Inter Milan secured a commanding victory away at Monza, solidifying their position at the top of Serie A as they kick off the second half of the season in style.
Inter continued their relentless pursuit of success in Serie A on matchday 20, marking the beginning of the second half of the season with a resounding 5-1 victory over Monza. This remarkable win was the team's 14th consecutive unbeaten league match, firmly establishing their dominance in the Italian top flight.
Right from the outset, the 'nerazzurri' displayed their dominance, taking a commanding lead with two goals within the first quarter of an hour. The scoring spree continued in the second half, as they added three more goals to their tally. It was a night to remember, with Çalhanoglu and Lautaro Martínez both delivering braces, showcasing their attacking prowess.
The Turkish midfielder, Çalhanoglu, broke the deadlock by converting a penalty in the 12th minute. Shortly after, the Argentine forward Lautaro Martínez, Serie A's leading scorer with 18 goals in the same number of games, added a second goal just two minutes later.
In the second half, Çalhanoglu completed his first 'brace' in the Italian league during his seventh season, and the third with Inter, following his tenure with their city rivals, Milan.
On the other side, Monza had defenders Pedro Pereira and forward Dany Mota in their starting lineup. They managed to reduce the deficit in the 68th minute when Pessina converted a penalty after a foul on the Portuguese-Luxembourgish forward, Dany Mota.
Inter's dominance continued as Lautaro Martínez converted another penalty in the 84th minute, and the Frenchman Marcus Thuram sealed the final score with a goal in the 88th minute. The 5-1 victory showcased Inter's impressive form, with 11 wins and three draws in their last 14 Serie A matches.
With this emphatic win, Inter cemented their position at the top of the Serie A table with 51 points, holding a five-point lead over Juventus. Juventus was set to face Sassuolo on Monday. Meanwhile, Monza finds itself in the 11th position with 25 points.
Over at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, Napoli celebrated a hard-fought victory, ending a series of three games with only one point. Their triumph came in dramatic fashion during the sixth minute of stoppage time when Kosovo's Rrahmani found the net, securing a comeback victory.
Before Rrahmani's late heroics, the experienced midfielder Candreva had opened the scoring for Salerno's team in the 31st minute. However, Raspadori leveled the score temporarily from the penalty spot in the 45+4th minute.
Portuguese international Mário Rui was part of the starting lineup for Napoli, and their win propelled them to the sixth position temporarily, with 31 points. They now sit ahead of Atalanta (30), Lazio (30), and Roma (29), all set to play their matches on Sunday.
In another Serie A clash, Verona secured a 2-1 victory over Empoli. Goals from Bosnian Djuric in the third minute and Belgian Ngonge in the 56th minute contributed to Verona's win. This win lifted Verona out of the relegation zone, placing them provisionally in 17th place with 17 points. Empoli, who scored through Polish Zurkowski in the 64th minute, remains in 19th place with 13 points.
Lastly, Genoa and Torino, positioned 12th and 10th in the standings with 22 and 28 points respectively, played to a goalless draw. This result allowed both teams to maintain their comfortable mid-table positions.
