The Scudetto challenge at the Olimpico rewards Inter. The return to the stadium that consecrated him, for Inzaghi, is very sweet with six goals which certify how Goliath, in reality, can take a single bite of the outsider Davide. The Nerazzurri, in fact, buried the home team under six goals with Calhanoglu's penalty breaking the deadlock and then goals from Dimarco, Barella, Dumfries, Carlos Augusto and Thuram sweeping Lazio away. Baroni has to give up Romagnoli and Vecino, as well as Dia left on the bench and Castellanos suspended, focusing on Noslin up front, while Inzaghi responds with the starting attack with Thuram and Martinez.
Before the match, emotion in the stands with the memory of Sinisa Mihajlovic, a former double who passed away exactly two years ago, on 16 December 2022. The start is Lazio-style with Nuno Tavares and Isaksen testing Sommer's reflexes, but as the minutes Inter begins to take measures in the match, raising the engine revs. The key episode comes almost at the end of the first half with the action that leads to the corner kick. Dumfries headers, Provedel blocks, Martinez hits Gigot on the head, making De Vrij's tap in futile. Chiffi, however, was warned by VAR for a touch from the defender's hand on the Dutchman's header; wide arm touching the ball, it's a penalty. Calhanoglu goes to the spot, the Turk is a winner with a central shot that leaves the Lazio goalkeeper with no chance and gives Inter the advantage. Lazio feels the pinch, Inter goes to great lengths in space and scores the second goal with the action that made Inzaghi famous; from fifth to fifth, Dumfries passes the ball into the middle for the onrushing Dimarco who, with a left foot on the fly, hits the ball which swells the net for the second time. A goal, that of the Inter player, which closes the first half. In the second half Baroni is forced to change Gigot, who replaced Gila in the first half, Inzaghi responds with Darmian in place of Bisseck. But if Dimarco's goal already had the flavor of an anticipated victory, the final sentence was written by Barella who, from the edge, stopped and kicked directly under the seven for the Nerazzurri's trio that extinguished any ambition of a comeback for the Biancoceleste. Lazio disappears from the pitch, Baroni's team doesn't react and Inter need just 3 minutes to get the lead. This time it's Bastoni who hits the far post, Dumfries's shot, which jumps on Tavares, is imperious and worth the fourth goal which punishes the hosts beyond their own demerits. Not happy, the Nerazzurri rounded off again with the goal of substitute Carlos Augusto and the final seal from Thuram, punishing Lazio extremely and taking home three fundamental points in the fight for the Scudetto, beating the team that, before tonight and with the standings in hand, was one of the rivals for the tricolor. But above all, reiterating to the opponents, once again, that the shield on the chest is not there by chance. While for Lazio, accustomed to flying high, the fall is thunderous but does not affect a season so far above expectations and which allows Baroni's men, applauded at the end of the match by their fans, to keep their hopes alive, if not the championship, at least to compete for a Champions League spot.
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