Ammon News - 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 on Saturday while Cagliarxi 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.

Cagliari took ​the game to the hosts early on, getting the first shot on target with Inter keeper Josep Martinez stretching to tip Sebastiano Esposito's low strike around the post for a corner.

Inter seized control but struggled to find a way through Cagliari's backline ​in the opening half, with the other Esposito brother, Pio, coming closest before the break, forcing Elia Caprile into ​a save.

The home side upped the pace after the interval and a Federico Dimarco low cross into the six-yard area ‌was ⁠tapped in by Thuram at the back post to bring the San Siro crowd to life and settle Inter's nerves.

BARELLA BACK ON FORM
A second goal quickly followed, with Barella collecting a loose ball, charging into the area before letting fly with a powerful shot into the top corner to score against his hometown club.

Barella was ​reluctant to celebrate, but ​was hoisted onto the shoulders ⁠of Thuram as Inter enjoyed a goal which tightened their grip on the Scudetto.

"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."

Inter had little trouble seeing out a routine win, and Zielinski smashed home a first-time strike from outside the area ⁠to round ​off a dominant performance.

In his first season in charge, Cristian ​Chivu could well deliver a domestic double with his Inter side back at the San Siro on Tuesday to face Como in the Coppa ​Italia semi-final second leg, after a 0-0 draw in the first game.

Reuters