MILAN: Inter Milan took another step towards the Serie A title with a 3-0 win over Cagliari at the San Siro on Friday, when second-half goals from Marcus Thuram, Nicolo Barella and Piotr Zielinski moved the hosts 12 points clear at the top.

Inter are on 78 points, with second-placed Napoli on 66 before they host Lazio while Cagliari remained 16th in the standings on 33 points, six above the relegation zone.

After a sluggish first-half performance, Inter took the lead through Thuram seven minutes after the break, Barella added a second and substitute Zielinski put the shine on the win with an added-time goal.

Inter had got their title charge back on track with back-to-back wins over AS Roma and Como after a three-game slump in which they collected two points, and a third successive win kept them in full control with five matches remaining.

“It’s not done yet, we’ve got to keep pushing and picking up points,” said Thuram. “We’re a team who likes to play together and hang out together, and you can see that on the pitch.”

Barella was reluctant to celebrate after scoring against his hometown club, but was hoisted onto the shoulders of Thuram as Inter enjoyed a goal which tightened their grip on the Scudetto.

“It’s been a year with more ups and downs, and that annoys me because I always want to be at my best,” Barella told DAZN.

“Now I feel good again and I’m trying to give everything as always. Sometimes you can have a mental block, but right now I’m enjoying the moment.”

Earlier on Friday, Como’s Champions League football suffered another blow with a 2-1 defeat at Sassuolo and they head into their cup showdown with Inter in downbeat mood.

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

A second straight defeat leaves Como fifth, two points behind Juventus who host Bologna on Sunday night and with AS Roma one point behind in sixth ahead of their clash with Atalanta.

“We didn’t mark properly and our distribution wasn’t good, it just wasn’t our day,” said Como coach Cesc Fabregas.

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

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2026