The chase is over: Inter are the new Serie A leaders after completing a comfortable 4-0 dismantling of poor 19th-placed Cagliari. The Nerazzurri made short work of Walter Mazzarri’s Rossoblu with a brace from Lautaro Martinez – who also took the luxury of missing a penalty – and two beautiful goals from Alexis Sanchez and Hakan Calhanoglu.
Add to that the fact that Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno was by far the best man among his side, having made no less than 11 saves, and you get an idea of how big of a mismatch the Sunday night match at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium was. After four ties in a row, Cagliari thus came home empty-handed – though no one could realistically expect any different outcome from tonight’s game.
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter have grown in confidence week after week and managed to recover a seven-point gap from city rivals Milan. They are now the most likely candidate to win the Scudetto, led as they are by a Nicolò Barella in tip top shape. The pocket-sized midfielder didn’t find the back of the net tonight but had two assists to his name.
Lautaro Opens the Scoring But Is Denied from the Spot
Born and raised in Sardinia and the youngest captain ever for Cagliari at 20 years of age, Barella faced his recent past tonight. However, those believing that he would choose to go easy on his former team were proved wrong early in the game as Barella had 4 shooting attempt in the first 15 minutes. They were followed by a violent Milan Skriniar conclusion that was pushed back by Alessio Cragno.
Inter opened the scoring on the half-hour mark with a classic corner kick action as Lautaro Martinez anticipated Joao Pedro and headed the ball home from an Hakan Calhanoglu service.
The Nerazzurri should have made it two before half time but first Cragno denied Alexis Sanchez with a superb piece of goalkeeping and then Lautaro failed to catch Denzel Dumfries’ service after the Dutchman had penetrated into the box with an irresistible progression from the right side.
Inter had an even bigger chance when Dumfries went one-on-one with Cragno in the box and was knocked down by the Sardinians’ goalkeeper. From the penalty spot, however, Cragno denied Lautaro with a spectacular dive to the right.
Inter Wraps It Early into Second Half as Cagliari Collapse
The second goal for the Nerazzurri came, however, early in the second half as Alexis Sanchez volleyed past the Islanders’ shot-stopper a brilliant assist from Barella. The Sardinian dynamo controlled the ball with his chest and delivered it to El Nino Maravilla with an overhead kick, prompting the Chilean’s winning conclusion.
From then on, it was all easy for the home side. Cragno saved a Dumfries shot with his foot, then used his hands to palm away a new challenge from Sanchez. But Cagliari’s heroic goalkeeper was hapless on 66 minutes, when Calhanoglu moved inward from the left-hand side with very little opposition from the Cagliari defense and powered a right-foot screamer to the top right corner of the goal.
Two more minutes, and Cragno had to capitulate again, this time to a Lautaro soft touch – once again ignited by a clinical Barella assist that delivered the ball to El Toro beyond the dreadful Cagliari defensive line.
It was not over. There was still time for the Islanders’ goalkeeper to steal the stage in a few more occasions and for Sanchez to hit the crossbar. The full time whistle came as a relief for the visitors.
What’s Next for Inter and Cagliari
Inter’s next test, an away trip to bottom-ranked Salernitana, will offer a favorable chance for the Nerazzurri to retain the top place in the Serie A table and move closer to the “Winter Champion” title. Cagliari, on the other hand, will receive Udinese at the Unipol Arena in an attempt to reanimate a disastrous campaign so far.
MATCH SCORECARD
December 12, 2021 – Serie A 2021-2022 Round 17
INTER – CAGLIARI 4-0
SCORER: 29′ Lautaro Martinez, 50′ Sanchez, 66′ Calhanoglu, 68′ Lautaro Martinez
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INTER (3-5-2): Handanovic; Skriniar, de Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries (72′ Dimarco), Barella, Brozovic (72′ Vidal), Calhanoglu (76′ Sensi), Perisic (83′ Zanotti); Martinez (82′ Satriano), Sanchez (Radu, D’Ambrosio, Kolarov, Ranocchia, Gagliardini, Vecino, Dzeko) Coach: S. Inzaghi |
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CAGLIARI (3-5-2): Cragno; Caceres (70′ Zappa), Godin, Carboni (82′ Obert); Bellanova, Deiola (82′ Oliva), Grassi (59′ Lykogiannis), Marin, Dalbert; Keita (70′ Pavoletti), Joao Pedro (Aresti, Radunovic, Altare, Pereiro, Ceter) Coach: Mazzarri |
REFEREE: Mr. Marchetti from Ostia
NOTES: Yellow Cards: Lautaro Martinez (I), Cragno, Deiola (C); Added Time: 1st Half 1′, 2nd Half 0′