Inter top of Serie A after sweeping aside Cagliari
Inter Milan’s Armenian midfielder #22 Henrikh Mkhitaryan reacts during the Italian Serie A football match between Inter Milan and Como at the San Siro Stadium in Milan on December 23, 2024. (Photo by Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP)
Inter Milan moved provisionally top of Serie A on Saturday with a 3-0 win at Cagliari which put the champions ahead of Atalanta on goal difference.
Second-half goals from Alessandro Bastoni, Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu decided an engaging match in Sardinia to give Inter their fifth straight win in Italy’s top flight.
Atalanta can reclaim top spot later on Saturday when they face fourth-placed Lazio in Rome, looking for a club record-extending 12th league win on the bounce without injured star striker Mateo Retegui.
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Cagliari are just inside the relegation zone after a fourth consecutive defeat for Davide Nicola’s side.
“The most important thing is that Inter win. If I get a goal too, then that’s a bonus,” said Martinez, who broke an eight-match scoring drought with his 71st-minute strike.
“We work hard every day to win trophies and anyone who sets foot on the pitch will give their all for the team. We’ve just got to keep going and make 2025 like this year.”
Inter could have won by a more convincing scoreline at the Unipol Domus stadium had captain Martinez not wasted great chances in each half before prodding home Nicolo Barella’s cross.
Argentina striker Martinez hadn’t scored since November 3 and looked to be having another bad day in front of goal when he somehow failed to push home Calhanoglu’s cross midway through the first half.
He then flashed a low drive just past the post eight minutes after the break, moments after Bastoni gave Inter the lead with a brilliant looping header.
But he did net his seventh goal this season in all competitions and seven minutes later Calhanoglu made absolutely sure of the points from the penalty spot.
Next up, Inter travel to play the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, where Simone Inzaghi’s side take on Atalanta on Thursday.
