Inter Milan moved one step closer to reclaiming the Italian league title after earning a deserved 3–0 home win over Cagliari on Friday in Serie A matchday 33.
Frenchman Marcus Thuram opened the scoring in the 52nd minute, Nicolo Barella doubled the lead just four minutes later, and substitute Piotr Zielinski completed the rout in stoppage time.
With the victory, Inter raised their tally to 78 points at the top of the table, 12 points ahead of runners-up and defending champions Napoli, who face Lazio tomorrow, while Cagliari remain 16th with 33 points, six points above Lecce in the first relegation spot.
Inter dominated from the start, applying sustained pressure on the Cagliari defense, with goalkeeper Elia Caprile making several important saves, most notably from a Pio Esposito effort in the 40th minute after a fine dribble past the back line.
Despite their control, the first half ended goalless, prompting the home side to increase the tempo after the break to avoid any complications.
The breakthrough came from Federico Dimarco, who burst down the left flank and delivered a precise low cross for Thuram to finish with ease.
Only four minutes later, Inter struck again when Barella pounced on a loose ball from the Cagliari defense and fired a powerful shot from outside the box into the net.
After the two quick goals, the pace eased somewhat as Inter maintained clear control, while Cagliari’s limited attempts never really threatened.
Coach Cristian Chivu made several changes to freshen the side, including the introduction of Zielinski, who latched onto a pass from Denzel Dumfries and unleashed a powerful shot from outside the area into the far corner to seal the win.
The result was Inter’s 25th victory of the season and further strengthened their chances of winning a 21st league title, ahead of a key clash with Como on Tuesday in the Coppa Italia semi-finals.
