Inter Milan coach Andrea Stramaccioni has said that victory over Sampdoria was "important" following recent disappointment.

A brace by Rodrigo Palacio saw the Nerazzurri run out 2-0 winners at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, which helped them move above Lazio and into fifth in Serie A.

Stramaccioni believes that his team have made big strides in recent weeks, despite being dumped out of the Europa League by Tottenham Hotspur and suffering defeat to Juventus in the Derby d'Italia.

"It was important to win today and the lads knew that," Football Italia quotes the 37-year-old as saying.

"After Tottenham and Juventus, where we made steps forward in terms of performance, it was crucial to move forward in terms of result too.

"It is essential that we maintain consistency."

Inter welcome Atalanta to the San Siro on Sunday.