Inter eases past Roma to retake top spot
Inter Milan went back to the top of the Serie A table with a routine 3-1 win against Roma at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Sunday (AEST).
Goals from Denzel Dumfries, Marcelo Brozovic and Lautaro Martinez took the Nerazzurri to victory, continuing their excellent record against the team from the Italian capital, despite a late strike from Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
It was not the result or performance that former Inter coach Jose Mourinho would have been looking for, with the defeat coming as a big blow to the Giallorossi's hopes of European qualification.
Simone Inzaghi would have been very pleased with what he saw from his team, which moves a point ahead of AC Milan in the race for the Scudetto having played the same number of games, with its city rival facing Lazio in Rome on Monday (AEST).
Inter took the lead just before the half-hour mark as some neat play from the home side saw Hakan Calhanoglu play a through ball to Dumfries, who ran on to it like a striker to slide the opener past Rui Patricio.
It was 2-0 just 10 minutes later as Brozovic found himself on the left side of the penalty area, before cutting inside Gianluca Mancini and firing into the far top corner of the net.
The third arrived early in the second half as a neat ball from Nicolo Barella found Martinez, whose shot was parried behind for a corner, but the Argentine headed home the resulting outswinging delivery from Calhanoglu.
There was nearly a calamitous fourth as a cross from the right was helped back to Patricio by Rick Karsdorp, and realising he could not pick the ball up, the Portugal international urgently kicked the ball away before Joaquin Correa could take advantage.
Mkhitaryan fired in a consolation past Samir Handanovic from just inside the box with five minutes remaining but it was too little too late for the visitors.
Inter remains unbeaten in its past 10 Serie A matches against Roma (W4 D6). The last side to reach 10 straight matches without defeat against them in the competition was AC Milan between 1988 and 1996 (17).
Inter travels next to Bologna on Thursday (AEST) for more Serie A action, while Roma will head to England to face Leicester City in a UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final first leg on Friday (AEST).
