Soccer Football - Serie A - Cagliari v Inter Milan - Unipol Domus, Cagliari, Italy - December 28, 2024 Inter Milan's Hakan Calhanoglu scores their third goal from the penalty spot REUTERS/Alberto Lingria
CAGLIARI, Italy (Reuters) -Inter Milan secured a 3-0 win at Cagliari on Saturday, with a dominant second half that saw goals from Alessandro Bastoni, Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu, keeping them in stride at the top of Serie A.
Inter share top spot with Atalanta, both on 40 points, with the Bergamo club set to play at Lazio later on Saturday.
Cagliari are 18th, in the relegation zone, with 14 points.
Inter have now won five straight away matches without conceding a goal, their third time in a single Serie A season in club history and the first time since the 1966-67 season.
The first half was balanced, with Inter controlling possession but creating few clear chances, while Cagliari defended well.
Inter created the first big chance just minutes after kickoff when Marcus Thuram unleashed a volley that Cagliari keeper Simone Scuffet managed to deflect to safety.
Martinez came close around the half-hour mark when a cross from Calhanoglu sailed past everyone but the diving header went narrowly wide from almost on the line.
Bastoni broke the deadlock for Inter after 53 minutes when he headed in a cross from almost the byline, sending the ball in a near-perfect loop that dipped just under the bar.
MARTINEZ ENDS DRAUGHT
Minutes after Bastoni's goal, Martinez came close again when he was played into space near the box, but his angled drive narrowly missed the post, denying Inter a second goal.
In the 71st minute, Martinez finally got his goal when a corner found Nicolo Barella, who sent the ball back into the box, allowing the Argentine to slide in and volley it home to double Inter's lead.
The Inter captain had not scored in any competition at club level since Nov. 3, when he netted the only goal in a 1-0 win over Venezia.
"For us it was important to come away with a positive result: of course, the goal is important, but even more so is that the team wins," Martinez told streaming service DAZN.
"We work hard every day to bring trophies to Inter and anyone who sets foot on the pitch will give his all for the team."
The match was then effectively decided in the 78th minute when Calhanoglu converted a penalty to give Inter their third goal, following a handball by Cagliari's Mateusz Wieteska.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
