Inter moved closer to the Serie A title with a controlled 3-0 victory over Cagliari at San Siro, as Marcus Thuram struck again, Nicolo Barella also found the net, and Piotr Zielinski sealed the result, stretching the lead at the top of the table to 12 points.
The scoreline was shaped by a ruthless spell early in the second half, yet the closing stages still carried weight for the record books, with Zielinski’s stoppage-time finish bringing up a personal landmark and adding further pressure on Inter’s closest Serie A rivals before the rest of the weekend schedule.
Thuram’s composed finish in the 52nd minute continued a strong run of form, with the forward now on four goals across Inter’s last three matches, while Barella’s strike soon after gave
the hosts full control and underlined why Inter remain clear favourites in this season’s Serie A race.
The opening period was far more balanced, and Cagliari contained Inter for long spells, although Federico Dimarco almost broke through after 17 minutes when Michel Adopo cleared the wing-back’s close-range attempt off the line, following a low shot from Thuram that had been pushed out after the flag went up for offside.
Dimarco’s influence extended far beyond that early chance, as the defender again showed attacking quality to create the breakthrough, darting down the left and drilling a low ball across the six-yard box, where Thuram arrived unmarked at the back post to guide the ball into an empty net.
Inter quickly tightened their grip four minutes later when a loose ball inside the area fell to Barella on the edge of the box, and the Inter captain stepped onto it with a powerful strike that flew past the goalkeeper, leaving Cagliari unable to build any meaningful response as the hosts controlled territory and tempo.
How I wish, how I wish you were here. To be by our side for this win @EnelGroupIT pic.twitter.com/PuF937Xd2HInter (@Inter_en) April 17, 2026
Inter, Marcus Thuram and Serie A records for Dimarco and Zielinski
Beyond the score, Dimarco’s season reached a new statistical high, as the full-back now stands on 21 direct goal contributions in Serie A, with six goals and 15 assists, making Dimarco the first defender to record more than 20 goal involvements in a single Serie A campaign since Opta’s data collection began in 2004-05.
Zielinski also wrote a small piece of Serie A history with Inter’s third goal, arriving in the 92nd minute when a first-time strike from the edge of the area curled into the top-right corner, which not only added late gloss to the result but also marked Zielinski’s 50th Serie A goal, making Zielinski the highest-scoring Polish player in the competition.
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