sent to the stands by again arguing with Banti, this time when the referee blew up for a foul by one of the manager's players on Bologna's Saphir Taider.

"I didn't agree with Felipe Melo's sending off, but you can hardly expect me to," Mancini told inter.it afterwards. "We can't send off players for fouls like that otherwise the game will never improve.

"As for my own sending off, you'll have to ask the referee about that because I said nothing wrong at all."