Lautaro Martinez ensured the Serie A title race will head into the final week of the season on Sunday with a brace in Inter Milan’s 3-1 win at Cagliari to stay two points behind leaders AC Milan.
Reigning champions Inter had to win to have any hope of retaining their league crown after Milan beat Atalanta 2-0 earlier in the day.
And goals in each half from Mattia Darmian’s and Martinez ensured that Simone Inzaghi’s side would push their local rivals down to the wire with a hard-fought victory in Sardinia.
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter could have been tired after a thrilling, extra-time Italian Cup triumph over old foes Juventus on Wednesday but came through a tricky test against a side scrapping for their top flight lives.
The emotions were on Wednesday, winning a trophy we cared about a great deal,” Inzaghi told DAZN.
“It wasn’t easy after Milan’s win, but the team played really well against an opponent who is problematic on their own turf. I congratulate my lads, because this was by no means to be taken for granted, especially after playing 120 minutes on Wednesday.”
Cagliari meanwhile stay two points behind Salernitana, who sit just outside the relegation zone.
They had already had a Milan Skriniar goal ruled out for handball when Darmian did put the away side ahead, and once Martinez lashed home his first six minutes after the break he thought that was that.
Charalampos Lykogiannis thumped home from distance almost straight afterwards to give Cagliari hope of getting an unlikely result, but with six minutes remaining Martinez dinked home his second to calm Inter nerves.
