INTER BEAT CAGLIARI TO KEEP SCUDETTO CHASE ALIVE AS MARTINEZ OVER 20-GOAL MARK.
Inter Milan remain in the hunt for a 20th Serie A crown thanks to a 3-1 win over struggling Cagliari. Lautaro Martinez bagged a brace, taking his tally for the season to 25 goals, to ensure Simeone Inzaghi’s side stay two points behind bitter rivals AC Milan, who top the table with one game to go.
Both goalkeepers were in action early on, with Alessio Cragno denying Ivan Perišić for the hosts before Samir Handanović made a superb stop low to his left from Charalampos Lykogiannis’ fierce drive. The visitors then had a goal chalked off by VAR after Milan Škriniar bundled over the line with his hand, but they did not have too long to wait for the opener, with Darmian’s towering back-post header handing them a 24th minute lead.
Inter have been strong front-runners this season, and they provided no let up once ahead, camping in the Cagliari half of the field and dominating possession. Martínez posed a constant threat in the quest for a second ‘Nerazzurri’ goal, having one shot blocked and another well saved, while he rattled the woodwork and forced Cragno to tip a powerful rebound over the bar as HT approached.
Martinez finally got his goal after the break, holding off defender Giorgio Altare as he burst onto Darmien’s ball over the top before hammering through Cragno’s legs and into the back of the net. The hosts reduced the deficit immediately though as Lykogiannis’ thunderbolt from distance took a deflection and fizzed into the top corner.
That gave Cagliari some momentum, yet despite enjoying much more possession than the first half, chances were rare. The best fell to Keita Balde Diao, who lobbed over the bar when through one-on-one, while Perišić and Martinez came close to restoring the visitors’ two goal advantage at the other end. However, Inter finally put the game to bed late on, when Marintez beautifully chipped Cragno to bag his ninth goal in eight games and secure the points.
What was ultimately an easy victory for Inter takes the title race into the final week of the campaign, but escaping relegation is now out of Cagliari’s hands, as they must beat Venezia and hope Salernitana slip up at home to Udinese to beat the drop.
