NERAZZURRI ‘TOPPLING A KINGDOM’
Inter set to end nine years of Juve rule with Serie A title one step away
CHRISTIAN Eriksen and Achraf Hakimi scored in the second half as Inter Milan beat Crotone 2-0 to move to the brink of the Serie A title on Saturday.
Antonio Conte’s side are 13 points ahead of city rivals AC Milan who reclaimed second place with a 2-0 win over 18thplaced Benevento, with four games to play.
Inter can claim their first Scudetto since 2010 on Sunday if Atalanta, a further point adrift in third, fail to win at Sassuolo.
“We are succeeding in toppling a kingdom that had lasted for nine years,” said former Juventus coach Conte, who led the Turin giants to the first three of their current run of nine consecutive league titles.
“We’re aware that we can do something extraordinary because Inter haven’t won a Scudetto in 11 years, and we’re breaking up a dynasty. The lads deserve this joy, congratulations to them. We’re a step away from making history.”
Dane Eriksen came on as a substitute in the 65th minute and scored four minutes later, firing home a shot which took a deflection off Crotone defender Lisandro Magallan, from Romelu Lukaku’s lay-off.
Lukaku had a goal ruled out before Hakimi struck a second in injury time.
The match in Calabria pitted the Serie A leaders against the bottom team who were relegated as a result of the loss.
As Inter struggled to break through Conte sent on Eriksen, Ivan Perisic and Alexis Sanchez after 65 minutes.
And the substitutions paid off with Sanchez providing a backheel flick for Lukaku who teed up Eriksen.
Lukaku missed a chance to add to his 21 goals this campaign with a goal ruled out with seven minutes to go for Perisic’s offside position.
But Barella sent Moroccan Hakimi clear to beat Cordaz with his seventh goal this season to extend Inter’s unbeaten run to 18 league games, and close to a 19th league crown.
In the San Siro, Milan rallied from back-to-back defeats to move up from fifth to second and keep in the Champions League chase.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned from injury with Hakan Calhanoglu putting the home side ahead after six minutes following good work from Alexis Saelemaekers and Franck Kessie.
Napoli are fourth equal on points with Juventus who drop to fifth before they play at Udinese on Sunday.
Inter could decide Juve’s Champions League fate as they meet in the penultimate game in Turin in two weeks.