Inter coach Roberto Mancini sees the way clear for a leap in his team's hopes of retaining the Serie A title.
''That was a crucial win,'' he said after a Zlatan Ibrahimovic-inspired 2-0 defeat of Fiorentina Sunday put the champs on 31 points from 13 matches - three clear of Roma.
''Now, if we can keep on winning we could be in the clear - if only Roma start losing points''.
Roma rose to 28 from 13 after beating Udinese 2-1 thanks to a fine performance from returning striker Rodrigo Taddei.
Juventus are two points back on 26 from 14 thanks to a solid display against European champs AC Milan - a match that could have gone either way.
The championship could turn into a two-way race if Inter and Roma win against Lazio and Cagliari on Wednesday - make-up games from the Sunday of violence that followed a police shooting of a Lazio fan two weeks ago.
Two wins would put Inter on 34 and Roma on 31 - five points clear of the chasing pack of Juve (26 points), Udinese (25) and Fiorentina (24).
On Sunday, Fiorentina never looked like stopping Inter whose rock-solid defending gave the on-fire Ibrahimovic the chance to slot two killer passes through for Luis Jimenez and Julio Cruz to score.
Ibra would have had at least three himself but for the brilliant shot-stopping of Fiorentina goalie Sebastien Frey.
The Swede was only seventh in the European Footballer of the Year standings, won by a mile by Milan's Kaka' on Sunday.
But many think he would have made the contest much closer if people had started voting at the start of the season.
Lazio, held 1-1 at Siena in their fifth draw, will have to play much better to fend off Inter's attacking threat on Wednesday.
Cagliari will be trying their best to get out of the bottom four at the Olimpico Wednesday.
But on the evidence of the Sardinians' goalless draw at Livorno Sunday the smart money is on the Romans' hanging on to Inter's coat-tails.
