Serie A: Inter take another step forward to win the title; Como has dented Champions League ambitions

Inter Milan took another step towards the Serie A title on Friday by comfortably beating Cagliari 3-0 to take a provisional 12-point lead at the top of the table.

Quickfire strikes shortly after half-time at the San Siro from Marcus Thuram and Nicolo Barella, and Piotr Zielinski’s rocket in stoppage time, left Inter potentially one game away from claiming a 21st league crown, with top challengers Napoli hosting Lazio on Saturday.

If Napoli do not beat Lazio, Inter could complete the Scudetto in Torino next weekend, although it would also need the reigning champions to fail to win the next match against relegation battlers Cremonese.

Be that as it may, Inter seem destined to take the title back from Napoli in a few weeks and that was too much for Cagliari, who with five games left in the season are six points above the relegation zone and not yet safe from the fall.

Thuram’s opener came six minutes after half-time and was probably his easiest finish of the season, with the French forward casually slotting in his fourth goal in three games after Federico Dimarco’s perfect low cross.

And Inter were assured of the points two minutes later when Sardinian Barella, who came through Cagliari’s youth academy, batted in the second and held up his hands in an apology to his hometown team.

Inter fans roared chants about the huge league lead and the distaste of local rivals AC Milan as the team played the rest of the match without exerting themselves, with the second leg of the Italian Cup semi-final with Como taking place on Tuesday.

The supporters had barely finished shouting “we’re going to win the league” when Zielinski met Dumfries’ knockdown with a perfect shot from the edge of the area that sailed past Elia Caprile into the top corner.

How to blow

Como go into the cup tie against Inter in a somber mood after their bid for Champions League football suffered another blow with a 1-2 defeat at Sassuolo.

Cristian Volpato’s brilliant lobbed finish at the end of a quick counter-attack and a strike from M’Bala Nzola, goals coming within two minutes towards the end of the first half, gave Sassuolo victory in Reggio Emilia.

A second defeat in a row leaves Como fifth, two points behind Juventus, who host Bologna on Sunday evening, and Roma one point behind in sixth ahead of Saturday’s clash with Atalanta.

AC Milan have also been given a reprieve, the seven-time European champions are in third place and five points ahead of Como, but are on a run of three defeats in their last four games.

Como looked on course to secure a sensational top four finish at half-time of last week’s home game against Inter, a match that Cesc Fabregas’ side led by two just before half-time.

But it was ultimately a 3-4 defeat and Friday’s loss leaves the traditionally small club, backed by tobacco giant Djarum, potentially five points off the Champions League places at the end of the weekend.

Published on April 18, 2026