Inter move to third place
MAURO ICARDI (pix) scored his 25th goal of the Serie A campaign to help Inter Milan ease past Cagliari 4-0 to move third in Serie A yesterday, putting the pressure on Roman rivals Lazio and Roma in the battle for Champions League places.
Inter had not scored or won in their last three games but Joao Cancelo broke the drought after just three minutes off a freekick in the San Siro.
Inter’s top scorer Icardi got the second after the break with Marcelo Brozovic returning from suspension to grab the third on the hour with Ivan Perisic rounding off the rout in the final minute.
“After securing the result, the ball started to move at the right tempo, whereas before we didn’t have the right rhythm,” said coach Luciano Spalletti.
It was a dominant display by the former European giants who have no option but to win as they target a Champions League return for the first time since 2012.
French striker Yann Karamoh missed two golden chances in front of goal with the hosts losing midfielder Roberto Gagliardini who was stretchered off in the first half with a suspected hamstring problem.
Icardi failed to finish off a Perisic ball in front of goal before the halftime whistle but made no mistake after the break slotting in off a Rafinha cross to slot in his 25th goal of the Serie A campaign – a personal record for the Argentine.
Ten minutes later Perisic sent the ball down the middle for Icardi, who was blocked by Cagliari centreback Marco Andreolli, with the ball falling to the feet of Brozovic, who curled in and then set up Perisic for the fourth. – AFP