Icardi Nets 25th Goal in Cagliari Rout, Inter Milan Climbs Into Third
Inter Milan moved up to third in the Serie A table with a convincing 4-0 win over 14th-placed Cagliari at home on Tuesday night.
The home side had won three of their last four against the night's visitors, but they hadn't beaten them at San Siro since 2011. They also hadn't scored in the last 312 minutes of play leading up to the match.
However, any omens were dispelled after just four minutes when Joao Cancelo fooled everyone with his free kick from a seemingly difficult angle out on the left flank to open the scoring.
The hosts should have been 2-0 up by the 12th minute. But Yann Karamoh shot wide after receiving a good, low cross from Mauro Icardi following an Inter breakaway.
The forward came close yet again, around eight minutes later, when Danilo D'Ambrosio floated in a cross from the left, yet he was unable to affect the scoreline as his volley cannoned off the crossbar. Rafinha would also have a good shot saved just moments later.
Inter were also hit with an injury during the first half - rather unfortunately - when Roberto Gagliardini had to be replaced by Borja Valero after suffering what appeared to be a hamstring problem.
Karamoh, meanwhile, finally got the ball to connect with the back of the net during stoppage time ahead of the end of the half, but his goal was rightly ruled offside.
Inter would go into the halftime break leading 1-0. And just as they had done in the first period, the Nerazzurri scored just minutes into the second, this time through Icardi, who stabbed a ball home from close range following Rafinha's back-heeled pass in the Cagliari box for his 25th goal of the Serie A season–a new personal best.
Marcelo Brozovic made it 3-0 on 60 minutes, getting the ball under control after it was bothered by an opposing player to work his way into the box and curl into the goal off of his right foot.
The home side scored yet another in the 89th minute, with Brozovic hitting a short free kick to an onrushing Ivan Perisic, who buried a shot from just inside to give Inter a 4-0 win and take them back into the top four–above Roma and Lazio, following their draw on Sunday.
