Romelu Lukaku, Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez were on the scoresheet as Inter clinched a deserved win over Atalanta on Saturday.
Inter secured UEFA Champions League qualification in their penultimate match of the Serie A season, dealing a fatal blow to Atalanta’s top four hopes with a 3-2 win at the San Siro.
The Nerazzurri – finalists in Europe’s first club competition this term – raced into a two-goal lead in just two minutes and 49 seconds after Romelu Lukaku and Nicolo Barella were on target.
Atalanta needed a result to keep their slim hopes of a top-four finish alive and Mario Pasalic handed them a lifeline before the break on Saturday.
Yet Inter added a deserved third after the break through Lautaro Martinez, making Andre Onana’s late own goal a mere consolation for Atalanta as the Nerazzurri moved eight points clear of their fifth-placed visitors.
Lukaku needed just 39 seconds to put Inter ahead, timing his run from Martinez’s through ball before rounding Marco Sportiello and tapping into an empty net.
Atalanta found themselves level after three minutes, Barella hammering the rebound into the roof of the net after Sportiello made two saves from Federico Dimarco.
Hakan Calhanoglu was denied a third by offside when he netted with a wild volley before Onana was forced into action by Rasmus Hojlund and Teun Koopmeiners.
Atalanta halved the arrears nine minutes before half-time, Pasalic finishing for Onan after a scramble.
Calhanoglu drew a glancing save from Sportiello as Atalanta wilted after the break, Inter controlling the game in typically assured fashion.
Martinez stretched Inter’s lead further when Marcelo Brozovic headed home after 13 minutes before Luis Muriel deflected off a hapless Onan as the Nerazzurri just held on for victory.
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