Defending Serie A champion, Inter Milan, continued its impressive run of form with a commanding 3-0 victory over Cagliari on Saturday, climbing level on points with Atalanta at the top of the league standings.
With 13 goals scored and none conceded across their last four matches in all competitions, Inter has bounced back spectacularly from their recent 1-0 Champions League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.
Nicolò Barella starred in the latest triumph, providing assists for two of the goals.
Inter’s win sets up a tantalizing clash against Atalanta on Thursday in the semifinals of the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Atalanta, riding an 11-match winning streak, has the chance to extend their run when they face Lazio later. Meanwhile, Juventus is slated to take on AC Milan in the other semifinal.
In the match at Cagliari, Alessandro Bastoni opened the scoring with a perfectly placed looping header after halftime, connecting with a precise cross from Barella.
Lautaro Martinez ended his two-month Serie A scoring drought by volleying home another Barella delivery. Hakan Calhanoglu sealed the victory with a calmly converted penalty.
Elsewhere, Patrick Vieira’s Genoa secured a 2-1 victory over Empoli, thanks to goals from Milan Badelj and Caleb Ekuban.
Meanwhile, Parma edged out last-placed Monza 2-1 in dramatic fashion, with Lautaro Rodrigo Valenti’s header deep into stoppage time spoiling the debut of Monza’s new coach, Salvatore Bocchetti.
