Serie A: Inter takes another step forward to win title; Como has Champions League ambitions dented Inter Milan took another step towards the Serie A title on Friday by comfortably beating Cagliari 3-0 and taking 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, took Inter to potentially one game from claiming its 21st league crown, with closest challenger Napoli hosting Lazio on Saturday.
If Napoli does not beat Lazio, Inter could wrap up the Scudetto next weekend at Torino, although it would also need the reigning champion to not win its next fixture against relegation-struggler Cremonese.
Regardless, Inter look destined to take the title back from Napoli with weeks to spare and was too much for Cagliari which, with five matches left in its season, is six points above the relegation zone and not yet safe from the drop.
Thuram’s opener came six minutes after the break and was probably his simplest finish of the season, the France forward casually guiding home his fourth goal in three matches from Federico Dimarco’s perfect low cross.
And Inter was effectively sure of the points two minutes later when Sardinian Barella, who came up through the Cagliari’s academy, smashed in the second and held his hands up in apology to his home-town team.
Inter fans roared chants about its massive league lead and its distaste for local rival AC Milan as its team played out the rest of a match without exerting itself, with the second leg of its Italian Cup semifinal with Como coming up on Tuesday.
Supporters had barely finished bellowing “we’re gonna win the league” when Zielinski met Dumfries’ knock-down with a perfect shot from the edge of the area which sailed past Elia Caprile and into the top corner.
Como blow
Como heads into its Cup showdown with Inter in downbeat mood after its 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 rapid counterattack 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, which hosts Bologna on Sunday night and with Roma one point behind in sixth ahead of its clash with Atalanta on Saturday.
AC Milan has also been given a reprieve, the seven-time European champion in third and five points ahead of Como but on a run of three defeats in its last four fixtures.
Como had looked on course to secure a sensational top four placing at half-time of last week’s home match against Inter, a fixture which Cesc Fabregas’ team led by two just before half-time.
But it eventually fell to a 3-4 defeat and Friday’s loss leaves the traditionally small club, backed by tobacco giant Djarum, potentially five points away from the Champions League spots come the end of the weekend.
Published on Apr 18, 2026
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Inter Milan took another step towards the Serie A title on Friday by comfortably beating Cagliari 3-0 and taking 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, took Inter to potentially one game from claiming its 21st league crown, with closest challenger Napoli hosting Lazio on Saturday.
If Napoli does not beat Lazio, Inter could wrap up the Scudetto next weekend at Torino, although it would also need the reigning champion to not win its next fixture against relegation-struggler Cremonese.
Regardless, Inter look destined to take the title back from Napoli with weeks to spare and was too much for Cagliari which, with five matches left in its season, is six points above the relegation zone and not yet safe from the drop.
Thuram’s opener came six minutes after the break and was probably his simplest finish of the season, the France forward casually guiding home his fourth goal in three matches from Federico Dimarco’s perfect low cross.
And Inter was effectively sure of the points two minutes later when Sardinian Barella, who came up through the Cagliari’s academy, smashed in the second and held his hands up in apology to his home-town team.
Inter fans roared chants about its massive league lead and its distaste for local rival AC Milan as its team played out the rest of a match without exerting itself, with the second leg of its Italian Cup semifinal with Como coming up on Tuesday.
Supporters had barely finished bellowing “we’re gonna win the league” when Zielinski met Dumfries’ knock-down with a perfect shot from the edge of the area which sailed past Elia Caprile and into the top corner.
Como blow
Como heads into its Cup showdown with Inter in downbeat mood after its 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 rapid counterattack 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, which hosts Bologna on Sunday night and with Roma one point behind in sixth ahead of its clash with Atalanta on Saturday.
AC Milan has also been given a reprieve, the seven-time European champion in third and five points ahead of Como but on a run of three defeats in its last four fixtures.
Como had looked on course to secure a sensational top four placing at half-time of last week’s home match against Inter, a fixture which Cesc Fabregas’ team led by two just before half-time.
But it eventually fell to a 3-4 defeat and Friday’s loss leaves the traditionally small club, backed by tobacco giant Djarum, potentially five points away from the Champions League spots come the end of the weekend.
Published on Apr 18, 2026
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