MILAN, Italy — The blue and black half of Milan is buzzing this morning. Inter Milan moved one step closer to the Serie A title yesterday with a commanding 3-0 victory over Cagliari at the San Siro. Under the guidance of Cristian Chivu, the Nerazzurri showed exactly why they are the team to beat, combining defensive solidity with a clinical edge that left the visitors chasing shadows.
The Breakthrough
Inter set the tone from the opening whistle, but it took until the 52nd minute to finally break Cagliari’s stubborn resistance. It was the usual suspect, Marcus Thuram, who found the net, tapping home from close range after a pinpoint low cross from Federico Dimarco. For Thuram, it marked his fourth goal in just three matches—a frightening vein of form at the business end of the season.
History for Dimarco
While Thuram got the opener, the night belonged to Federico Dimarco. By providing the assist for the first goal, Dimarco reached a staggering 21 goal involvements for the season (6 goals, 15 assists). He is now officially the first defender in Serie A history to surpass 20 goal involvements in a single campaign since Opta data collection began in 2004.
Sealing the Deal
The captain, Nicolò Barella, doubled the lead just four minutes later, smashing a fierce effort from the edge of the box after the ball fell kindly to him following some “pinball” in the Cagliari area. To put the icing on the cake, Piotr Zielinski notched his 50th Serie A goal in stoppage time, a swerving beauty that tucked into the top corner, making him the highest-scoring Polish player in the history of the competition.
With the Scudetto now within touching distance, the San Siro was a sea of celebration at the final whistle.
