Five-star Inter pummel Monza to stretch league lead
Inter began to show the dominance that had won them the “winter title” as early as the third minute, when Lautaro Martinez came within inches of turning home Federico Dimarco’s volley.
Eight minutes later, they were gifted the opportunity to take the lead, when VAR spotted that former Nerazzurri midfielder Roberto Gagliardini had deflected Martinez’s header with his hand inside the box - allowing Hakan Calhanoglu to step up and duly dispatch the penalty.
The irrepressible visitors then added a second inside the quarter-hour mark with a move which began with goalkeeper Yann Sommer, and ended with Henrikh Mkhitaryan feeding Dimarco, who rifled the ball across goal for Martinez to bundle home.
Marcus Thuram went the closest as Inter continued to lay siege to the Monza goal before, completely against the run of play, Monza thought they had got a goal back through Matteo Pessina, but a VAR check ruled him offside from Luca Caldirola’s flick-on.
The beginning of the second half was in complete contrast to that of the first, with Inter mustering half chances which fell to Mkhitaryan and Calhanoglu. However, on the hour mark, they were both involved in a swift counter-attack which resulted in Inter’s third. Mkhitaryan found Thuram in the box, and the Frenchman selflessly laid it off to Calhanoglu who buried his second of the game and ninth of the campaign.
Raffaele Palladino’s men kept battling, and were rewarded soon after when Matteo Darmian clipped Dany Mota and referee Antonio Rapuano pointed to the spot for the second time. Pessia coolly rolled the ball past Sommer to give the Biancorossi a glimmer of hope with over 20 minutes still to play.
The third penalty of the match arrived with seven minutes remaining after Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro pulled Davide Frattesi back. With Calhanoglu substituted, Martinez had the chance to notch his 18th of the season, which he took by slamming the ball down the middle.
There was still time for Thuram to get on the scoresheet; he kept his composure cut inside and beat Alessandro Sorrentino at his near post. Simone Inzaghi’s men have now surpassed 50 points in Serie A, with more than half of that tally coming from their unbeaten away record (W8, D2). The defeat leaves Monza with one win from their last five, though they remain comfortable in mid-table.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
