Lukaku brace helps Inter solidify top-four spot
Inter Milan's great week continued as Romelu Lukaku scored a brilliant double in a 4-2 win over Sassuolo at San Siro in Serie A.
With one foot in the UEFA Champions League final after Thursday's (AEST) 2-0 first-leg victory over city rival AC Milan, Inter took advantage of the Rossoneri losing at Spezia to put even more space between the two sides on the league table.
Lukaku put the hosts ahead when he arrowed in from distance before Ruan put through his own net, while Lautaro Martinez scored via a deflection as the Nerazzurri earned a seventh straight win in all competitions.
Matheus Henrique and Davide Frattesi pulled goals back for the mid-table visitors, but Lukaku smashed in a fourth for Simone Inzaghi's men late on as they move up to third, five points above Milan in fifth, putting them in the driver's seat to seal UEFA Champions League qualification with three games to play.
A video assistant referee (VAR) review came to Inter's rescue early on, ruling Armand Lauriente offside after his cross was poked home at the back post by Domenico Berardi.
The hosts had a goal of their own ruled out minutes later, Andrea Consigli unable to keep out Joaquin Correa's effort only for the offside flag to curtail the celebrations.
Henrique and Frattesi spurned golden opportunities to put the visitors ahead, and they were made to pay for those misses as Lukaku's long-range drive flew into the top corner four minutes before half-time.
Martinez came on at the break as Inter pressed to double its lead, and it would do exactly that when Ruan sliced Raoul Bellanova's cross-shot into his own net.
The hosts received another huge slice of luck to make it 3-0 before the hour mark, Martinez seeing his effort hit the beleaguered Ruan and completely wrong-foot Consigli before nestling in.
Sassuolo narrowed the deficit through late headers by Henrique and Frattesi but Lukaku would seal the win when he coolly fired past Consigli from Marcelo Brozovic's pass to make the points safe.
