Inter-Salernitana 4-0
THE NEWS
The steamroller Inter takes no prisoners, demolishes Salernitana with three goals already in the first 45 minutes before the poker scored by Arnautovic in the final and flies to +10 in the standings over Juventus, effectively with the same number of matches, certifying the breakaway in double figures .
All too easy for the Nerazzurri, who already made it clear from Simone Inzaghi's choices (turnover reduced to just the midfield players) and from the first minutes that they had no intention of leaving points on the way.
No stumbles in the spin against the Campania team at the bottom of the table, on the contrary, total domination from the first to the last minute and the numbers (over 70% of ball possession, 25 shots, 18 corners to zero, four goals and even two woodblocks) aren't even enough to explain it.
A scared and weak Salernitana could do nothing, on which the Liverani effect has not yet been seen after the dismissal of Filippo Inzaghi.
The other Inzaghi, on the other hand, led from the bench a relentless team that was at times unplayable for the opponents, unable to find solutions for Inter's offensive waves.
A victory which also allows the Nerazzurri to approach with even more confidence the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Atletico Madrid, scheduled for Tuesday: in fact, Inzaghi was able to rest his big players at the end in a match which, thanks to the pace and the intensity is anything but high, it shouldn't have taken too much energy away.
The phase of great intensity for the Nerazzurri was in fact concentrated at the start, when Inter started at a drumming pace.
So much so that they almost took the lead after less than two minutes, when first a great intervention by Ochoa on a header by Bastoni and then the post sensationally hit by Thuram denied the home team a goal.
Ochoa and the woodwork were again protagonists shortly after, with the Mexican goalkeeper and the crossbar coming between Barella and the goal.
And it begins to look like a haunted evening for Inter when Lautaro, in the middle of the area, 'butts' an assist from Dumfries on his own.
But it's a matter of minutes, because Carlos Augusto, after an escape on the left, serves Thuram who breaks the deadlock with his right foot.
Salernitana kicks off, not even thirty seconds pass and Inter are back in the area: Carlos Augusto finds Lautaro with a long throw-in, who doubles the score with a violent right-footed shot.
A significant goal for the Argentine captain, who becomes the eighth scorer in Inter's history (with 125 goals) and the third Nerazzurri to score at least 20 goals for three seasons after Nyers and Meazza.
For Liverani it rains in the wet, because the Campania coach loses Boateng due to injury.
And in the meantime the Inter push doesn't stop, chasing the third goal.
Which comes just before the break, when Ochoa doesn't hold onto a ball deflected by Pasalidis and Dumfries scores from two steps.
The second half thus turns into a sort of training for Inter, with the Salernitana version of a sparring partner who does not change their attitude and, if possible, lowers themselves even further to protect their goal.
Not that much is needed, considering that the Nerazzurri came close to scoring a poker with De Vrij, Calhanoglu and Sanchez, before Arnautovic found it and scored the 4-0 late on.
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