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Inter Milan continued their domination of the Serie A title race on Saturday by crushing Monza 5-1 and transferring 5 factors clear on the summit, whereas last-gasp drama gave Napoli a 2-1 win over Salernitana.
Doubles from Hakan Calhanoglu and Lautaro Martinez and a late strike from Marcus Thuram prolonged Inter’s benefit on Juventus, who host Sassuolo on Tuesday night time.
“Monza are an excellent staff with good gamers but when we play like we did at this time it’s going to be onerous for anybody to beat us,” mentioned Calhanoglu to Sky Sport.
Turkey captain Calhanoglu has shone at Inter since being transformed to a deeper midfield position by coach Simone Inzaghi and this season he has scored 10 instances in all competitions.
“I’ve grown as a participant, I’ve a brand new position which I like quite a bit and I at all times attempt to give my finest for my teammates,” he added.
Inter now head to the revamped, four-team Italian Tremendous Cup in Riyadh, the place they start a troublesome run of fixtures with Thursday’s semi-final in opposition to Lazio.
A visit to high-flying Fiorentina will observe the Tremendous Cup on the finish of the month earlier than a showdown with Juve on the San Siro in early February, by which era their closest rivals might be prime of the pile attributable to having a recreation in hand.
Inter do not play what would have been subsequent weekend’s house conflict with Atalanta till the top of subsequent month attributable to their Tremendous Cup commitments.
Good Inter
Nonetheless in the event that they proceed to play as they did in a blistering show on Saturday they need to have little to concern from any opposition.
Calhanoglu put Inter forward from the penalty spot within the twelfth minute after Roberto Gagliardini dealt with Martinez’s header, and the away aspect had been two in entrance moments later.
A terrific staff transfer swept Inter from one finish of the pitch to the opposite and ended with Martinez prodding house from shut vary.
Monza’s Matteo Pessina then had a header dominated out for the tightest of offsides within the twenty ninth minute, and Calhanoglu made certain of the factors on the hour mark when he stroked house Thuram’s neat lay-off.
Pessina did get his purpose from the penalty spot 9 minutes later however by then the harm was achieved.
With six minutes remaining Martinez netted a penalty of his personal to take his league tally to 18 for the season and 4 minutes later Thuram capped an ideal night with a wonderful particular person strike.
“You may solely praise an awesome staff, as a result of they had been good tonight,” mentioned Monza coach Raffaele Palladino.
“We misplaced a match in opposition to a extremely good aspect, however we have to clear our heads and simply transfer on to the following recreation.”
Napoli aid
Amir Rrahmani capitalised on dreadful Salernitana defending to poke house a stoppage-time winner and transfer Napoli as much as sixth, 20 factors behind Inter.
The hosts got here again from going behind within the twenty ninth minute to a shocking Antonio Candreva strike, with Matteo Politano pulling Napoli degree from the penalty spot on the finish of the primary half earlier than Rrahmani introduced the home down.
Napoli are additionally two factors behind fourth-placed Fiorentina, who sit within the remaining Champions League spot and host Udinese on Sunday.
“It was an actual staff win, a trademark of this staff final season however one thing that we have not seen an excessive amount of of this yr,” mentioned Mazzarri.
Saturday’s win introduced euphoria to house followers who’ve watched a aspect which cruised to final season’s historic Scudetto put up a weak title defence.
However the three factors got here with a big slice of excellent fortune as Politano’s leveller got here after a gentle foul from Federico Fazio on Giovanni Simeone, given after a VAR verify.
And deep in added time Salernitana goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa helped hand Napoli the win when he clattered into Fazio whereas making an attempt to gather Giacomo Raspadori’s free-kick, earlier than the ball squirmed to Rrahmani who rammed house the decisive purpose.
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